Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3 has become the actor’s highest-grossing release. The crime thriller collected ₹26.50 crore net on its ninth day in cinemas — the second Saturday — taking its India net total to ₹286.50 crore, according to early estimates reported by Sacnilk.
That pushes the film past the ₹279.59 crore lifetime haul of 2020’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which had stood as Ajay Devgn’s biggest box-office success until now.
How the numbers built
Drishyam 3 arrived with the third-biggest opening day for a Hindi film ever, and the biggest of Ajay Devgn’s career. Before release, advance bookings had already contributed about ₹27 crore, and the film opened to ₹66.75 crore net. It then held strongly through the weekend before settling into a steady weekday run.
- Day 1: ₹66.75 crore
- Day 2, first Saturday: ₹53.50 crore
- Day 3, first Sunday: ₹61 crore
- Day 4, first Monday: ₹21 crore
- First week: ₹245.50 crore
- Day 9, second Saturday: ₹26.50 crore; total ₹286.50 crore
The first Monday fall was sharp but ordinary; the relevant detail is that the film did not drift. It kept enough momentum through the week for the second Saturday to rise again, which is what has put the ₹300 crore net mark within reach.
Why the record matters
In the trade, India net collection is the number used to compare Hindi films — it is the box-office figure after taxes and before the exhibitor’s share. That is the scale on which Drishyam 3 has now overtaken Tanhaji. For Ajay Devgn, this is a career reset: a sequel in a thriller franchise has outgrossed a big historical spectacle.
For viewers, the pay-off is familiar but clearly still potent. The film brings back Vijay Salgaonkar, with Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav and Kamlesh Sawant in the cast, and Saurabh Shukla in a cameo reprise from the second part. Abhishek Pathak returns to direct and co-writes with Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh. The film is backed by Star Studio18 and Panorama Studios, with Alok Jain, Ajit Andhare, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak producing.
For fans, the milestone is also a reminder of how durable the Drishyam format is. The first two instalments thrived on suspense and a carefully withheld reveal, and the third part has now converted that goodwill into a box-office record.
The timing gives Drishyam 3 an extra advantage: the second weekend is open, with Dussehra still a week away. Instead of fighting a holiday crowd, the film has a relatively clear run. That makes the next milestone — the ₹300 crore net mark — a realistic target by the time the second weekend ends.
Source: Hindustan Times