Mar 28, 2026 7:39pm IST
Following ‘Aadu 3’ Success, Directors of Malayalam Sequels Share Expectations (EXCLUSIVE)
“Aadu 3: The Last Ride Part 1” made 100 crore at the box-office in a week since its theatrical release. That’s no mean feat when you consider that it was released the same weekend as “Dhurandhar: The Revenge.” “Aadu 3”’s success bodes well for other Malayalam franchises with upcoming sequels like “Drishyam 3," “Vaazha 2” and “Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam,” which are scheduled to open in theatres in coming months.
Krishnadas Murali, the director of “Mohiniyattam,” notes that the first film received an excellent response from audiences after its OTT release, despite having a disappointing theatrical run. “With ‘Mohiniyattam,’ I hope to draw more crowds to theatres," he states. He comments that ‘Aadu 3”’s success is “encouraging” and that the Jayasurya-starrer’s genre-shift was well-received. He adds, "’Mohiniyattam’ is a dark comedy thriller, in contrast to ‘Bharathanatyam,’ which is a feel-good family drama."
On the other hand, after its theatrical and OTT release in 2024, Vaazha proved to be a surprise hit that captivated a young audience. The sequel’s director, Savin Sa hopes that the film will stand strong in theatres among other Malayalam releases during Vishu and the long school holiday season. "I was initially overwhelmed with expectations, which is obvious when you direct a sequel. However, it didn't have much of a bearing, and ‘Vaazha 2’ is supposed to have the same impression on viewers as the prequel did, he said.
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In a recent interview with Variety India, the “Aadu 3” director, Midhun Manuel Thomas Midhun, said that he experienced varying degrees of nervousness from each movie in this film series. "As the first part worked among the audience following its online release, my only goal when writing for ‘Aadu 2’ was to make it work in the theatre. The sequel brought in a huge fan following for the franchise. Initially, the genre shift in ‘Aadu 3’ was tricky for me, and I am now confident for the next part, ‘Aadu 3: The Last Ride Part 2,’ seeing the audiences’ rave response for the third instalment,” the director said.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if “Drishyam 3” will have the same effect on viewers following its theatrical release on Mohanlal's (the film’s lead actor’s) birthday.
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