Entertainment · Indian Cinema · 28 mins ago
Shriya Saran says Drishyam role raised questions about its age gap
Shriya Saran plays the mother of Ishita Dutta’s character in the Drishyam films.
Dutta is eight years younger than Saran, and Saran said the age gap initially did not make sense to her.
The films explain it by establishing that Dutta’s character was adopted.
Saran said the story was strong enough that viewers would not dwell on the casting choice.
She also noted that women actors are sometimes cast as mothers to actors close to their own age.
Drishyam 3 is an original story and is not connected to the Malayalam film, Saran said.
She described it as a risky project, with no guarantee that audiences would come to theatres.
Shriya Saran said playing the mother of Ishita Dutta’s character in the Drishyam franchise initially did not make sense to her because Dutta is eight years younger.
Saran said the story’s strength made the age gap less of a concern, and that the franchise explains Anju’s adoption.
She also praised the filmmakers for justifying the age difference.
Saran and Dutta’s conversations have changed over the years, from discussing life to talking about their children.
Drishyam: The Conclusion opened in theatres on October 2.
- Who
- Shriya Saran, who plays Nandini Salgaonkar, and Ishita Dutta, who plays Anju Salgaonkar.
- What
- Saran discussed playing the mother of Dutta’s character despite being only eight years older than her.
- When
- Saran discussed it in an interview published on October 12, 2026.
- Where
- In the Drishyam film franchise. The interview was with News18.
- Why
- Saran said the age gap initially did not make sense to her, but the story was strong and Anju’s adoption was explained.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Yeah, I mean, it doesn’t make sense. I did think about it. I was like, how does it make any connect? I had to be a child to give birth to another child (laughs). But the story is so impactful and strong that you don’t think about all these things.
We’ve mentioned that she’s an adopted child and it’s so beautifully explained
When we began working on Drishyam, we were both literally children! By the time we shot for Drishyam 2, she had just gotten married and I remember us speaking a lot about life. By the third film, we were discussing children,
The first Drishyam film marked Saran’s first major commercial blockbuster in Bollywood, according to News18.
Drishyam: The Conclusion arrived in theatres.
Saran’s comments about the age gap were published by Times of India and News18.
- Age difference
- Saran is eight years older than Dutta.
- Saran’s character
- Nandini Salgaonkar
- Dutta’s character
- Anju Salgaonkar, who is adopted in the franchise.
- Film release
- Drishyam: The Conclusion arrived in theatres on October 2.
- Interview date
- October 12, 2026






