There is disappointing news for Drishyam 3 fans, as the upcoming OTT release of the film’s Telugu-dubbed version has run into legal trouble. The Madras High Court has officially restrained the makers of the movie from releasing the Telugu dub on digital platforms. This decision follows a petition filed by filmmaker Sripriya’s film production company, Rajkumar Theatre Pvt Ltd.
The original Malayalam thriller is written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.
What Did the Court Say?
The Telugu-dubbed version of the film was originally scheduled to land on OTT platforms on June 18. However, the restraining order, passed by Justice K Kumaresh Babu, effectively stalled these plans.
In the ruling, the court noted:
“It is to be noted that, in spite of service of private notice on them, none of the respondents has entered appearance or is present before this Court. Their names have also been printed in the cause list. In such view of the matter, there shall be an order of interim injunction, restraining the Respondents/Defendants, their servants, agents, employees, assignees, licensees and everyone claiming under or through the Respondents/Defendants from exploiting the copyrights of the applicant by releasing the same in the OTT Platform.”
Understanding the Dispute
The legal conflict stems from a shift in distribution strategy for this installment. The previous two films in the franchise were formally remade in Telugu as Drushyam (2014) and Drushyam 2 (2021), both starring veteran actor Venkatesh. Filmmaker Sripriya had helmed the first Telugu remake.
Instead of opting for a traditional Telugu remake for the third installment, the creators of the original Malayalam film chose to directly dub Drishyam 3 into Telugu for its OTT release. This prompted Sripriya and Rajkumar Sethupathi to file a petition claiming ownership of the Telugu rights to the franchise and seeking a ban on the dubbed digital release.
About Drishyam 3
Drishyam 3 serves as the highly anticipated third installment in the critically acclaimed Malayalam franchise. The film features Mohanlal reprising his iconic role as Georgekutty, alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, and Kalabhavan Shajon. The plot continues the familiar, high-stakes narrative of a determined family man going to extraordinary lengths to shield his loved ones from the legal consequences of a crime.
Directed by Jeethu Joseph, the film originally hit theatrical screens on May 21 and became officially available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video on June 18. The massive success of the franchise has previously led to multiple regional adaptations, including the Hindi version starring Ajay Devgn and the Tamil remake Papanasam starring Kamal Haasan. The Hindi version of Drishyam 3 is currently slated for a theatrical release this October.