Drishyam 3 has crossed ₹25 crore gross in worldwide advance bookings a day before its release — an unusually strong pre-sale for a suspense drama rather than an action film. According to tracking portal Sacnilk, the Mohanlal thriller has taken about ₹10.50 crore gross in India through early bookings, with close to five lakh tickets sold globally.
Kerala and overseas lead the rush
Kerala is the main driver, with advances there already past ₹6.75 crore and several major centres reporting housefull shows for the opening weekend. Trade watchers expect spot bookings at single screens to add to the opening-day numbers once the film is out. Overseas, the response has been strong across the Gulf, the UK, North America and Australia, where exhibitors have been adding shows. The film is releasing widely in the original Malayalam along with dubbed Tamil, Telugu and Kannada versions, and its May 21, 2026 release coincides with Mohanlal’s birthday.
Eyeing the L2: Empuraan record
The big question in trade circles is whether Jeethu Joseph’s film can challenge the opening-day record held by L2: Empuraan, the Prithviraj Sukumaran-directed film that took ₹68–70 crore gross worldwide on day one — the biggest opening in Malayalam cinema. Matching an action film’s day-one figure is difficult for a thriller, but the advance momentum suggests a strong debut. The series, which began in 2013 with Georgekutty building a cover-up to protect his family, is set to reach its conclusion in this third film, and positive morning word of mouth could push the opening higher.
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