May 20, 2026 5:55pm IST
Box Office Projection: ‘Drishyam 3’ Targets Record Malayalam Opening, ‘Chand Mera Dil’ Shows Promising Trends
Malayalam cinema's most popular franchise film, “Drishyam,” is closing its long-running journey with its final chapter, “Drishyam 3.” The Mohanlal-starrer releases in theatres tomorrow amidst massive anticipation and exceptional advance-booking trends.
According to movie consulting platform RecoBee, “Drishyam 3” is set to open at a massive ₹17 crore net on Thursday at the Indian box office, recording one of the biggest openings in Malayalam cinema. The film's advance bookings have been remarkable, with ticket sales crossing ₹7 crore net in India. The pre-sales are excellent overseas as well, with industry projections estimating a worldwide opening of over ₹35 crore.
“Drishyam 3” is poised to continue what's turning out to be a phenomenal year for Malayalam cinema. The regional film industry has already delivered several major box-office successes, including “Aadu 3” (₹51.12 crore), “Vaazha II: Biopic of a Billion Bros” (₹123.82 crore), and “Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam” (₹25.54 crore). Last week's release, “Athiradi” starring Tovino Thomas, has also been performing strongly and has already amassed ₹25.32 crore net in six days. Trade experts are expecting Jeethu Joseph’s concluding chapter of the “Drishyam” franchise to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
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On the Hindi cinema front, Dharma Productions' “Chand Mera Dil” releases in theatres on Friday. The Lakshya and Ananya Panday starrer romantic drama is tracking well ahead of release, largely driven by the positive response to its music and trailer. RecoBee projects the film to open at ₹4.50 crore net on its first day.
Advance bookings for “Chand Mera Dil” opened yesterday, and it's showing encouraging trends. The film's strategic and affordable ticket pricing — ₹149 for shows before 5 pm and ₹199 for shows after 5 pm on the first day — is also driving the encouraging advance sales, helping the film generate positive momentum ahead of release.
Friday will also see two Hollywood movies releasing — “The Mandalorian & Grogu” and “Passenger.” However, both films have minimal buzz and aren't expected to create much noise at the Indian box office.
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