Panaji | Actor Ajay Devgn on Tuesday said his upcoming film "Drishyam: The Conclusion” has a completely different story from its Malayalam counterpart and will mark the end of the beloved thriller franchise.

In the Hindi version of the story, Devgn played the role of Vijay Salgaonkar, a cable operator in Goa, lives a peaceful life with his wife Nandini and their two daughters. His world turns upside down when a teenage boy goes missing and his family becomes the prime suspect in the case.

The trailer for the third part was unveiled at an event in the Goa capital.

"We all thought that this should be the conclusion because I don't think we should even attempt to go beyond this. Because everything, if you leave it at the top, that’s the best thing," the actor told reporters.

"The second film was, in a way, inspired by the original (Malayalam), but this is a completely different script. Their ‘Drishyam 3’ is completely different and our film is also completely different. It’s not like we have made a lot of changes; it's an entirely different story,” he said.

The actor said the franchise's earlier film “Drishyam 2” had left the team wondering if there was anywhere further to go with the story.

“I think after ‘Drishyam 2’, we didn’t know if this film would be made or not, because this is not a film where you work out a script and make a sequel. It has twists and turns," he said.

The actor said director Abhishek Pathak eventually came up with an idea that appealed to the team and then spent two-and-a-half years working on the screenplay with the writers.

"He worked very hard and came out with a script. I think Abhishek and Aamil (Keeyan Khan) have done a brilliant job,” he said.

The actor also praised Pathak’s growth as a filmmaker through his association with the franchise.

“The way he’s worked the script out, the way he’s shaped up the film… Like he said, he’s grown on ‘Drishyam’. You will see in this film that he’s really grown on ‘Drishyam’. And just on the writing part, the way he’s executed the film, I think he’s done a fabulous job.”

Devgn said he would be particularly happy if Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph, who collaborated on the original franchise, approve of the Hindi film.

“I want Lal sir and Jeethu sir to see the film, and if we get their approval that they love this, it will make me very happy,” he added.

The third film picks up from where “Drishyam 2” ended, with Vijay and his family facing renewed pressure as old secrets and unanswered questions threaten to resurface, according to the makers.

This time, Vijay encounters a formidable new adversary in Jaideep Ahlawat’s SP Crime Branch Rajveer Singh Tomar, who takes charge of the seemingly impossible case and is determined to uncover the truth.

Asked whether he was sad to say goodbye to a popular franchise like "Drishyam", Devgn said he is happy that they are ending the story on a good note.

"I don't want to sound completely heartless but whenever something gets over, in a sense, a project, then I'm the happiest person. People congratulate me when I start a project but I feel that when it gets over and gets successfully over, then that is the time you should be the happiest person.

"Fingers crossed, if the film does well, then it will be good. But the journey has been great."

Ahlawat joined the franchise after Akshaye Khanna, who played IGP Tarun Ahlawat, the police officer leading the investigation against Vijay Salgaonkar in “Drishyam 2”, made an abrupt exit from the third part in January this year.

The "Pataal Lok" star said he didn't face any difficulty in playing the character as it was drawn beautifully by Pathak on paper.

"...I never felt that I wasn't a part of this world. When I heard the script, it didn't feel like this character is coming in place of Akshaye sir's character. One character's journey has ended and another character has been introduced. So, I felt there is no point in feeling pressured by his character. It's going to be a completely different journey."

Besides Ahlawat, Prakash Raj also joins the franchise, while Tabu, Shriya Saran and Rajat Kapoor return as their respective characters. Kamlesh Sawant, Ishita Dutta and Mrunal Jadhav also reprise their roles.

The Hindi franchise began with the 2015 film “Drishyam”, directed by Nishikant Kamat, and was followed by the 2022 sequel, directed by Pathak.

Presented by Star Studio18, the Panorama Studios production is directed by Pathak and written by Pathak, Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh.

“Drishyam: The Conclusion” is produced by Alok Jain, Ajit Andhare, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak, and is slated to release theatrically on October 2.