Director Abhishek Pathak is writing an original story for Drishyam 3 instead of a remake. He said, “We wanted to do different things with the writing without moving away from the emotion of the film.” The franchise has collected over Rs. 560 crores worldwide, keeping fans glued to Vijay Salgaonkar's story.
Director Abhishek Pathak’s Drishyam The Conclusion has collected over Rs. 560 crores worldwide, setting the bar high for a family thriller. The film marks the third and final chapter in the Hindi version of the Drishyam franchise, for which director Abhishek Pathak ensured that the audience stayed glued to the happenings surrounding Vijay Salgaonkar's narrative.
Abhishek Pathak on writing an original story for Drishyam 3, “We wanted to do different things with the writing without moving away from the emotion of the film”
Pathak's collaboration with Drishyam's Hindi version began as the producer of the first film. Later, he took over the wheel as the director for Drishyam 2. However, he wanted to go for an original story for the third instalment. “After Drishyam 2, I thought of writing our own story and not remake the (Malayalam) film, even if it takes me long to write. We took about two years to write (the screenplay) and came up with a new story,” said Pathak in an interview with Screen.
“I wanted to own the film. There is a tendency to tag a film as a 'remake' without looking at the craft that has gone into making it. Internationally, when Martin Scorsese made The Departed from Infernal Affairs, people spoke about how well the film was made,” he said and mentioned that they were quite affirmed about the film being entertaining; they “decided to wrap up the franchise and end it with a high.”
While creating the final chapter, Pathak was aware that even though Vijay continually bends the rules, his actions are fuelled with the reason to safeguard his wife and daughters. It was a fine balance between thrills and emotional conflict that peppered the film just right. “We stayed true to the fabric of Drishyam. We wanted to do different things with the writing without moving away from the emotion of the film, which is centred around the family. It is about a simple man trying to do everything possible to save his family. We never let go of that emotion and, I think, that has worked beautifully for the franchise, even in the last part,” he said.
The film also reaffirmed Hindi cinema's classic trope of 'hero jail nahin jata', which is delivered by Saurabh Shukla's character. Pathak says that it should not be interpreted as a comment on Hindi cinema's conventions, but should mirror Salgaonkar's unusual circumstances. “In Vijay's story, the hero never goes to jail because he is writing his own story. If he goes to jail, his family is finished. So, he tries every trick in the book to make sure that doesn't happen,” says Pathak, who said he is “overwhelmed” by the film's commercial success.
Collaborating with fine actors like Devgn, Shriya Saran, Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj, Pathak mentioned that his job was less about managing the actors and more about making sure that everyone was dedicated towards achieving the same goal. “They bring a lot of experience to the table. I have to explain what we are trying to achieve, and once everyone is on the same page, they can do the job they have been brought in to do,” said Pathak.
Having worked as a producer with his father, Kumar Mangat Pathak, and having started as a production intern on Omkara, Pyaar Ka Punchnama and others, Pathak says he tries not to wear both hats together. When he wears the hat of a director, he focuses on the creative process, and steps into the producer's role only when a decision calls for him.
The filmmaker, who is currently taking a break after two dedicated years of writing and executing the film, said that he plans to return to the writing desk soon. “I am experimenting with a few different genres, right now. In a couple of months, I will be announcing a new project.”
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