Drishyam 3 races towards ₹100 crore, nears Patriot’s lifetime haul in just two days

Mohanlal’s Drishyam 3 has stormed the box office, emerging as one of the year’s biggest theatrical successes and moving within touching distance of surpassing Patriot in just two days.

On its second day in cinemas, the Jeethu Joseph-directed thriller earned ₹11.05 crore net in India and ₹20 crore gross overseas, taking its worldwide total to an impressive ₹76.18 crore. The film had opened strongly on May 23, coinciding with Mohanlal’s birthday, with a ₹45 crore global debut.

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Drishyam 3 recorded 4,886 shows across India on day two, with an overall occupancy of 44.5%.

The film is now edging closer to overtaking the lifetime earnings of the Hindi remake of Drishyam, which grossed ₹110 crore following its 2015 release. Its next benchmark remains much higher with Drishyam 2’s Hindi version, which delivered a blockbuster ₹342 crore worldwide. Mohanlal’s Malayalam Drishyam 2, however, had skipped theatres and premiered directly on OTT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The original Drishyam, led by Mohanlal, had started modestly before finishing with a remarkable ₹62 crore lifetime haul and later inspired remakes in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi, besides adaptations in Sinhalese and Chinese.

For Mohanlal, Drishyam 3 marks a strong comeback after Patriot, his earlier 2026 release alongside Mammootty. Despite featuring stars like Nayanthara and Fahadh Faasil, Patriot underperformed, ending its run at ₹79.91 crore worldwide, including ₹31.59 crore from India.

Before this, Mohanlal’s last major success was Thudarum (2025), which reportedly grossed ₹236 crore globally. His subsequent releases, including Kannappa, Hridayapoorvam and Vrusshabha, delivered mixed results, with only Hridayapoorvam managing a moderate theatrical run.

With current momentum firmly on its side, Drishyam 3 is now expected to comfortably cross the ₹100 crore mark during its opening weekend, reinforcing Mohanlal’s enduring box office pull.

The film also stars Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Murali Gopy, Siddique and Asha Sarath.