The third entry in the Malayalam cult comedy film series "Aadu 3" will be made available for home viewing after nearly two months of its theatrical release.
Written and directed by Midhun Mannuel Thomas, the Jayasurya-starrer, which goes by the full title, "Aadu 3: One Last Ride – Part 1", will begin streaming on Zee5 from 1 May 2026, in Malayalam, and the Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada dubbed versions.
Unlike the relatively more grounded first two films in the series, "Aadu 3" is more ambitious, with a bigger budget, going for a multi-genre effort that combines fantasy, sci-fi, action and comedy.
Jayasurya reprises his roles from the first two films as Shaji Pappan, along with Vinayakan (as 'Dude'), Saiju Kurup as Arakkal Abu, and Sunny Wayne, among others.
The multi-timeline narrative, spanning from a dystopian future in 2370 to colonial-era Kerala and the present day, features the same actors playing different characters, integrating a treasure hunt storyline combined with dystopian elements and slapstick humour.
"Aadu 3" will have a follow-up film, "Aadu 3: The Ride Ends – Part 2" which will pick up from the cliffhanger ending of the first part.
The film was a major commercial success, reportedly collecting over Rs 125–150 crores globally against an estimated budget of Rs 50 - 65 crore, despite releasing alongside "Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge" on March 19, 2026. after its theatrical release on 19 March 2026. It crossed the Rs 100 crore milestone in 10 days, an impressive feat considering the first film was a flop and later picked up after its online release.
As for overall reactions, "Aadu 3" received generally mixed to positive responses, with some appreciating its experimental direction while others finding the humour forced. Its pace, over a nearly three-hour runtime, was also criticised. Some also felt a disconnect with the genre-blending, preferring the more grounded approach of the first two films.
