Drishyam 3: How Hindi Remake Became Bigger Than Original?

Drishyam 3 Builds on Hindi Franchise

The Drishyam franchise films in Hindi are remakes of the Malayalam originals, but they have now created a brand of their own. In fact, the Hindi versions have reached a level of popularity that is far beyond the original Malayalam films in terms of box-office reach and franchise value.

Drishyam 1 did not become a huge blockbuster. But the film was well received and built a strong audience over time, especially on satellite. That helped Drishyam 2 become a BLOCKBUSTER, with strong appreciation and excellent word of mouth.

That completely changed the franchise.

By the time Drishyam 3 arrived, audiences were no longer looking at it simply as a remake of a Malayalam film. They were waiting for Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam.

The Malayalam films created the original concept and story, but the Hindi adaptations have built a much bigger mainstream franchise around those stories. The casting, scale, star value and wider Hindi-market reach have transformed the brand.

The success of Drishyam 2 proved that the Hindi audience had completely accepted this version of the franchise. The films may have started as remakes, but they are no longer dependent only on the reputation of the Malayalam originals. In fact, the Drishyam 3 makers claim that this is an original film and is the conclusion of the story, with no further parts coming in the future. It’s a masterstroke in terms of promotion to build hype and curiosity.

Drishyam 3 advance bookings opened late on Saturday and have reportedly received an outstanding response. The national chains had already crossed around 75,000 advance tickets by Monday night, with three days still remaining before release.

Early trade expectations suggested an opening of around Rs. 25-30 crores net, but with the holiday advantage, the first-day figure is now moving towards Rs. 45 crores or even Rs. 50 crores net, depending on the final advance trend.

Maharashtra remains a particularly strong market for the franchise. The interesting question is whether Drishyam has now expanded beyond its traditional Maharashtra strength after the massive success of the second film. That will determine how big the Ajay Devgn Drishyam brand has really become.