Trade analyst Taran Adarsh usually spends his time reading box-office numbers, not jumping out of a preview seat. At a screening of Drishyam The Conclusion, the third film in Ajay Devgn’s hit franchise, he did exactly that.
A rare ovation, and a specific reason for it
In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Adarsh said he has given only two films a standing ovation this year — Dhurandhar and Drishyam The Conclusion. He shared the moment with Devgn too. “I told Ajay that I had given his film a standing ovation,” he said.
What moved him was not a fight or a monologue. It was a scene built almost entirely on silence.
The 15-minute scene that changed everything
Adarsh described a stretch around the interval where Jaideep Ahlawat’s character arrives at Devgn’s home to discuss a daughter’s marriage proposal. For roughly 15 minutes, Ahlawat keeps talking while Devgn listens, reacts with his eyes and says very little, until he finally answers at the interval point.
“I said, ‘You haven’t said anything.’ Then, at the interval point, when you finally respond to him, that is the film’s victory,” Adarsh recalled.
Why Ajay Devgn’s restraint matters
Adarsh called Devgn a “secure actor.” The star could have asked director Abhishek Pathak or producer Kumar Mangat to add dialogue, but he let Ahlawat dominate the scene. “He had so much confidence in his talent,” Adarsh explained. That trust, he argued, is why Devgn did not worry about being sidelined or having a scene-stealer beside him.
A worthy contest is the franchise’s engine
Adarsh also pointed to the casting of Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj as a key reason the conflict works. After the Akshaye Khanna casting change, he said, the audience expects two equally formidable actors. Otherwise the confrontation loses its enjoyment.
What Adarsh highlighted:
- No songs, no action and minimal dialogue — yet strong business.
- A family story that remains a comfortable family watch.
- Ahlawat and Prakash Raj give the franchise a worthy contest.
- Tabu opens the film, and Prakash Raj’s post-interval selfie moment lands.
Why it matters
The wider signal for Hindi cinema is encouraging. A star-driven film can still hold attention by giving the floor away. Adarsh, who usually tracks collections and trends, is effectively saying the film’s power is in performance choices rather than packaging. For viewers, the payoff is in who holds the silence and when it breaks.
When you watch Drishyam The Conclusion, do not step out during the long pre-interval stretch. That scene is the point.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com