May 22, 2026 4:00pm IST
‘Drishyam 3’ Review: Mohanlal-Starrer Makes Labored But Weak Pitch For Closing Out Stretched-Thin Franchise
Guilt and fear are uneasy bedfellows bunking in with revenge and a misplaced sense of justice in the third installment of beloved Malayalam franchise, "Drishyam," toplining industry superstar Mohanlal.
The story moves forward, but not before you get a quick recap of what happened before. The recap then segues to what can best be described as Georgekutty (Mohanlal) making hay while the sun shines.
"Drishyam 3" begins with George producing a movie, loosely based on his story, which soon becomes a 100cr hit and shows him reaping the spoils of his savvy business decisions.
Personally, though, the family is not doing as well. Georgekutty's wife Rani (Meena) is putting on a brave face while Anju (Ansiba Hassan) is undergoing therapy even as her parents try desperately to get her married off. Anu (Esther Anil), Georgekutty and Rani's younger daughter is the only one who has sort of a handle on things apart from her mostly stoic father.
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Meanwhile, an overzealous journalist Yamini (Veena Nandakumar) is intent on raking up the past. Cops, allies and enemies all pop up and pop out even as Georgekutty plays whack-a-mole, trying to keep his family dynamic on an even keel even as he grows increasingly paranoid.
Soon enough, as we draw into intermission time, the face of the "enemy" comes into brief focus. Shortly after the break, the mastermind and his assortment of allies come into play. How Georgekutty manages to stay one step ahead in this game is how the film then proceeds.
Writer-director Jeetu Joseph flags things off with an express intent of closure and tying up loose ends. The trouble is, he chooses the long-winding road to get there. He spends an inordinate time with Georgekutty's business plans and family Much of the first half deals with his day-to-day as the status quo changes a subtly darker shade.
Mohanlal's aforementioned stoicism (and rarely betrayed fear; which is amplified for effect in the trailer) is a cover for the moral maelstrom he's battling below the surface. His pointed stabs at infusing humor and one-liners is something that will get Malayali and Lalettan fans breaking into loud cheers and whistles, but does nothing for a non-speaker or general viewer.
Some entries surprise and impress, but much of the fates of certain characters is left unattended to. We never know what happens to Yamini, Rajan (Dinesh Prabhakar) and Sabu (Sumesh Chandran) in the wake of what transpires.
Kalabhavan Shajohn as Sahadevan makes a strong impact in the second half as does Murali Gopy as the no-nonsense by-the-book IG Thomas Bastin. Siddique as the broken Prabhakar makes the right noises, but his shift feels a tad forced and you don't buy into it completely. Santhi Mayadevi as the George family's advocate has a functional role to play, but impresses with her confidence in delivery.
The leisurely slow-burn buildup in the first half gives way to a slightly frenetic second half which makes the illusion of all-is-well even more tangible, so when the rug-pull moment comes, it's effective.
The end, when it does come after two-and-a-half hours, feels a bit labored with the epilogue (spoiler alert!) keeping things open-ended. A treat for Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph fans, in any case.
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