The Drishyam franchise stands among the finest thriller series produced in India. Audiences praised its tight screenplay, emotional depth, and gripping suspense. The film was later released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and several other languages, and it achieved commercial success everywhere. The story even traveled beyond India, with remakes in Chinese and Sinhalese.
Director Jeethu Joseph followed up the original with Drishyam 2, starring Mohanlal. He released it directly on OTT during the COVID period, and it received solid appreciation. Now, the third installment has already been completed in Malayalam and will be released on April 2. Jeethu initially planned to remake the third part in Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada as well. However, developments in each industry have taken different directions.
In Hindi, Ajay Devgn has agreed to continue the franchise, but Jeethu reportedly insisted that the Malayalam version must release first before the Hindi adaptation. As a result, the Hindi version will be released later in October with a different story.
Venkatesh‘s Telugu version, however, now looks like a gone case. Jeethu Joseph was expected to direct the third part in Telugu as well. But reports suggest that Venkatesh has stepped away from the project. One major reason appears to be his increased remuneration after Sankrantiki Vastunnam’s blockbuster success. Industry insiders claim that his latest fee may not suit the current financial state of the Telugu film industry. Drishyam 3 also cannot afford such costly actors, as its box office potential is now limited because it is a remake.
At the same time, there is a creative concern. Once the Malayalam version releases in theatres and quickly arrives on OTT, many viewers will watch it and know the suspense. Since Drishyam relies heavily on surprise and narrative twists, remaking it later in Telugu might be of no use. Adding Telugu dubbing to the Malayalam version of Drishyam 3 might make more financial sense than producing a full remake.
Venkatesh is currently focusing on his film with Trivikram Srinivas titled Adarsha Kutumbam AK 47, and plans to work with Anil Ravipudi next. Given these commitments and the changing audience mindset toward remakes, many believe the Telugu version of Drishyam 3 may not move forward.
