Drishyam 3 legal clause explained: Why Mohanlal's team halted Ajay Devgn's October 2 announcement

Hindi production of Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3 is delayed. Original Malayalam creators are enforcing an adaptation clause after the Hindi team prematurely announced a release date.

Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph on the sets of Drishyam 3; Ajay Devgn in a still from Drishyam 2

Ajay Devgn's next Hindi film, Drishyam 3 did not have its announcement teaser released on the historically important October 2, 2025. Reportedly, the original Malayalam franchise's writer-director Jeethu Joseph and producer Antony Perumbavoor are actively enforcing an adaptation clause, rather than production concerns, which is causing the delay, according to industry sources.

Delayed Drishyam 3 announcement

October 2 is a significant date in the crime-thriller series. According to a report in MidDay, the Hindi makers have developed a "one-minute-25-second teaser" for the announcement. An insider familiar with the situation offered an alternative explanation, contradicting what Hindi producer Kumar Mangat Pathak had previously stated, which was that the teaser's delay was due to the background music not being ready.

"There is an understanding between the makers of the Malayalam franchise Jeethu and Antony, and the Hindi remake's producer, Kumar Mangat," the source said. It appears that the Hindi makers are not allowed to announce anything about the film's content without the original creators' approval, according to one of the adaptation agreements.

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Contractual adaptation clause

It has been stated that the Hindi production team unilaterally used this contractual provision. Production on the original Malayalam version, which stars Mohanlal, "kicked off the shoot on September 22." The opposite is true for Devgn's adaptation which is set to commence production in December under the direction of Abhishek Pathak.

The tensions rose when the Hindi team announced their release date too soon. "After Mohanlal announced the shoot, the Hindi counterpart’s makers announced that their film would release on October 2, 2026," the insider said, providing more detail about what happened next. Reportedly, Antony and Jeethu were surprised by the announcement of the date. This incident was the catalyst for the clause's implementation.

Conflict over creative control

Conflict between the two film adaptations' stakeholders stems from competing claims to creative and directing control. A simultaneous release in many languages was originally planned for the final installment of the franchise; however, that idea has since fallen through.

The original intention was to release all three versions on October 2, 2026, simultaneously. The source revealed to the tabloid that Mohanlal, Ajay, and Venkatesh would have starred in Malayalam, Hindi, and Telugu, respectively, and Jeethu was to be the director. When the Hindi producer sought out a new director for the Bollywood adaptation, this scheme was derailed. The source went on to say that while Kumar Mangat's Drishyam 2 [2022] was a smashing success, he insisted that his son Abhishek direct the Hindi film. As a result, they reached different conclusions, and they are now prioritising the release of the Malayalam version before the Hindi one.

Separate timelines emerge

New information suggests that tensions are rising between the two production teams, which could lead to the highly awaited conclusion of the Drishyam saga taking place on separate, and possibly competing, timeframes in Malayalam and Hindi.

FAQs:

Q: When will Ajay Devgn start shooting for Drishyam 3 Hindi?

A: Ajay Devgn is scheduled to begin shooting for the Hindi crime drama, which will be directed by Abhishek Pathak, in December.

Q: When is the Malayalam version of Drishyam 3 expected to release?

A: While the original plan was for a simultaneous release on October 2, 2026, the current conflict suggests the Malayalam makers are now keen to release their version before the Hindi counterpart. Mohanlal began shooting for the Malayalam film on September 22.

Q: Who is directing Drishyam 3 in Hindi?

A: The Hindi version of Drishyam 3 will be helmed by Abhishek Pathak, who also directed the blockbuster Drishyam 2 (2022).

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