Exclusive | Jeethu Joseph on 'Drishyam 4': 'So Many Questions Need to Be Answered'

Drishyam 3 director Jeethu Joseph has opened up about the possibility of a fourth film in the franchise, saying he remains open to it but will only move forward if the right idea presents itself. "If any good thoughts or good ideas come to me, I would definitely do it. But I cannot say that for sure right now," he told THR India.

Joseph revealed that producer Antony Perumbavoor and the film's team have consistently encouraged him toward the next chapter at every stage of the franchise. "They said to keep thinking about the story; after the first, keep thinking about the second. Then, while shooting part two, he said let's start three. Now he's saying, 'I think you should work on the fourth one'."

Talking about the post-credits scene in Drishyam 3, which has driven much of the sequel conversation, Joseph explained that it was always meant to confirm whether Prabhakar had achieved his goal. "Without showing that scene, we cannot tell the audience whether he has achieved his goal correctly," he said. “That scene was initially planned to appear earlier, but was moved to after the credits following discussions with his team.”

Joseph said that despite the film's record-breaking run at the box-office, he is in no hurry to mount a follow-up. Following the third chapter of the story, he explained that he finds himself thinking about the characters and arcs that he feels are the unresolved threads the third film leaves behind. "What will Rani or the daughters be doing? What is their state of mind? What about the daughter’s marriage? So many questions need to be answered before starting four," he explained.

He also noted that both he and the film's lead actor Mohanlal have found the protagonist George Kutty increasingly difficult to understand over the course of the trilogy. "My George Kutty was not like this in the beginning. Now he is going out of my hands, out of my control," Joseph said, adding that Mohanlal has expressed a similar uncertainty about understanding the character anymore.

Drishyam 3 released in theatres on May 21. Produced by Antony Perumbavoor, it has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time, and the biggest earner of the franchise so far.