The iconic thriller franchise has proven its unmatched box office pulling power as Drishyam 3 kicked off its theatrical journey with a massive global opening. Released on May 21, 2026, to coincide with superstar Mohanlal’s 66th birthday, the Jeethu Joseph directorial smashed expectations by registering an impressive first-day net collection of ₹15.85 crore across India.
Despite launching amidst a wave of mixed critical reviews, the sheer legacy of the decade-old franchise mobilized audiences en masse, resulting in packed halls across a massive footprint of 5,506 shows nationwide on day one.
Breaking Down the Domestic and Language Multi-Verse
A deeper look into the day-one metrics reveals that Drishyam 3 accumulated a gross domestic collection of ₹18.37 crore. Unsurprisingly, the film’s primary market, Kerala, contributed the lion’s share of this revenue, with the Malayalam version alone pulling in an outstanding ₹13.70 crore. The film’s simultaneous multi-language release strategy also paid rich dividends in neighboring states; the Telugu dubbed version brought in a steady ₹1.50 crore, while the Tamil version added a supplementary ₹0.45 crore to the domestic weekend foundation.
International Market Drives Worldwide Total Past the 40 Crore Mark
While local theaters witnessed immense footfall, it was the international circuit that truly supercharged the film’s opening day performance. Overseas audiences came out in droves, driving the international gross collection to a staggering ₹25 crore within the first 24 hours.
When combined with the domestic earnings, Drishyam 3’s total worldwide opening day gross stands at an extraordinary ₹43.37 crore. While it fell slightly short of Mohanlal’s record-shattering action epic L2: Empuraan which debuted to ₹21 crore last year—it comfortably outperformed his other recent thrillers like Thudarum (₹5.45 crore) and Hridayapoorvam (₹3.25 crore).
A Poignant Legacy That Resonates Beyond the Thrills
Produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the Aashirvad Cinemas banner, the third installment reunites the core ensemble cast, including Meena, Ansiba Hassan, and Esther Anil.
Critical consensus indicates that while the third chapter may not match the tight, breathless pacing of the original 2013 classic which famously became the first Malayalam film to breach the ₹50 crore milestone it succeeds on pure emotional weight. Reviewers have heavily praised Mohanlal’s restrained portrayal of Georgekutty, highlighting his unique ability to depict a father quietly carrying the tragic, endless burden of safeguarding his family’s dark secrets.