Drishyam: The Conclusion sells 1.1 million tickets, eyes Rs500 million opening

Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion opens in cinemas worldwide on Friday, October 2, and trade analysts expect a big start.

The film is the third and final instalment of the Hindi crime thriller franchise. Several analysts say it could become the biggest opening of Devgn's career, helped by the Gandhi Jayanti national holiday in India.

The date was chosen on purpose. In the franchise, Vijay Salgaonkar's alibi rests on a family trip on October 2. Devgn highlighted the link when he announced the film on X.

"Jo kahaani 2 October se shuru hui thi… woh khatam bhi 2 October ko hogi," he wrote. (The story that began on October 2… will also end on October 2.)

Advance bookings so far

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film has made about Rs 39.37 crore (about Dh16.1 million) in gross advance bookings across six show dates, including blocked seats. Without blocked seats, the figure is around Rs 30.05 crore (about Dh12.3 million). Opening day bookings alone have crossed Rs 20 crore (about Dh8.2 million).

Hindustan Times, also citing Sacnilk, reported that more than 11 lakh (1.1 million) tickets had been sold across 36,000 shows, with 85 shows already sold out.

Bookings appear strongest in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru, where many release-day shows are filling fast. Demand is reported to be quieter in Mumbai and Kolkata.

Could it cross Rs 50 crore on day one?

Film trade analyst Sumit Kadel believes it could, and that Devgn may be heading for his first Rs 500 crore (about Dh205 million) film.

"On Day 1, the film might earn between Rs 45 crore to Rs 55 crore. It will mostly depend on how it performs in East India, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in single-screen theatres. The first weekend might easily cross Rs 150 crore," Kadel told Hindustan Times.

Girish Johar is more cautious, predicting an opening of Rs 35 crore to Rs 40 crore (about Dh14.3 million to Dh16.4 million).

Devgn's current biggest opener is Rohit Shetty's Singham Again (2024), which made Rs 43.50 crore net on its first day. It is also his highest-grossing film, at Rs 372.41 crore (about Dh153 million).

How the earlier films started

The franchise has grown with each instalment.

The first Drishyam, released in 2015, opened at Rs 5.85 crore and made Rs 37.95 crore over its first weekend. The new film has already passed that weekend figure through advance bookings alone.

Drishyam 2 opened at Rs 15.38 crore in 2022 and made Rs 104.66 crore in its first week. Together, the first two films earned about Rs 453 crore (about Dh186 million) worldwide.

A wide overseas release

The film is also reaching more screens abroad than any previous Devgn film.

"The buzz overseas has been great too. In fact, extraordinary," Johar said. "It is one of the widest overseas releases, with more than 1,300 screens across 60 countries. It is the biggest one for Ajay Devgn."

Panorama Studios and Zee Studios are handling overseas distribution. In the UAE, the film is expected on VOX, Reel and Novo screens from the release weekend.

Who's in it

Directed by Abhishek Pathak, who also made Drishyam 2, the film brings back Tabu, Shriya Saran and Rajat Kapoor, along with Prakash Raj.

Jaideep Ahlawat joins the franchise in a new role. He is not replacing Akshaye Khanna, whose exit from the project was widely reported.

The Hindi films are remakes of the Malayalam originals starring Mohanlal. That franchise is continuing: Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 released in May, and a fourth instalment has been confirmed.

A solo run until mid-October

Drishyam: The Conclusion faces no major new competition until October 16, when Rajkummar Rao's Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam and Yami Gautam's Nayyi Navelli arrive.

The release follows a run of steady performers at the Indian box office, including Hanuman Ansh, Mirzapur and Vvaan.

"Much needed happy days at the box office," filmmaker Sanjay Gupta wrote on X.