Abhishek Pathak: Would love to direct all future instalments

Ajay Devgn with director Abhishek Pathak during the film’s making

Celebrations are in order for the team of Drishyam 2 as the film crossed the Rs 100-crore mark yesterday. Director Abhishek Pathak has his own way of celebrating the success. "I'll rest now, as I haven't slept for a year," he begins. In a year when Bollywood has struggled to lure audiences back to theatres, the Ajay Devgn-starrer - an adaptation of Mohanlal's Malayalam film franchise of the same name - has come as a shot in the arm.

"I had seen the Malayalam original, but I wanted to tell the story differently. We didn't want a frame-by-frame copy. The changes happened in terms of storytelling, screenplay, and visual treatment. I was confident that we would enter the Rs 100-crore club."

The sequel sees Devgn's Vijay Salgaonkar in a battle of wits with the cops as Akshaye Khanna's character expedites the seven-year-old case against him. Various factors, from the film's fan-following to the leading man's popularity, contributed to the thriller's runaway success. "We edited the trailer seven times, and the movie many times. We took the first cut to various focus groups across India. Depending on their feedback, we made a few changes, and made a [tighter] narrative," says Pathak.

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The third part of Malayalam Drishyam is in the works. So, will we also see Devgn return to protect his on-screen family, third time around? "Of course, I will direct Drishyam 3. I'd love to direct all future instalments, but let [the third part] get written," he laughs.

For now, the director is focusing on his personal life. He was so engrossed in making Drishyam 2 through the year that he had postponed his wedding with Khuda Hafiz actor Shivaleeka Oberoi. "The wedding will happen in the first half of 2023. It will be a destination wedding, but an intimate one."