The makers of the hugely popular and hooking ‘Drishyam’ franchise have confirmed that the upcoming third instalment of the film will unfold differently in its Hindi and Malayalam versions, the filmmakers revealed on Saturday, adding that the move will promise audiences two unique cinematic experiences within the same universe.

The film’s director, Abhishek Pathak and veteran producer Kumar Mangat Pathak provided several insights on both the Malayalam and Hindi versions. They said that the Malayalam version sequel will lean heavily into emotional family drama, while the Hindi adaptation is being crafted as an intense-drama thriller packed with suspense and confrontation.

A still from both the Malayalam and the Hindi versions

The announcement has sparked huge buzz and anticipation among fans of the franchise, which has built a cult following over the years through its layered storytelling, gripping twists and memorable performances.

Malayalam, Hindi versions to follow separate narrative paths

Abhishek Pathak spilled the beans on the creative direction of both the films, saying that both versions have been developed independently to suit their respective audiences. He asserted, “The stories of Drishyam 3 in Malayalam and Hindi are going to flow differently. The Malayalam version shifts more towards emotional family drama, while the Hindi version will boast a stronger thriller element.”

He further opined that the audiences would enjoy comparing the two interpretations and spotting the variations in storytelling, despite both belonging to the same franchise universe.

Notably, the Drishyam franchise began as a Malayalam-language thriller in 2013, headlined by Malayalam film icon Mohanlal. The Jeethu Joseph-directorial became a massive success and later spawned several remakes in other languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Chinese and Sinhalese. Its sequel cemented the franchise’s popularity, elevating Drishyam to one of Indian cinema’s most successful thriller sagas.

Drishyam 3 to release in Hindi on this date

The Hindi adaptation will again be fronted by Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar. Its sequel also exhibited a strong performance at the box office. The third instalment is slated to hit the theatres on October 2 this year, while the Malayalam version will receive a theatrical release on May 21. Pathak also confirmed that Jaideep Ahlawat has joined the cast in a completely fresh role after Akshaye Khanna’s exit from the project.

He said, “Jaideep is immensely talented. His character is entirely new and audiences will be left surprised. His clash with Ajay Devgn’s role will be one of the biggest highlights of the film.”