It's a euphoric weekend in Bollywood where a much-anticipated film has opened to terrific numbers. And filmmaker Abhishek Pathak is the director of the moment, owning every bit of the victory he so rightly deserves. He’s done Drishyam twice over, taking the baton from late Nishikant Kamat - and given Bollywood its golden moments
There are directors who make successful films, and then there are directors who become the story. Abhishek Pathak is in the latter camp. His sheer ability to turn every adversity into success for his movie is what is the reason behind celebrations right now!
With Drishyam The Conclusion, Pathak has pulled off something remarkably difficult.He has taken one of Hindi cinema’s most closely watched franchises and turned its final chapter into the biggest theatrical event of his career. The film opened to more than 60 crore on Day 1, with trade figures putting the opening at 64.5 crore and other estimates at 66.75 crore, making it the biggest opening of Ajay Devgn’s career.
That makes Pathak one of the defining director stories of 2026. Pathak has built his reputation by taking Drishyam a step ahead with Drishyam 2, and now with The Conclusion and turning the franchise into his own directorial playground. The third film has taken a different narrative route from the Malayalam version, giving Pathak the freedom to put his own stamp on the finale. And that is where the Pathak moment becomes bigger than one film.
Hindi cinema has spent the year celebrating filmmakers who can make audiences turn up in numbers while giving their films a strong directorial identity. Pathak has now joined that conversation in spectacular fashion. Drishyam is no longer simply a franchise he is steering; it has become the calling card of a filmmaker who knows exactly how to build anticipation, hold an audience and deliver theatrical moments.
The response to The Conclusion has also put the spotlight on the filmmaking and his craft, with the film's tension, screenplay and handling of the franchise's final chapter driving much of the conversation. Pathak has, quite literally, done Drishyam twice over. And both times, he has made the franchise bigger.
2026 may well be remembered as the year Abhishek Pathak stopped being the man behind Drishyam and became the director of the moment. AAnd this success story is only beginning with Drishyam now travelling to Korea, Spain and other markets, Pathak’s biggest chapter may be the one yet to unfold.
