Tabu Recalls Fearing Audiences Would Skip Hindi ‘Drishyam 2’ After Malayalam Original’s OTT Release

Actor Tabu has said she was deeply anxious before the theatrical release of the Hindi film ‘Drishyam 2’. She feared that audiences who had already watched the Malayalam original on OTT would not come to cinemas.

Her remarks come as interest builds around the franchise’s next instalment, ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’, which is scheduled to release in theatres on October 2, 2026.

Tabu said her doubts were partly fuelled by close friends, who questioned whether anyone would buy tickets for a story whose suspense was already widely known.

A challenging period for cinema

The Hindi ‘Drishyam 2’ was heading to theatres as the country was slowly recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Several big Bollywood films had failed at the box office during this period, and questions were being raised about the future of theatrical cinema.

The film faced another hurdle. The original Malayalam ‘Drishyam 2’, starring Mohanlal, had already been released on OTT and had drawn attention across the country. A large number of viewers in the Hindi-speaking belt had watched it with subtitles and already knew how the story ended.

Investing crores in remaking a film that has already succeeded in another language, and is available to viewers nationwide on streaming platforms, is widely considered a gamble in the film industry.

‘Who will go to watch your film?’

Recalling that time, Tabu said that by the time the second part was ready for release, the pandemic had ended and the Malayalam version was already out.

“Some of my close friends started telling me, ‘That film has already come. Who is going to go to the theatre to watch yours?'” she said.

Tabu admitted that these comments left her genuinely afraid. She said she kept wondering why people would stand in ticket queues when they already knew the film’s suspense.

“It was a matter of real concern for me. I felt that perhaps nobody here would go to watch it. Almost everyone had seen the Malayalam film during the lockdown,” she said.

She added that she simply waited quietly to see whether audiences would actually turn up, or whether some kind of miracle would happen. Her mind, she said, was clouded with doubts at the time.

Doubts proved wrong

Those concerns did not hold up once the film reached theatres. The performances of Ajay Devgn and Tabu won over audiences, silencing sceptics ranging from trade analysts to the very friends who had doubted the film’s prospects.

Not ready to say goodbye

The response to the franchise has left Tabu reluctant to part ways with it, even though the upcoming film is being billed as ‘The Conclusion’.

She said the seriousness of her character and the emotional scale of the story on screen make it difficult to walk away.

Speaking in a light-hearted tone, Tabu said she would not say goodbye to the franchise until Kumar Mangat and Abhishek Pathak gave it to her in writing that it would never be made again.

“Only then will we believe it. Otherwise, who knows? Tomorrow Kumar ji might call and say, ‘Tabu, Abhishek has come up with an outstanding idea for part 4!'” she said with a laugh.

Her remark was made in jest, and there is no indication in her comments that a fourth film is being planned. However, it suggests she would be open to returning if the makers chose to continue the story.

Drishyam: The Conclusion cast and release date

‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ is directed by Abhishek Pathak and is set to hit theatres on October 2, 2026.

Ajay Devgn and Tabu will be joined by Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Saran, Prakash Raj, Kamlesh Sawant, Ishita Dutta and Mrinal Jadhav as the franchise attempts to resolve its final mystery.

With the release about three weeks away, Tabu’s recollection of the uncertainty around ‘Drishyam 2’ offers a look at how the franchise overcame doubts in the post-pandemic period to reach its concluding chapter.