For fans of Ajay Devgn's Drishyam franchise, October 2 has always been a significant date.
It has appeared repeatedly in the narrative and is cleverly connected to the film's suspense, making it an ideal day to unveil the announcement teaser for Drishyam 3. However, although a teaser, reportedly running for 1 minute and 25 seconds, was prepared, the reveal never happened.
A report by Mid-Day suggests the delay was not solely due to unfinished background music, as claimed by producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, but was linked to creative agreements between the Hindi franchise makers and the original team behind the Malayalam films.
Writer-director Jeethu Joseph and producer Antony Perumbavoor, who have managed the franchise since its launch with Mohanlal, reportedly have a say in when and how the Hindi adaptations release content.
Meanwhile, on the Malayalam side, Drishyam 3 is already in production.
Mohanlal began shooting for the crime drama on September 22, with the official announcement following shortly after. In contrast, Ajay Devgn's Hindi adaptation, directed by Abhishek Pathak, is expected to begin filming only in December. After Mohanlal's update, the Hindi team quickly announced an October 2, 2026 release date for their version. According to insiders, this sudden date reveal did not sit well with the Malayalam producers, prompting them to enforce the adaptation clause.
Adding another layer to the friction is the directorial choice.
Originally, the vision was to have all three versions—Malayalam, Hindi, and Telugu (with Venkatesh)—directed by Jeethu Joseph, with a simultaneous global release planned for October 2, 2026. But with the blockbuster success of Abhishek Pathak's Drishyam 2 (2022), producer Kumar Mangat reportedly pushed for his son to direct the Hindi threequel, breaking away from the earlier plan. This decision is believed to have created creative differences, leading Antony and Jeethu to focus on ensuring the Malayalam film hits the screens before its Hindi counterpart.
As it stands, while fans await clarity, both versions of Drishyam 3 are moving ahead—one already rolling cameras, the other gearing up for production.
What remains to be seen is whether the long-anticipated story of Georgekutty and Vijay Salgaonkar will unfold in a carefully coordinated manner, or if audiences will experience the Malayalam conclusion before the Hindi.
