'Drishyam 3' sets the box office on fire

Mohanlal has once again etched his name in the annals of Malayalam cinema's box office history with the phenomenal success of Drishyam 3, which has crossed the Rs 150 crore mark worldwide within just five days of its release. Despite garnering mixed reactions from audiences, the crime thriller, written and directed by Jeethu Joseph, has emerged as a major commercial triumph for the veteran superstar.

According to the latest estimates from Indian box office tracker Sacnilk.com, Drishyam 3 has grossed approximately Rs 156.14 crore worldwide, with Rs 71.74 crore gross in India and Rs 84.40 crore overseas. The film's net collection in India currently stands at Rs 61.80 crore. Despite the anticipated drop after the opening weekend, the film collected Rs 8.51 crore gross on its first Monday, indicating a steady hold. Drishyam 3 witnessed a 50% drop from its opening-day figures and roughly 30% from Friday's numbers, which is considered a strong trend for a film with mixed reception.

A significant highlight of Drishyam 3's success lies in its performance in international markets, where it has contributed over 54% of the total worldwide gross, underscoring Mohanlal's enduring appeal among the Malayalam diaspora audience globally. With this achievement, Mohanlal becomes the only Malayalam actor with three films in the Rs 150 crore club worldwide. His earlier releases, Thudarum and L2: Empuraan, also crossed the milestone, with both films eventually entering the Rs 200 crore club. Drishyam 3 has rapidly climbed to the eighth position in the list of highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time worldwide within just five days of its release, surpassing Aavesham and closing in on Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life).

Released on May 21, Drishyam 3 continues the story of Georgekutty (Mohanlal) following the events of the second installment. While some viewers felt that the third chapter does not recreate the shock value of the earlier films, audiences have largely lauded Jeethu's writing, emotional approach, and Mohanlal's performance. The film also stars Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Siddique, Murali Gopy, and Asha Sharath in pivotal roles. Trade analysts anticipate the third installment to comfortably cross Rs 200 crore during its second weekend if it maintains the current momentum at the box office.