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Drishyam 1, Drishyam 2 and The Conclusion: Cast, Story, Remakes and Full Timeline

From Vijay Salgaonkar’s first cover-up to his last battle, here is the verified story behind Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam films, their Malayalam originals, casts, remakes and the 2026 finale.

Last Updated on October 5, 2026 by Fame Katha Editorial Team

Drishyam The Conclusion brings Vijay Salgaonkar back for one last chapter. Ajay Devgn returns as the sharp family man who has spent years staying one move ahead of investigators.

But the Drishyam story is bigger.

The Hindi films started as remakes. The Malayalam original came first. Then several Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Sinhala and Chinese versions followed.

By the third Hindi movie, things changed.

The Hindi story took its own path.

Quick Facts

Detail Information
Hindi franchise Drishyam
Main Hindi character Vijay Salgaonkar
Lead actor Ajay Devgn
Hindi Part 1 Drishyam — 2015
Hindi Part 2 Drishyam 2 — 2022
Hindi Part 3 Drishyam: The Conclusion — 2026
Part 1 director Nishikant Kamat
Part 2 director Abhishek Pathak
The Conclusion director Abhishek Pathak
Original Malayalam creator Jeethu Joseph
Original Malayalam lead Mohanlal
Malayalam character Georgekutty
Genre Crime, mystery, family thriller
The Conclusion release date 2 October 2026
Hindi trilogy ending The Conclusion is planned as the ending

The Hindi and Malayalam versions share the same roots, but they are no longer following the same story. Director Abhishek Pathak has said the Hindi third film is intended to close Vijay Salgaonkar’s story.

Where Did Drishyam Originally Start?

The story started with the Malayalam film Drishyam, released in 2013.

Jeethu Joseph wrote and directed it.

Mohanlal played Georgekutty. Meena played his wife Rani. Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil appeared as their daughters Anju and Anu.

Asha Sharath played IG Geetha Prabhakar. Siddique played Prabhakar, while Roshan Basheer appeared as their son Varun.

The basic setup was simple.

Then everything changed.

Georgekutty is a family man. He runs a cable television business and loves movies. A serious incident involving his family puts them directly against a senior police officer.

Georgekutty has no police training.

He has something else.

He watches. He remembers. He plans.

That idea became the base of the franchise.

Original Malayalam Drishyam Cast

Actor Character
Mohanlal Georgekutty
Meena Rani George
Ansiba Hassan Anju George
Esther Anil Anumol “Anu” George
Asha Sharath IG Geetha Prabhakar
Siddique Prabhakar
Roshan Basheer Varun Prabhakar
Kalabhavan Shajohn Constable Sahadevan
Neeraj Madhav Monichan

Jeethu Joseph handled both writing and direction.

Drishyam 2015: The Hindi Remake Begins

The Hindi Drishyam arrived in 2015.

Nishikant Kamat directed it.

Ajay Devgn became Vijay Salgaonkar, the Hindi counterpart of Mohanlal’s Georgekutty.

Shriya Saran played Vijay’s wife Nandini. Ishita Dutta became elder daughter Anju, while Mrunal Jadhav played younger daughter Anu.

Tabu took one of the film’s strongest roles.

She played IGP Meera Deshmukh.

Rajat Kapoor appeared as her husband Mahesh Deshmukh, while Rishab Chadha played Sameer Deshmukh.

Jeethu Joseph received credit for the original story, with Upendra Sidhaye handling the Hindi adaptation.

Drishyam 2015 Cast

Actor Character
Ajay Devgn Vijay Salgaonkar
Shriya Saran Nandini Salgaonkar
Tabu IGP Meera Deshmukh
Rajat Kapoor Mahesh Deshmukh
Ishita Dutta Anju Salgaonkar
Mrunal Jadhav Anu Salgaonkar
Rishab Chadha Sameer Deshmukh
Prasanna Ketkar Sr. Inspector Shrikant Prabhu
Kamlesh Sawant Gaitonde

The movie runs for about 2 hours and 43 minutes according to IMDb.

What Happens in Drishyam 1?

Vijay lives with Nandini and their daughters.

Their life looks ordinary.

That does not last.

An incident involving Sameer Deshmukh puts the Salgaonkar family under serious pressure. Sameer is the son of powerful police officer Meera Deshmukh.

Police begin investigating.

Vijay responds differently.

He creates a detailed version of events and makes sure his family knows exactly what happened on particular dates.

Or what they must say happened.

This becomes Drishyam’s signature idea.

Memory becomes evidence.

Places become evidence.

Receipts matter. Conversations matter.

Even small details matter.

The battle is not built around physical strength. It is built around who can prove their version of events.

That made the first film stand out.

Drishyam 1 Box Office

The 2015 Hindi movie grew through word of mouth.

Bollywood Hungama reports:

Box Office Area Collection
India net ₹67.13 crore
India gross ₹93.24 crore
Overseas gross ₹42.68 crore
Worldwide gross ₹135.92 crore

The numbers became far bigger with Part 2.

Malayalam Drishyam 2 Came First

Before the Hindi sequel arrived, Jeethu Joseph continued Georgekutty’s story.

Drishyam 2 released in Malayalam in 2021.

Mohanlal returned as Georgekutty.

Meena returned as Rani. Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil again played Anju and Anu.

Asha Sharath and Siddique also returned.

The big new police character was IG Thomas Bastin, played by Murali Gopy.

The sequel takes place years later.

The family survived the first investigation.

But they did not forget it.

Neither did the police.

Malayalam Drishyam 2 Main Cast

Actor Character
Mohanlal Georgekutty
Meena Rani
Ansiba Hassan Anju
Esther Anil Anu
Asha Sharath Geetha Prabhakar
Siddique Prabhakar
Murali Gopy IG Thomas Bastin
K. B. Ganesh Kumar CI Philip Mathew
Saikumar Vinayachandran
Anjali Nair Saritha

Drishyam 2 Hindi Movie

The Hindi sequel arrived on 18 November 2022.

This time Abhishek Pathak directed.

Ajay Devgn returned as Vijay. Shriya Saran, Tabu, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Rajat Kapoor and Kamlesh Sawant also came back.

Then Akshaye Khanna entered.

He played IGP Tarun Ahlawat.

That gave Vijay a fresh opponent.

Jeethu Joseph was credited for the original story and screenplay. Aamil Keeyan Khan and Abhishek Pathak worked on the adapted screenplay.

Drishyam 2 Hindi Cast

Actor Character
Ajay Devgn Vijay Salgaonkar
Akshaye Khanna IGP Tarun Ahlawat
Tabu Meera Deshmukh
Shriya Saran Nandini Salgaonkar
Ishita Dutta Anju Salgaonkar
Mrunal Jadhav Anu Salgaonkar
Rajat Kapoor Mahesh Deshmukh
Kamlesh Sawant SI Laxmikant Gaitonde
Saurabh Shukla Murad Ali
Neha Joshi ASI Jenny Thomas
Prathamesh Parab Jose
Siddharth Bodke David Braganza

What Changes in Drishyam 2?

Seven years have passed.

Vijay is doing better financially.

He now owns a cinema theatre and still has strong links with movies. But his family has not fully recovered from the past.

Anju carries heavy emotional damage.

Nandini remains nervous.

And Vijay?

He still thinks ahead.

Police reopen their investigation after new information appears. Tarun Ahlawat takes the case seriously, while Meera still wants answers about her son.

This puts Vijay under pressure again.

But Part 2 adds another idea.

What if Vijay prepared years earlier?

That question drives much of the tension.

The sequel became one of those rare remakes where many Hindi viewers already knew the broad story, yet still showed up in big numbers.

Drishyam 2 Box Office

The jump was huge.

Bollywood Hungama reports these lifetime numbers:

Box Office Area Collection
India net ₹240.54 crore
India gross ₹286.36 crore
Overseas gross ₹58.69 crore
Worldwide gross ₹345.05 crore

Part 2 earned far more than the first Hindi movie.

That made a third film an obvious talking point.

But the third movie brought a surprise.

Drishyam The Conclusion Is Different

Drishyam: The Conclusion released in cinemas on 2 October 2026.

Abhishek Pathak returned as director.

Ajay Devgn came back as Vijay Salgaonkar. Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav and Kamlesh Sawant also returned.

Drishyam The Conclusion poster featuring Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Jaideep Ahlawat, Prakash Raj and other main cast members.

Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj joined the main cast.

The official trailer credits Abhishek Pathak for the story, with Aamil Keeyan Khan, Abhishek Pathak and Parveez Shaikh credited for the screenplay.

That detail matters.

A lot.

Is Drishyam The Conclusion a Remake of Malayalam Drishyam 3?

No.

This is where the two franchises split.

Hindi Drishyam 1 adapted the Malayalam Drishyam.

Hindi Drishyam 2 adapted Malayalam Drishyam 2.

But Drishyam: The Conclusion does not simply remake Malayalam Drishyam 3.

Abhishek Pathak has said the Hindi and Malayalam stories are now following different trajectories, with different stories and screenplays.

So watching Malayalam Drishyam 3 will not give you the exact Hindi finale.

That makes Part 3 different.

Drishyam The Conclusion Cast

Actor Character
Ajay Devgn Vijay Salgaonkar
Shriya Saran Nandini Salgaonkar
Tabu Meera Deshmukh
Jaideep Ahlawat Rajeev Singh Tomar
Prakash Raj Indrajith Shetty
Rajat Kapoor Mahesh Deshmukh
Ishita Dutta Anju Salgaonkar
Mrunal Jadhav Anu Salgaonkar
Kamlesh Sawant Returning police character
Saurabh Shukla Returning supporting cast

IMDb lists Jaideep Ahlawat as Rajeev Singh Tomar and Prakash Raj as Indrajith Shetty. The official trailer confirms the main returning ensemble.

Who Made The Conclusion?

The official film credits list:

Role Name
Director Abhishek Pathak
Story Abhishek Pathak
Screenplay Aamil Keeyan Khan, Abhishek Pathak, Parveez Shaikh
Dialogues Aamil Keeyan Khan
Cinematography Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary
Editor Sandeep Francis
Background Score Amar Mohile
Production Star Studio18 and Panorama Studios
Release date 2 October 2026

The film’s music credits include Ravi Basrur, Rochak Kohli and Karma.

What Is The Conclusion About?

The past refuses to disappear.

That is the basic idea.

Vijay has spent years protecting his family. Meera has spent years living with the unanswered questions surrounding her son.

Now another investigator enters.

Jaideep Ahlawat’s character changes the balance.

The case is not simply forgotten.

Fresh pressure builds.

Vijay must again handle police attention while keeping his family together.

The movie was promoted as the final Hindi chapter.

So the question is bigger now.

It is no longer only about escape.

It is about closure.

Is Akshaye Khanna in The Conclusion?

Akshaye Khanna played IGP Tarun Ahlawat in Drishyam 2.

He was a major part of that movie.

The official main cast promoted for The Conclusion instead brings Jaideep Ahlawat into the central investigative conflict.

The official trailer credits Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Jaideep Ahlawat, Prakash Raj, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav and Kamlesh Sawant as its principal cast.

Is The Conclusion Really the Last Hindi Drishyam Movie?

According to director Abhishek Pathak, yes.

He told Variety India that the third Hindi instalment is meant to be the definitive end of this version of the story.

He also ruled out returning for a Hindi Drishyam 4 under the current plan.

That means the Hindi viewing order now forms a complete trilogy:

Drishyam → Drishyam 2 → Drishyam: The Conclusion

Early Box Office of The Conclusion

The movie was still in its opening theatrical run at the time of writing.

Box-office numbers are changing daily.

Reports published on 5 October 2026 placed its first three-day India net business at about ₹176.5 crore, with worldwide gross estimates around ₹272.8 crore.

These are early figures, not lifetime numbers.

So they should be updated once the theatrical run settles.

Hindi Drishyam Trilogy at a Glance

Film Year Director Main Opponent
Drishyam 2015 Nishikant Kamat Tabu as Meera Deshmukh
Drishyam 2 2022 Abhishek Pathak Akshaye Khanna as Tarun Ahlawat
Drishyam: The Conclusion 2026 Abhishek Pathak Jaideep Ahlawat joins the investigation

The first two movies trace back directly to Jeethu Joseph’s Malayalam films.

The third Hindi movie goes its own way.

Malayalam and Hindi Character Comparison

Malayalam Actor Hindi Actor
Georgekutty Mohanlal Vijay Salgaonkar Ajay Devgn
Rani Meena Nandini Shriya Saran
Anju Ansiba Hassan Anju Ishita Dutta
Anu Esther Anil Anu Mrunal Jadhav
Geetha Prabhakar Asha Sharath Meera Deshmukh Tabu
Prabhakar Siddique Mahesh Deshmukh Rajat Kapoor
Varun Roshan Basheer Sameer Rishab Chadha
Sahadevan Kalabhavan Shajohn Gaitonde Kamlesh Sawant

The names changed.

The emotional setup stayed close.

But each version developed its own acting style and local setting.

Every Major Remake of the Original Drishyam

The 2013 Malayalam film was remade across several film industries.

Kannada — Drishya

Year: 2014
Director: P. Vasu

Main cast:

  • V. Ravichandran as Rajendra Ponnappa
  • Navya Nair as Seetha
  • Prabhu as Chandrashekhar
  • Asha Sharath as IGP Roopa Chandrashekhar

Telugu — Drushyam

Year: 2014
Director: Sripriya

Main cast:

  • Venkatesh as Rambabu
  • Meena as Jyothi
  • Nadhiya as IG Geetha Prabhakar
  • Kruthika as Anju
  • Esther Anil as Anu

Tamil — Papanasam

Year: 2015
Director: Jeethu Joseph

Main cast:

  • Kamal Haasan as Suyambu Lingam
  • Gautami as Rani
  • Nivetha Thomas as Selvi
  • Esther Anil as Meena
  • Asha Sharath as Geetha Prabhakar
  • Roshan Basheer as Varun

Jeethu Joseph himself directed this remake.

Hindi — Drishyam

Year: 2015
Director: Nishikant Kamat

Main cast:

  • Ajay Devgn
  • Shriya Saran
  • Tabu
  • Rajat Kapoor
  • Ishita Dutta
  • Mrunal Jadhav

Sinhala — Dharmayuddhaya

Year: 2017
Director: Cheyyar Ravi

Main cast:

  • Jackson Anthony as Harischandra
  • Dilhani Ekanayake as Rani
  • Kusum Renu as Vishaka Samaranayake
  • Thisuri Yuwanika as Achini
  • Vinumi Vansadhi as Sachini

Mandarin Chinese — Sheep Without a Shepherd

Year: 2019
Director: Sam Quah

Main cast:

  • Xiao Yang as Li Weijie
  • Tan Zhuo as A Yu
  • Joan Chen as La Wen
  • Philip Keung as Du Peng
  • Audrey Hui as Ping Ping

Jeethu Joseph is credited for the film on which the Chinese version is based.

Drishyam 2 Remakes

The second Malayalam movie also received several remakes.

Language Movie Year Main Lead
Malayalam Drishyam 2 2021 Mohanlal
Telugu Drushyam 2 2021 Venkatesh
Kannada Drishya 2 2021 V. Ravichandran
Hindi Drishyam 2 2022 Ajay Devgn
Sinhala Dharmayuddhaya 2 2026 Bimal Jayakody

The Telugu sequel was directed by Jeethu Joseph and brought back Venkatesh as Rambabu, Meena as Jyothi and Nadhiya as Geetha Prabhakar.

Which Drishyam Version Should You Watch?

For Ajay Devgn fans, keep it simple.

Watch:

1. Drishyam — 2015

Then:

2. Drishyam 2 — 2022

Then:

3. Drishyam: The Conclusion — 2026

That gives you Vijay Salgaonkar’s full Hindi journey.

Want the original version?

Use this order:

Drishyam — 2013

Drishyam 2 — 2021

Drishyam 3 — 2026

That follows Mohanlal’s Georgekutty story.

The third Hindi and Malayalam films should now be treated as separate branches rather than matching versions.

Why Did Drishyam Work in So Many Languages?

The setup travels well.

A family faces danger.

A parent protects them.

Police believe they know the truth.

Proof becomes the real fight.

You do not need massive action scenes.

You need tension.

Small details keep returning.

A date matters.

A receipt matters.

A witness matters.

A normal conversation can matter.

That makes the story easy to adapt into different cultures while keeping the same basic pressure.

Basically, the audience keeps watching because every detail could come back later.

Final Thought

Drishyam started as a Malayalam crime thriller and grew into a large remake franchise.

But the Hindi series now has its own identity.

Ajay Devgn’s Vijay Salgaonkar began as the Hindi version of Georgekutty. By Drishyam: The Conclusion, his story had moved onto a separate track.

That is the main thing to remember.

Hindi Parts 1 and 2 came from Jeethu Joseph’s Malayalam films.

The Hindi finale did not simply copy Malayalam Part 3.

It became Vijay’s own ending.

And for Hindi viewers, the order is clear:

Drishyam. Drishyam 2. The Conclusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Drishyam a remake?

Yes. The 2015 Hindi Drishyam is an official adaptation of Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam movie starring Mohanlal.

Who played Vijay Salgaonkar?

Ajay Devgn plays Vijay Salgaonkar in the Hindi Drishyam series.

Who played Georgekutty?

Mohanlal plays Georgekutty in the original Malayalam Drishyam films.

Is Drishyam 2 also a remake?

Yes. The 2022 Hindi Drishyam 2 adapts Jeethu Joseph’s Malayalam Drishyam 2 from 2021.

Is Drishyam The Conclusion the same as Malayalam Drishyam 3?

No. The Hindi and Malayalam third films follow different stories and screenplays.

Who is the new actor in Drishyam The Conclusion?

Jaideep Ahlawat joins the main cast. Prakash Raj also appears in the film.

Is Akshaye Khanna in Drishyam 2?

Yes. He plays IGP Tarun Ahlawat in the 2022 Hindi movie.

Will there be Drishyam 4 in Hindi?

Director Abhishek Pathak has said The Conclusion is intended to end the Hindi story, and he ruled out a Hindi Part 4 under the current plan.

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