A story about a father fighting to protect his family with a world waiting to catch him in the wrong needs music that matches its grit. Composers Vishal Bhardwaj, Anil Johnson, Vinu Thomas, Devi Sri Prasad, Ravi Basrur, Rochak Kohli and Karma have each scored a stretch of the cat-and-mouse game between Georgekutty, Vijay Salgaonkar and the law.
Thirteen years, three films and two languages later, the franchise’s sound has written the family’s emotional memoir and scored their (mis)adventures. Billboard India curates the ‘Drishyam Essentials’ playlist, the eight songs to hear from one of Malayalam and Hindi cinema’s most talked-about trilogies.
1. “Vingansa” — Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026), Hindi, Ravi Basrur
A grand, brooding score that distils the series’ tension and thrill into one track. Basrur’s composition is climbing the charts to be cemented as a fan favourite.
2. “Ore Pakal” — Drishyam 2 (2021), Malayalam, Anil Johnson
A ballad of love, separation and longing, told from the perspective of Georgekutty’s wife. Zonobia Safar was told by composer Anil Johnson to embellish the “uncertainty in the [family],” and her soulful vocals deliver with a gut punch.
3. “Dum Ghutta Hai” — Drishyam (2015), Hindi, Vishal Bhardwaj
Placed in the Hindi remake at an opportune moment, Rekha Bhardwaj’s velvet-smooth vocals wash over the family’s suffocation in slow, aching waves.
4. “Maarivil” — Drishyam (2013), Malayalam, Vinu Thomas
Vinu Thomas keeps the pace slow and the melody soft, building a track that opens softly and crescendoes into a full form. Najim Arshad’s vocals carry the emotion before the tension sets in.
5. “Muskura Do” — Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026), Hindi, Rochak Kohli
Lucky Ali’s voice delivers a reminder to keep a happy face on, despite it all. Drums and guitars give the track its soulful edge.
6. “Ini Varumo” — Drishyam 3: The Past Never Stays Silent (2026), Malayalam, Anil Johnson
Composed, arranged and produced by Anil Johnson, the song leads with Vinayak Sasikumar’s voice to deliver an impassioned plea to the past with a surging guitar and drum instrumental.
7. “Saath Hum Rahein” — Drishyam 2 (2022), Hindi, Devi Sri Prasad
Another one for the family man. The Salgaonkars recover onscreen as Jubin Nautiyal’s lively vocals sit over an arrangement that sounds like the sun setting on a good day.
8. “Carbon Copy” — Drishyam (2015), Hindi, Vishal Bhardwaj
An uncharacteristically upbeat song in the franchise’s discography. Gulzar’s lyrics and Ash King’s whistle hook have kept it on niche playlists since release.
