The popular Malayalam film franchise ‘Aadu’ is gearing up for its grand finale. the director Midhun Manuel Thomas confirmed that the series will end with ‘Aadu 3’ part 2. The third episode, titled ‘Aadu 3: One Last Ride’, will be released in two parts. The first part will hit theaters on March 19, 2026, locking horns with Bollywood’s ‘Dhurandhar Part 2’.
Midhun Manuel Thomas confirms the final
In a recent interview with Club FM, the director talked about the structure of the upcoming film. He explained that he needed more space and time to spread the stories. The ‘Aadu’ series started with Aadu in 2015 and has since become a cult favorite among Malayalam film audiences.
The director explains why Aadu 3 is being split into two parts
Talking about the storytelling approach, Midhun Manuel Thomas revealed that the film’s narrative required a bigger canvas. According to him, the plot unfolds in different timelines.He said, “Aadu 3 was never planned as a one-part film. That decision was taken at the writing stage itself. The story requires extensive world-building, which takes time. Since the narrative spans two timelines, we needed enough space to establish the world properly. Up to a point, the story will be told in Part 1, which is already two hours and 47 minutes long.”The filmmaker added that the remaining parts of the story will be completed in the second part.He explained that “the remaining parts of the story will be completed in the second part, and the epic conclusion of Aadu will be made, if the audience accepts it”.
Franchise to end with “Aadu 3” part 2
While the first part sets the stage, the director has confirmed that the second part will be the big conclusion of the franchise. Midhun made it clear that the story of the central characters will end with the second part of Aadu 3.He said, “I am ending the franchise with Aadu 3 Part 2. All the characters will be there.” The director’s statement confirms that the long story of Shaji Pappan and his gang will finally reach its climax with the next sequel.
Spinoff options remain open
Even though the main story will end with Aadu 3 part 2, Midhun Manuel Thomas did not rule out expanding the universe. He hinted that future projects could explore spin-offs centered around characters from the franchise. As the filmmaker said, “the franchise can always be revived later by someone else, and spinoffs can also be created by other filmmakers.”However, he also stated that these decisions would ultimately depend on the production house.
The song ‘Sulthaan’ has been released
Meanwhile, the makers recently released the first video song from the film ‘Sulthaan’. The song features actress Vedhika performing a lively dance number and also features actor Vinayakan in the sequence in a sultry Sultan-style look from another timeline. Apart from Jayasuriya, the film has a great cast. The cast includes Vijay Babu, Sunny Wayne, Saiju Kurup, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Harikrishnan and Bhagath Manuel in pivotal roles.
