For more than a decade now, Mohanlal’s Georgekutty has remained one of Indian cinema’s most fascinating survivalists. Ever since Jeethu Joseph introduced the character in Drishyam, audiences have watched him outsmart police officers, manipulate evidence, and protect his family at impossible costs. But with Drishyam 3, the franchise finally tries shifting away from pure suspense into something darker and more psychological. Instead of focusing only on shocking twists, this chapter wants to explore what years of paranoia, lies, and fear have actually done to Georgekutty as a man.
On paper, that sounds like a strong direction for the franchise. Georgekutty is no longer the desperate father reacting to sudden danger like before. This time, he is a successful film producer living comfortably with his wife Rani, played again by Meena, and daughters Anju and Anu, played by Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil. Life appears peaceful from the outside, but internally he never stops looking over his shoulder. Every conversation, every stranger, every small disturbance feels like a possible threat waiting to expose the truth behind Varun’s death. That constant fear could have made for a deeply unsettling thriller. Unfortunately, the film struggles to turn those ideas into something consistently gripping.
The biggest issue with Drishyam 3 is honestly its pacing. The film takes far too long getting to the actual conflict, spending huge stretches focusing on routine family concerns and everyday domestic life. Will Anju get married? Will Anu enter the college she wants? Will Georgekutty’s film become successful? Individually, these moments are not bad, but they drag on so much that the tension starts fading instead of building. And because audiences already know Georgekutty’s past can never stay buried forever, the film’s attempts at slow suspense don’t really land with the same impact anymore.
The Twists Feel Weaker This Time Around
The Drishyam franchise built its reputation mainly on shocking reveals and clever manipulation, so naturally viewers expect the third film to deliver another unforgettable twist. But this is where Jeethu Joseph disappoints the most. Most of the major revelations arrive packed into the third act, and honestly, many of them feel predictable long before they happen. Old enemies return, betrayals emerge, and Georgekutty once again finds himself cornered, but none of it creates the kind of jaw-dropping tension the earlier films handled so well.
Part of the problem is that Georgekutty almost never truly loses control. Even when the story tries presenting him as emotionally exhausted or scared, the script still protects him too much. Every time it feels like consequences might finally catch up to him, the film quickly pulls him back into hero mode again. That weakens the emotional weight badly because the audience never fully believes he can actually fail. Ironically, the most interesting aspect of this film is how disturbing Georgekutty has slowly become over the years. He keeps digging himself deeper into lies and violence while convincing himself it’s all for family. The film acknowledges that darkness briefly, but never commits fully to exploring it.
There’s also an uncomfortable layer underneath the story that the film never properly confronts. The entire Drishyam saga began because a young woman defended herself after being violated and blackmailed. But somewhere along the way, the franchise became so obsessed with Georgekutty’s brilliance that the original emotional core feels almost forgotten now. That disconnect becomes even stranger considering how heavily the third film leans into moral ambiguity and manipulation.
Mohanlal Remains Strong, But The Franchise Feels Tired
Performance-wise, Mohanlal still carries the film with ease. Even in weaker scenes, he understands Georgekutty’s nervous energy perfectly and gives the character enough emotional weariness to keep things believable. The supporting cast also does decent work, especially Meena as Rani, who continues to quietly carry years of emotional trauma beneath her silence. But the screenplay rarely gives these characters enough depth beyond reacting to Georgekutty’s decisions.
One controversial aspect likely to spark discussion is the expanded role given to Siddique’s character Prabhakar. The film heavily centers him during key moments, which may feel uncomfortable for some viewers considering the actor’s real-life controversies outside cinema. That layer unintentionally creates awkwardness around parts of the story that probably weren’t meant to feel distracting.
By the time Drishyam 3 ends, the film hints that Georgekutty’s story may still continue further. But honestly, this installment already feels like the franchise is running dangerously close to exhausting itself. The first film worked because it was emotional and shocking. The second succeeded because it cleverly expanded the consequences. This third chapter, though, spends so much time protecting Georgekutty’s myth that it forgets to remain thrilling.
