Vaazha 2 producer says film never meant to compete with Drishyam 3; faced pressure to postpone release due to various factors

Vaazha 2 continues its theatrical run, with its makers clarifying that the film was never intended to compete with Mohanlal’s much-anticipated Drishyam 3.

Originally slated for an April 2 release, Drishyam 3 was pushed due to the West Asia conflict, a development that disrupted what was expected to be one of the biggest box office clashes of the season. In contrast, Vaazha 2, which hit screens at the start of April, has continued to draw audiences even 20 days into its run.

Producer Harris Desom said the team had anticipated Drishyam 3 dominating the box office and had positioned Vaazha 2 accordingly. “We always knew a film like Drishyam 3 would be the first choice for audiences. Our thinking was that families and children would still look for another option, and that’s where our film would come in,” he said.

Desom revealed that the team faced considerable pressure to shift their release date. Distributors had raised concerns about multiple factors, including the West Asia conflict affecting overseas revenue and the election period potentially dampening theatre turnout. “There were even concerns about getting enough screens at one point,” he noted.

Despite these challenges, the makers chose to hold their ground, banking on the April vacation window and their core family audience. According to Desom, alternative dates were equally crowded, leaving little room for a strategic reshuffle. “Every week had major releases lined up. Moving the film would not have solved the problem,” he said.

He also said there was no intention to position the film as a rival to the Drishyam franchise, one of Malayalam cinema’s most successful series. “We never approached this as a competition. The scale, expectation, and reach of Drishyam 3 are on a different level,” he added.

Interestingly, the delay of Drishyam 3 appears to have worked in Vaazha 2’s favour, giving it a relatively open window to build momentum. With several mid- and big-budget films crowding the April calendar, the box office landscape remains fluid.