Drishyam 3 opens to Rs 62 crore as The Vvaan and Hanuman Ansh hold firm

Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3 has reportedly made a huge start at the Indian box office, collecting Rs 62 crore net on its first day. The gross figure is said to be Rs 73.16 crore. Reports credit the franchise's goodwill, strong word of mouth and a holiday for the big number.

If the estimates hold, this is the biggest opening of Ajay Devgn's career by a wide margin. His previous best, Singham Again, opened at Rs 43.7 crore. The crime thriller also reportedly ranks as the sixth biggest Bollywood opener ever, moving past Pathaan's Rs 57 crore. It is said to be the only crime thriller in a top 10 list led by Dhurandhar 2 at Rs 145 crore.

The new release did not stop the holdovers. Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia's The Vvaan reportedly added between Rs 3 crore and Rs 3.25 crore nett on its second Friday. After an opening week of Rs 49.75 crore, its India total is estimated at Rs 53 crore. Trade reports already call the film a success, though the holiday had raised hopes of a bigger jump.

Hanuman Ansh, directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, is still drawing crowds in its ninth week. The devotional drama reportedly collected Rs 2.5 crore nett on its ninth Friday, taking its total to Rs 303.75 crore. Reports say no other film has managed even Rs 5 crore nett in its ninth week. Current trends point to around Rs 8 to 10 crore this weekend, which could be the biggest ninth weekend ever for an Indian film.

The Vvaan follows Rishi, an engineer who returns to his ancestral village in Bihar with his wife and gets pulled into an old mystery around a sacred forest. Hanuman Ansh traces a grieving boy's search for God after his mother's death, a journey that turns him into the saint Neem Karoli Baba. All three films now head into a busy weekend at the box office.