Ajay Devgn is back as Vijay Salgaonkar in Drishyam 3, the third and final chapter of the Hindi thriller franchise. The film is set to hit theatres on October 2, 2026, bringing the Salgaonkar family’s story to its conclusion.
If you are planning to watch Drishyam 3 in theatres but need a refresher on what happened earlier, here’s a quick recap of the first two films. Spoilers ahead.
What happened in Drishyam?
The first film, Drishyam, released in 2015, introduced Vijay Salgaonkar, a cable operator from Goa who is extremely interested in films. He lives with his wife Nandini Salgaonkar (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrunal Jadhav).
Their lives take a turn when Sameer ‘Sam’ Deshmukh (Rishab Chadha), the son of police officer Meera Deshmukh (Tabu), blackmails Anju over a video. When Sam arrives at Vijay’s house, a confrontation follows, and Anju accidentally hits him with a rod, killing him. Later, Nandini and Anju hide his body, while Anu witnesses what happened.
When Vijay knows about the incident, he decides to protect his family. With the help of his knowledge, he creates a decorated alibi for the family. He makes them follow a carefully planned sequence of events and convinces witnesses that they were away from Goa when Sam disappeared.
The police investigation brings Meera and sub-inspector Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant) closer to the Salgaonkars, but Vijay’s plan works. The family sticks to their story, and the police are unable to find enough evidence to prove their involvement.
What happened in Drishyam 2?
Seven years later, in 2022, the second instalment, Drishyam 2, came out, where Vijay has become a successful businessman and owns a movie theatre. However, Sam’s case is not completely over. A man named David, who had earlier been arrested for another crime, remembers seeing Vijay near an under-construction police station around the time of Sam’s disappearance. He shares this information with the police.
The police reopen the investigation and eventually discover a skeleton buried at the site. Vijay realises that his family could be in trouble and prepares another plan.
The investigation gets complex when Nandini unknowingly reveals the truth about Sam’s death to their neighbour Jenny, who is actually an undercover police officer. However, the police smartly use the information to pressure the family.
The biggest twist in Drishyam 2
Just when it appears that the police seem to have caught Vijay, the DNA test shows that the skeleton is not Sam’s. Vijay had anticipated that his original plan could fail. He arranged for the remains of another man to be substituted for Sam’s body, leaving the police without conclusive evidence against him. Vijay is released on bail, while the investigation against his family is halted.
Another major twist comes when screenwriter Murad (Saurabh Shukla) reveals that Vijay had shared a crime story with him, loosely based on Sam’s murder. The script was later published under Murad’s name. Vijay pleads not guilty, while his lawyer says the police used the story to frame him.
In the final moments, Vijay secretly ensures that Sam’s actual remains are returned to his parents for the last rites. By the end of the film, Vijay once again manages to protect his family.
About Drishyam 3
Now, audiences and fans of the Drishyam franchise are eagerly waiting for the film’s final chapter, Drishyam 3, which will be released on October 2. It is directed by Abhishek Pathak and stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj as a new addition to the cast. Along with them, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, and Ishita Dutta reprise their roles.
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Drishyam 3 story: Is Ajay Devgn’s film different from Mohanlal’s Malayalam sequel? What we know
