Over ten years have passed since director Jeethu Joseph first brought us the clever cable operator Georgekutty, played by Mohanlal, a film lover ready to go to any lengths to shield his loved ones from harm. Time has moved on since his older daughter Anju faced blackmail and tragedy involving the death of an IG’s son named Varun, yet Georgekutty remains ever watchful and tense. The latest installment had real promise to explore the tale of a dad worn down by constant worry and suspicion. Sadly, the director’s vision falls short of creating a truly gripping experience.
Georgekutty, portrayed by Mohanlal, enjoys a peaceful existence alongside his spouse Rani, enacted by Meena, and their adult daughters Anju, played by Ansiba Haasan, and Anu, brought to life by Esther Anil. Following all the earlier troubles, the family head simply seeks everyday calm for everyone around him. His self-made movie titled Drishyam turned into a huge success, and now he hopes to see Anju settle down happily in marriage. Life feels stable and secure, with the protector having kept his relatives safe so far. Or has he truly managed it? When a journalist starts digging into the old incident again, one event triggers the next, putting everything he carefully constructed back in serious danger once more.
If Georgekutty appeared urgent and guarded in the first Drishyam from 2013 and its follow-up in 2021, this new chapter shows him filled with deep anxiety, always glancing behind and living in fear. Outwardly, he has become a thriving film producer enjoying a lovely home and a household that seems to have left painful memories in the past. Deep inside, however, his remorse mixes with terror that his relatives might discover the extreme measures he has taken for their safety. Georgekutty is far from the flawless champion people view him as; instead, he represents a troubling figure. While this concept feels compelling in theory, Jeethu Joseph struggles to make it flow smoothly on screen.
The latest Drishyam installment takes quite a while to build momentum and reach its core conflicts. By the point it finally delivers a major surprise ahead of the midpoint break, audiences may not feel particularly shocked. The story dedicates plenty of moments to ordinary daily routines, such as whether Anju will meet the ideal partner, if Anu can join her desired university program, whether Georgekutty’s first production will prove popular, and if Rani can finally enjoy some tranquility at home. Throughout these scenes, viewers sense that complications are coming soon. The main character has created several adversaries during his protective efforts, and it would be unrealistic to expect them to simply move on without issue.
The biggest appeal of the entire Drishyam series has always centered on its surprise elements, regardless of whether viewers find them clever or overly familiar. In this third part, Jeethu Joseph packs multiple revelations into the final section, though they lack the impact of earlier efforts. Former opponents return seeking payback, and an unexpected betrayal comes from someone near Georgekutty, yet none of it feels fresh or unpredictable. The filmmaker presents these developments in a way meant to catch everyone off guard, including the lead character himself.
Yet this approach feels difficult to accept because the central figure’s sharp thinking rarely allows any real errors. And on the rare occasions when a slip occurs, there is hardly any space for reflection or lasting results before he emerges as the savior again. Although Georgekutty openly admits his concern about past deeds returning to haunt him, he continues making choices that bury his family even deeper in trouble. At a point where an unthinkable action takes place and the character steps over a serious boundary, audiences might hope he has finally gained wisdom from experience. But that does not happen.
This third Drishyam movie shifts attention away from exciting surprises toward examining Georgekutty himself and the results of all his past choices. That shift causes it to become the least captivating entry in the popular series, since the director never allows the protagonist to truly stumble, not even during moments involving force. By the closing scenes of the newest film, viewers might also start to lose sight of the original reasons behind the whole saga. They could forget how a woman had to defend herself after being wronged, and how a father chose to defend her no matter the personal price. It feels like a strange decision by Jeethu Joseph to expand the part for Siddique, who faces real-world accusations of misconduct, in a way that weakens the overall message through his character Prabhakar.
Drishyam 3 wraps up by suggesting that Georgekutty’s challenges are far from finished. But the big question remains: how much longer can he and Mohanlal sustain this ongoing story?
