Drishyam 3 Review and Release Live: Mohanlal film impresses audience

Inside visuals from a theatre in Keralam surfaced online showing the festive mood ahead of the screening. The caption to the X post read, "From roaring cheers to unforgettable fan moments, #Drishyam3 brought pure celebration energy to the big screen. @AparnaCinemas turned into a celebration arena for Lalettan fans (sic)."

Watch the clip here:

Janani K from India Today reviewed Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 and gave it two-and-a-half stars. A section of the review read, "Drishyam 3 is not a bad film. It goes for the low-hanging fruit and relies on one certainty: Mohanlal's Georgekutty will always be one step ahead of the cops. And Mohanlal's brilliant performance, despite the script's shortcomings, keeps us glued to the screen for two hours and 39 minutes."

Read the full review here.

As Drishyam 3 hit theatres on Thursday, Mohanlal shared a thank-you note on X. In his post, the actor expressed that the film was made with immense love, passion, and gratitude, and seeing that love come back through the audience's response has been deeply moving. "Your reviews, your words, and the emotions you have shared mean far more to me than any number ever can. Thank you for watching, for connecting, for feeling every moment, and for embracing Georgekutty and family as your own (sic)," he wrote. 

The makers of Drishyam 3 have urged viewers not to share spoilers of the film online. A poster shared by Pen Movies on X read, "Say no to spoilers." It added, "Don't ruin the moment. Let others enjoy the story too." 

Scripwriter Vivek Ranjit shared his experience of watching Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 on X. In what seemed like a birthday tribute, Vivek wrote that watching the film on the big screen with Lalettan himself in the theatre, just a few seats away, on his birthday, was a different experience. 

"And as always, he has delivered yet another masterful performance and another blockbuster! Can't be prouder to be a small part of this film and this franchise. Shouted it out at him several times in the theatre, but once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LALETTA (sic)," he added. 

India Today gave Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 a rating of 2.5 stars. A part of the review read, "Drishyam 3, despite delivering on the performance front, falls short of brilliance due to its convenient screenplay. What set the franchise apart has now been reduced to milking its own popularity. It keeps asking whether Georgekutty can outrun his past — and leaves you with an answer that you already know (sic)." Read the full review here.

As Drishyam 3 released, the team of India Today spoke to audiences leaving the theatres to know their reaction to the film and Mohanlal's performance. The consensus was that the film lives up to expectations and is a hit. 

A video shared on X showed Mohanlal greeting audiences inside a packed theatre as the end credits of Drishyam 3 rolled. The actor attended the film’s first day first show in Kerala on Thursday and waved at cheering fans before exiting the auditorium.

As Drishyam 3 hit theatres, Mohanlal's makeup artist Liju Pamamcode shared a picture with the actor on social media to extend birthday greetings. In the caption, Liju wrote, "Happy Birthday to our dearest Lal Sir Wishing you good health, happiness, and many more years of cinematic magic (sic)."

Mohanlal celebrated his birthday by cutting a cake after he watched the first show of Drishyam 3 in Kerala. A video of him greeting the paparazzi gathered outside the cinema hall is now going viral on social media.

A viewer praised Drishyam 3 as a slow-burning emotional mind game driven by a brilliant performance by Mohanlal as George Kutty. A review on X read, "While it (the film) features fewer jaw-dropping thrills and edge-of-your-seat moments, it remains a thoroughly engaging watch (sic)."

There is reportedly a huge demand for tickets for Drishyam 3 on Book My Show. As per screenshots circulating on X, about 37.79K tickets were sold for the Mohanlal-starrer in the last hour. 

Can Mohanlal and Georgekutty pull off one more masterstroke? As Drishyam 3 opens to massive frenzy and soaring expectations, trade experts decode the pressure, the box office stakes, and why this could become Malayalam cinema's next big milestone. Read more about it here.

Will there be a Drishyam 4? In an X review, a viewer revealed, "#Drishyam3 ends on an open note for another part. It has its negatives, but the positives manage to cover most of them (sic)." No official announcement has been made so far by the makers on a fourth instalment. 

One viewer pointed out that Drishyam 3 lacks the wow factor that part 1 and 2 had. "The plot is as expected - Geetha and Prabhakar trying to pin down Georgekutty’s family for their son’s murder. Very slow first half and a comparatively better second half (sic)," the X post read.   

"Jeethu Joseph’s expected master stroke towards the climax was forced and rushed. The franchise had a good run. Like the police officer in the climax says - it’s better to end it here (sic)," it added. 

In an X review, a viewer shared that Drishyam 3 is a decent watch but "the weakest film in the franchise so far". He wrote, "Good interval block and a decent half. The final act fumbled a bit, not bad but it didn't live up to the previous parts (sic)." It added, "The character arcs felt changed a bit too much and didn't land properly (sic)."

Praising the Mohanlal-starrer online, one of the X users wrote, "Drishyam 3 proved once again that Jeethu Joseph knows his craft (sic)."  

Videos that have surfaced online show fans celebrating the release of Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 inside theatres. In one such clip, the atmosphere inside the cinema appears charged as viewers respond loudly to what is shown on the big screen. The screen displayed Mohanlal's name in bold letters, along with the phrases, "The complete actor" and "The man, the myth, the legend." 

Drishyam 3 thooki 🔥Happy Birthday laletta @Mohanlal pic.twitter.com/Y8raim2W0Q

One of the X users reviewed Drishyam 3, saying the film isn't predictable but isn't impressive either. "Jeethu has written a pretty good script, but presentation towards the end wasn’t as effective as the other 2 movies (sic)," he said, adding that Mohanlal's presence was the highlight of the film. 

Audience reactions to continue to build online. One X user shared that the second half "has shifted gears" like the first Drishyam film, while expressing excitement as the movie heads into its climax portions.

Drishyam 3 is receiving love from audiences on social media. One X user shared in Telugu that the film is “a movie I truly loved,” adding to the wave of positive reactions for the starrer.
 

Mixed reactions to continue to surface online. One X user criticised the film for its slow pace and predictable first half, while also calling the second half "boring" and describing it as the first disappointing film in the franchise.
 

Positive first reactions to are continuing to trend online. One X user praised the film's first half and interval block, calling it highly engaging, while also applauding's performance. The user added that the interval twist has created strong curiosity around the second half, with hopes of another blockbuster for the franchise.
 

Mixed reactions to Drishyam 3 are surfacing online. One X user wrote, "This is superb, but Drishyam 3 is a bit slow," sharing a balanced first reaction to the film.

Early reactions continue to Drishyam 3 pour in on social media. One X user praised the film's first half, calling it entertaining and emotional, while also appreciating's performance.
 

Fans are flooding social media with glowing first-half reactions to Drishyam 3. One fan called the interval block "absolute cinema" and praised Mohanlal's entry scene as a major "whistle podu" moment, while eagerly waiting for the second half.

Fans are in a full celebratory mood outside Abhinaya Cinemas in Changanassery, Kottayam, Kerala, as they gather for the first-day-first-show. The excitement reached peak levels with drums, whistles, and celebrations around a massive cut-out of Mohanlal placed outside the theatre. Videos from the scene have gone viral on social media.

 

Fans have gathered in huge numbers outside Kerala's Parippally Revathi theatre for the first-day-first-show, creating a frenzy-like atmosphere ahead of the screening. Videos from the location have since gone viral on social media, showing the excitement around the release.

 

Makers of have unveiled a new poster just minutes before the film's theatrical release. Sharing it on X, they wrote in the caption, "Drishyam 3 - In Theatres Worldwide From Today (sic)." The poster shows as Georgekutty stepping out of a car with an intense expression.

 

Mohanlal's Drishyam 3 was earlier scheduled for an April 2, 2026 release, which would have seen it clash with Vaazha II: Biopic of a Billion Bros. The release was later postponed due to the 2026 West Asia crisis.

Drishyam 3 is now set for a theatrical release today, May 21, in Malayalam, along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, coinciding with Mohanlal's birthday.

The teaser of Drishyam 3 has been released, giving a glimpse of the next chapter in Georgekutty's story as the consequences of past events continue to impact his family.

The teaser revisits the journey that began with the original Drishyam in 2013 and continued with its 2021 sequel, presenting a tense recap of key events through Georgekutty's voiceover. It highlights the extreme measures he took to protect his family and safeguard their life.

However, it also suggests that his struggles are not over, hinting that the case he thought was long buried may still resurface.
 

Ahead of Drishyam 3, director Jeethu Joseph revisited the real-life inspiration behind the franchise and shared that audiences ended up strongly siding with Mohanlal's Georgekutty.

More than a decade after Drishyam reshaped Malayalam thrillers, Jeethu Joseph admitted he may have miscalculated while writing the first film. He said he had expected viewers to remain morally divided between Georgekutty's family and the family searching for the truth, but that intended balance did not come through.

Read the full article here.

Drishyam 3 is more than just a sequel for Malayalam cinema and stands as a major box office test in 2026. Read the five reasons why Mohanlal's biggest release in years could shape the industry's theatrical ambitions going forward.

Beyond concluding Georgekutty's story, the film also carries strong expectations around franchise value, star power, and Malayalam cinema's ability to convert nationwide buzz into sustained box office success.
 

Producers Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak have said that the upcoming Hindi version of Drishyam 3, starring Ajay Devgn, will be quite different from the Malayalam original led by Mohanlal.

They added that while both films pick up from the events of Drishyam 2, the Hindi adaptation will include notable changes in its screenplay and presentation to better connect with Hindi-speaking audiences.

Read the full article here.
 

Mohanlal shared a new worldwide release poster of Drishyam 3 on X. In his latest post, he wrote, "Drishyam 3 - In Theatres Worldwide From Today! (sic)."
 

Drishyam 3 is heading into its May 21 release with impressive advance bookings, putting the film on track for one of the biggest openings in Malayalam cinema. As of May 19, the Mohanlal starrer had reportedly earned close to Rs 25 crore worldwide through pre-release sales.

According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film's opening day advance bookings crossed around Rs 24 crore gross worldwide by 11 pm on May 19. Out of this, nearly Rs 10.50 crore gross came from India, with strong booking trends reported across Kerala and other major circuits.

The overseas response has also been strong, especially in Gulf countries, North America, the UK and Australia. In Kerala alone, the film has already recorded around Rs 6.75 crore gross in pre-sales, with release-day spot bookings expected to further boost the numbers.

Read the full article here.