Aadu 3 box office day 1: Jayasurya comedy film records the best opening of 2026 so far

Aadu 3 box office collection day 1: Malayalam actor Jayasurya is back as the eccentric yet lovable Shaji Pappan with Aadu 3: One Last Ride Part 1. The third installment of the popular comedy franchise has recorded the best opening for 2026 so far, earning over Rs 6 crore, as per trade tracker Sacnilk.

What is Aadu 3 box office collection

The 2026 Malayalam film Aadu 3: One Last Ride Part 1 released in theatres on March 19. The film had seen solid advance bookings and collected Rs 6 crore. This is the highest opening for a Malayalam film so far this year, as the only other movie to do well was Chatha Pacha which opened to Rs 3.4 crore.

But the Midhun Manuel Thomas film opened to mixed reviews and it remains to be seen if Aadu 3 is able to maintain its momentum going forward. But the long Eid weekend is likely to favour the film from the fun franchise. No other major Malayalam film has been released, but for Dhyan Sreenivasan’s Bhishmar, which will hit theatres on March 20. However, it is unlikely to pose any challenge to Aadu 3. The Hindi film Dhurandhar 2 is the other big film, which is also getting a wide release in Kerala.

Also read: Aadu 3 review: Jayasurya’s exhausting film is too unsure to be silly, too conflicted to be serious 

On the other hand, next week will see the release of Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly’s political thriller movie Prathichaya on March 26 and the week after that Mohanlal’s much-awaited Drishyam 3 on April 2.

What is Aadu 3 movie about

The third installment of Aadu franchise is arriving in two parts. The first part which released on Thursday once again brings back Shaji Pappan and the gang as they get pulled into chaotic situations. But the film also tracks the events from a past era, where a local king seeks to protect his precious wealth as the Tipu Sultan’s army arrives. What connects these two eras is shown in the film, with the plot unfolding over chaos and comedy.

Saiju Kurup, Vinayakan, Vijay Babu, Sunny Wayne, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Indrans, and Sudhi Koppa also return to the latest installment.

Also read: Aadu 3 star Jayasurya on why Swapnakoodu deserves a sequel: ‘A reunion would be beautiful’ | Exclusive