Drishyam 3 crosses Rs 300 crore domestically and nears Rs 500 crore globally in 10 days

Box Office Numbers

Abhishek Pathak's crime thriller Drishyam 3 has reached Rs 370.80 crore gross and Rs 309 crore net in India, alongside Rs 479.80 crore worldwide after ten days in theatres. On its second Sunday, the film earned Rs 22.50 crore from 14,872 screens. This marked a drop from its second Saturday collection of Rs 26.50 crore from 14,903 screens, which followed Rs 14.50 crore earned on second Friday from 14,583 screens. Its total second weekend collection reached Rs 63.50 crore. During its opening weekend, the threequel amassed Rs 176.50 crore domestically, driven by a Rs 61 crore opening day on the Gandhi Jayanti national holiday from 17,323 screens, followed by Rs 53.50 crore on Saturday and Rs 22.50 crore on Sunday. The film passed the Monday test by earning Rs 21 crore on its first Monday, before collecting Rs 19.50 crore on Tuesday, Rs 15.50 crore on Wednesday, and Rs 13 crore on Thursday, bringing its first week total in India to Rs 245.50 crore.

Records and Comparisons

The film has become the biggest hit of Ajay Devgn's career as a lead actor by entering the Rs 300 crore club domestically. It surpassed the lifetime net India earnings and global gross of Devgn's 2020 film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which earned Rs 279.59 crore net domestically and Rs 361 crore worldwide. Devgn's highest-grossing film overall remains SS Rajamouli's 2022 Telugu film RRR, featuring him in an extended guest appearance, which collected Rs 782.20 crore net domestically and Rs 1230 crore worldwide. Drishyam 3 stands as the fourth highest grossing domestic hit of the year, having surpassed Yash's Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups at Rs 371.40 crore net, while trailing Border 2 at Rs 329.43 crore net and Hanuman Ansh at Rs 334.48 crore net. Globally, it ranks as the second highest grossing film of the year behind Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, which earned Rs 1149.30 crore net domestically and Rs 1813.39 crore worldwide.

Release Factors and Competition

Drishyam 3 benefited from the postponement of the action comedy Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, which moved its release date from October 9 to October 23. However, the film faces upcoming competition from Rajinikanth's Jailer 2 releasing on Thursday, October 15, alongside Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's Ranabaali, Rajkummar Rao's Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, and Yami Gautam's Nayyi Naveli on Friday, October 16. The film is directed by Abhishek Pathak and produced under Panorama Studios, starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Kamlesh Sawant, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Prakash Raj. This third instalment takes a different path than Jeetu Joseph's Malayalam film Drishyam 3 starring Mohanlal.

Context

Box office collections for major film releases in India are closely tracked through ticket sales across thousands of screens nationwide. Major holiday release dates, such as national holidays like Gandhi Jayanti, frequently see high initial turnout which influences opening weekend totals. Franchise films often build on the established audience base of earlier successful parts to drive multi-city ticket sales.