NRT briefing
Drishyam 3 Box Office Collection Day 16: Becomes Bollywood’s 3rd Highest-Grosser Of 2026 In India, Overtakes Hanuman Ansh
Based on reporting by Newsdio.
The Brief
Ajay Devgn's crime thriller Drishyam 3 earned 5 crore net at the Indian box office on its third Saturday (day 16), a 61.29% jump from the previous day's 3.1 crore. The film's total now stands at 341.6 crore net (403.1 crore gross), according to Koimoi.
With this collection, Drishyam 3 has overtaken Hanuman Ansh (339.71 crore) to become Bollywood's third highest-grossing film of 2026 in India. The top two spots are held by Dhurandhar 2 (1186.32 crore) and Border 2 (362.76 crore). While Hanuman Ansh is still running, it is not expected to catch up.
The report projects Drishyam 3 will not reach the 400 crore net milestone, estimating a final total around 375 crore. Week-wise breakdown: Week 1 – 243.5 crore, Week 2 – 90 crore, Day 15 – 3.1 crore, Day 16 – 5 crore.
Directed by Abhishek Pathak, the film is produced by Panorama Studios and Star Studio18. The cast includes Jaideep Ahlawat, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Kamlesh Sawant, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, and Prakash Raj.
NRT commentary
How We See It
Drishyam 3's sustained box office performance underscores the continued dominance of star-driven theatrical releases in the Hindi market. Even amid new competition, the film's 61% jump on its third Saturday demonstrates that audience appetite for this franchise remains strong, a positive signal for traditional cinema exhibitors who have faced headwinds from streaming platforms.
However, the projected ceiling of roughly 375 crore net, far below Dhurandhar 2's record haul, suggests the gap between blockbuster peaks and solid hits remains wide. The film's success also validates the strategy of banking on established intellectual property and a proven leading man, rather than relying on novelty alone.
For producers, this reinforces that sequels with loyal fan bases can still command theatrical footfall, but the financial ceiling is increasingly defined by a few exceptional outliers. The fact that a major release like Hanuman Ansh was overtaken in just 16 days highlights how quickly momentum can shift in the current box office environment, making early-weekend performance critical for long-term theatrical viability.
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