What is the story about?
Nishikant Kamat brought Mohanlal’s Drishyam to the Hindi audience in 2015. 11 years later, the franchise is coming to an end. Drishyam 2 and Drishyam:
The Conclusion were directed by Abhishek Pathak. The first part of the Hindi crime thriller started with Vijay Salgaonkar protecting his family after accidentally killing Sam, the son of IG Meera Deshmukh, and now, in the concluding part, the case will be closed. In the past 11 years, the film has seen the introduction of various characters and also events that changed the course of the story. Ahead of Drishyam: The Conclusion, let’s revisit the key events that have unfolded in the franchise until now. From Sam’s death to Vijay burying it to protect his family and Meera’s rigorous investigation, here’s all you need to know before watching Drishyam 3.
Drishyam recap
Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) lives with his wife, Nandini (Shriya Saran), and two daughters, Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrunal Jadhav). They live a slow, quiet and peaceful life. Anju convinces Vijay to send her to a college camp. Sam, the only son of IG Meera Deshmukh (Tabu) and her husband Mahesh (Rajat Kapoor), records an objectionable video of Anju and threatens to leak it if she doesn’t fulfil his sexual desires. He reaches the Salgaonkar house to further blackmail her. However, Nandini learns about the nude video and pleads to delete it. Instead, Sam asks her for sexual favours. During a physical altercation, Nandini and Anju hit him, leading to his spontaneous death.
Nandini and Anju, shaken by the incident, inform Vijay after he returns home from his cable shop. Taking help from films and television shows, he devises a plan to discard Sam’s body and keep his family’s record clean. Despite an intelligent plan, Meera senses trouble, and the first suspect in the case is the Salgaonkar family.
Before the police investigation starts, Vijay takes Nandini, Anju and Anu to Panjim for a ‘satsang’ to create an alibi to deceive the police. They inform the cops that the family wasn’t at home on October 2 and 3. They present tickets and bills to prove their innocence. Sub-inspector Laxmikant Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant) tortures the Salgaonkars. Vijay is a step ahead of the police and erases every possible evidence before they knock on the family’s door.
With Vijay proving his innocence each time, his extended family members and neighbours stand by him. When Gaitonde attempts to attack them once again, the mob prevents him from doing so. Gaitonde is suspended. Amid the investigation, Meera learns that Sam made a nude video of Anju and later apologises to the Salgaonkars. The Deshmukhs ask Vijay about Sam’s mortal remains, but he refuses to reveal it.
Where is Sam's body?
Later, it is disclosed that Vijay replaced Sam’s body with a dog’s remains in their backyard where he was initially buried. Instead, he buries it at the local under-construction police station.
Drishyam 2 recap
While the police station is vacant at night, with zero human surveillance, David Braganza, a murder accused who has fled jail, sees him exiting the under-construction building. Years later, Vijay and his family are trying to leave their past behind and move on. Anju has PTSD and episodes of epilepsy. Vijay is now a businessman and owns a multiplex. He aspires to direct a film and is in touch with Murad Ali (Saurabh Shukla), a prolific writer.
Vijay and Nandini have a young couple as their neighbour. Jenny (Neha Joshi) and Shiv (Nishant Singh) have a troubled marriage. She faces routine domestic violence, and Nandini wants to help her out. She summons the cops to solve the matter. Jenny confides in Nandini about her domestic matters, and she also feels comfortable in her presence. When Jenny asks Nandini about Sam’s case, she tries to brush it under the carpet.
Meera, who had relocated to London, is back in Goa with Mahesh. Her investigation hasn’t been concluded yet. She appoints Jenny and Shiv to establish a bond with the Salgaonkars to uncover the truth. They’re undercover officers. They plant mics to track their conversations; however, Vijay doesn’t let Nandini know the burial spot.
Akshaye Khanna's investigation
Meera ropes in IG Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye Khanna) to investigate the case since she has stepped aside for the position. He tightens the investigation and causes harm to Vijay’s family members. Still, he refuses to admit the crime. On the other hand, David has left his past behind and is looking for a job. He meets the cops and informs them that he saw Vijay burying Sam at the police station. When they dig out a section of the police station, they don’t find Sam’s remains. After this episode, Tarun calls the Salgaonkars for further questioning.
Does Ajay Devgn finally reveal Sam's mortal remains?
They maintain their alibi. When Gaitonde’s torture triggers Anju’s epilepsy, Vijay makes a false claim that he killed Sam. His family is free. Meera isn’t convinced of Vijay’s statement. Murad visits Meera, Mahesh, and Tarun and recalls his interactions with Vijay. He informs them that the events that happened were a part of the script of the novel titled Drishyam. Vijay pleads not guilty, and his lawyer accuses the police of framing her client, citing events that took place in the book. The reports of Sam’s bones, which were found by the police after Vijay told them the location, don’t match his DNA. Due to lack of evidence, Vijay is granted bail.
Murad then tells Meera and Mahesh about the alternative climax. It suggests that the hero hands over the villain's cremated remains to the bereaved parents. Vijay hands over Sam’s ashes to the Deshmukhs. The film ends with Meera and Mahesh performing Sam’s last rites.
With Drishyam 3, the case is about to be closed. Jaideep Ahlawat joins the franchise for a new investigative chapter. The film releases in theatres on October 2.
