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Spoiler note: this recap gives away the full story and endings of Drishyam (2015) and Drishyam 2 (2022). The section on Drishyam: The Conclusion has no spoilers.
With Drishyam: The Conclusion in cinemas since 2 October 2026, plenty of viewers want a refresher before they go – what exactly did Vijay Salgaonkar do, and how did he get away with it twice? Here is a clear recap of the Hindi Drishyam and Drishyam 2, the key characters, and what to remember before the final chapter.
Drishyam (2015) recap
Directed by Nishikant Kamat and released on 31 July 2015, Drishyam is the Hindi remake of Jeethu Joseph's 2013 Malayalam film starring Mohanlal.
The family. Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) runs a cable TV business in a small town in Goa. He left school early but is obsessed with films and has picked up a surprising amount from them. He lives with his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju and Anu.
The incident. On a school camp, Anju is secretly filmed in a compromising video by Sam Deshmukh, the spoilt son of Goa's Inspector General of Police, Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). Sam later turns up at the house to blackmail Anju and her mother. In the struggle, Anju swings an iron rod to knock the phone out of his hand and hits him on the head. Sam dies. Nandini and Anju bury the body in a pit in the garden, and little Anu sees them do it.
The alibi. When Vijay comes home, he builds a cover story using what he has learnt from films. He gets rid of Sam's phone and car, then takes the family on a trip to Panaji for a religious sermon, a film and a restaurant meal – and keeps the tickets and bills. Witnesses later remember the family being there on the key dates. The trick: the trip happened after the killing, but Vijay makes everyone, including the witnesses, recall it as being on the day Sam disappeared.
The investigation. Meera suspects Vijay from the start. Each family member is questioned separately and repeats the same story, word for word, exactly as Vijay drilled them. Sub-Inspector Gaitonde, who has an old grudge against Vijay, beats the family in custody. When he threatens little Anu, she breaks down and points to the burial spot. The police dig – and find only the carcass of an animal. Vijay had moved the body.
The ending. Gaitonde's brutality on a child turns the public against the police. He is suspended and Meera resigns. Meera and her husband Mahesh (Rajat Kapoor) meet Vijay, apologise for their son's behaviour and beg to know what happened. Vijay never confesses outright, but hints that he would do anything for his family. In the final scene, Vijay signs the register at a newly built police station, and flashbacks show the truth – he buried Sam's body under that very station while it was under construction.
Drishyam 2 (2022) recap
Directed by Abhishek Pathak and released on 18 November 2022, Drishyam 2 remakes the 2021 Malayalam sequel.
Seven years later. Vijay now owns a cinema hall and is planning to produce a film with screenwriter Murad Ali (Saurabh Shukla). But the family still lives in fear. Anju suffers from seizures and panic attacks, and the town gossips about them.
The case reopens. Meera, now a former IG, still wants answers. The new IG, Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye Khanna), quietly reopens the case. Undercover officers move in next door posing as a married couple, and Nandini confides in "neighbour" Jenny. Then David Braganza, an ex-convict, comes forward: on the night Sam vanished, he saw Vijay coming out of the police station construction site.
The skeleton. The police dig up the station's foundations and find a skeleton. With Nandini's recorded confession and the remains, the case looks closed. Vijay confesses to the murder himself to protect his family.
The twist. In court, Vijay's lawyer reveals that the police case matches, word for word, the plot of a published thriller novel titled Drishyam – which Vijay had quietly developed with Murad. Then the DNA test on the skeleton comes back: it is not Sam. Murad explains the "ending" Vijay had written: the hero gets hold of another man's remains through a gravedigger, keeps them for years, and swaps them in the morgue before testing – with help from a guard he had befriended. Without evidence, the case collapses and the judge tells the police to stop.
The ending. In a final gesture, Vijay has Sam's ashes delivered anonymously to Meera and Mahesh. Mahesh immerses them and asks Meera to let go. Vijay watches from a distance, beyond the reach of the law – but knowing the police will never stop watching him.
Key characters
| Character | Actor | Role in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Vijay Salgaonkar | Ajay Devgn | Cable operator turned cinema owner; the father who hides the crime |
| Nandini Salgaonkar | Shriya Saran | Vijay's wife; helped bury the body |
| Anju Salgaonkar | Ishita Dutta | Elder daughter; struck Sam in self-defence |
| Anu Salgaonkar | Mrunal Jadhav | Younger daughter; saw the burial |
| Meera Deshmukh | Tabu | Sam's mother and former IG; never gives up the chase |
| Mahesh Deshmukh | Rajat Kapoor | Sam's father; the calmer voice of the two |
| Laxmikant Gaitonde | Kamlesh Sawant | Brutal sub-inspector with a grudge against Vijay |
| Tarun Ahlawat | Akshaye Khanna | IG who reopens the case in Drishyam 2 |
| Murad Ali | Saurabh Shukla | Screenwriter whose book becomes Vijay's trump card |
Things to remember before Drishyam 3
- The body is gone. The skeleton found in part 2 was not Sam's, and Sam's ashes have been given to his parents. The police still have no physical evidence.
- The book. The novel Drishyam exists in the story's world, which lets Vijay call any police theory "just the plot of a book".
- Nandini's confession. She did confess to Jenny, and the police heard it – but it was not enough to convict.
- Meera has not moved on. Mahesh wants peace; Meera still wants the truth.
- Gaitonde is still around and still hates Vijay.
- Anju's health. Her trauma and seizures are the family's weak spot.
Drishyam: The Conclusion – what we know
Release: Drishyam: The Conclusion opened in cinemas on 2 October 2026, timed with Gandhi Jayanti – a nice nod, since 2 October is the date at the heart of Vijay's alibi in the first film.
Director and cast: Abhishek Pathak returns as director. Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Rajat Kapoor and Kamlesh Sawant reprise their roles. Akshaye Khanna was originally set to return but left the project; Jaideep Ahlawat joins as Crime Branch SP Rajveer Singh Tomar, and Prakash Raj plays a public prosecutor.
How it relates to the Malayalam Drishyam 3: Unlike the first two Hindi films, this one is not a remake. Jeethu Joseph's Malayalam Drishyam 3, starring Mohanlal as Georgekutty, released first, on 21 May 2026. The Hindi makers confirmed that their film has its own story and screenplay, and reports say the differences go well beyond the climax. Earlier reports of both versions being shot together were denied by Jeethu Joseph. So even if you have seen the Malayalam film, the Hindi one can still surprise you.
Box office: It is a big hit. Reports say it crossed ₹300 crore net in India within ten days, becoming Ajay Devgn's highest-grossing film.
Similar thrillers to watch on NoWireTV
If the cat-and-mouse of Drishyam is your thing, try these on NoWireTV:
- Vadh and Vadh 2 – an ordinary man, a killing and a cover-up
- Mardaani 3 – a tough cop on a dangerous case
- Inspector Zende – a cop chasing a slippery criminal
- The Diplomat – a tense real-life thriller
Ajay Devgn's films and other thrillers also play on Star Gold HD – watch it live on NoWireTV.
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Frequently asked questions
Where was Sam's body buried in Drishyam?
Under the police station that was being built at the time. Vijay moved the body from the garden pit before the police dug there.
How did Vijay escape in Drishyam 2?
He had secretly swapped the remains with another man's skeleton before DNA testing, and his lawyer showed the police case matched a published novel. With no evidence, the case was dropped.
Is Drishyam: The Conclusion a remake of Mohanlal's Drishyam 3?
No. The makers say the Hindi film has an original story, separate from the Malayalam Drishyam 3 that released in May 2026.
Is Akshaye Khanna in Drishyam 3?
No. He left the project, and Jaideep Ahlawat plays the new officer, SP Rajveer Singh Tomar.
Do I need to watch Drishyam 1 and 2 before Drishyam 3?
It helps a lot. The final film builds on the cover-up, the swapped remains and the families' history – this recap covers the essentials.
