Shriya Saran Says Playing Mother to Eight-Years-Younger Ishita Dutta in Drishyam Felt Unusual
Actress Shriya Saran has opened up about one of the unusual aspects of her role in the Drishyam film franchise. The actress, who plays Nandini Salgaonkar, the wife of Vijay Salgaonkar, portrays the mother of Ishita Dutta’s character Anju, even though the two performers are only eight years apart in real life.
In a recent interview, Shriya acknowledged that the age difference initially made her question how the relationship would appear on screen. However, she explained that the strength of the story eventually made the casting choice feel natural within the film’s narrative.
The discussion has renewed interest in the casting and character relationships in Drishyam: The Conclusion, the third instalment of the Hindi crime-thriller franchise starring Ajay Devgn. The film brings the Salgaonkar family back to the screen as the story reaches its concluding chapter.
Shriya Saran reflects on the age difference
Shriya plays Nandini Salgaonkar, while Ishita Dutta portrays Anju Salgaonkar, Nandini’s daughter in the story. Although their characters share a mother-daughter relationship, the actresses’ real-life age difference is relatively small.
Shriya said the arrangement initially seemed unusual to her. She wondered how the relationship would fit together on screen, given that she was playing the mother of an actress who was only eight years younger.
However, the actress explained that the strength of the screenplay made such concerns less important. When a story is engaging and the characters are convincingly written, audiences can become more invested in the emotional relationships than in the performers’ actual ages.
Her comments highlight a familiar challenge in film casting: the ages of actors do not always match the ages or relationships of the characters they portray. Filmmakers often rely on performance, dialogue, styling and the overall narrative to establish believable relationships between characters.
In the Drishyam films, the relationship between Nandini and Anju is an important part of the Salgaonkar family’s emotional story. Their bond helps establish the family’s motivations and the stakes surrounding the events of the crime thriller.
The importance of the mother-daughter relationship
Shriya has also praised the filmmakers for the way they developed the relationship between the two characters. Anju is portrayed as an adopted daughter, a detail that forms part of the family’s background and helps explain the relationship within the story.
The adoption element gives the filmmakers a narrative framework for the family’s history. Rather than relying only on the actors’ physical appearances or ages, the story establishes the family connection through the characters’ experiences and relationships.
The actress’s remarks also draw attention to the way women are often cast in Hindi cinema. Female performers have sometimes spoken about being offered a narrow range of roles as they grow older, while male actors may continue to play leading characters across a wider range of ages.
Shriya’s appreciation of the Drishyam team reflects the importance of giving actresses meaningful roles that contribute to the story. In this franchise, Nandini is not simply a supporting character; her relationship with her husband and daughters is part of the emotional foundation of the narrative.
Shriya and Ishita’s relationship over the years
The actresses have worked together across multiple instalments of the franchise. Their professional relationship has developed as the films have progressed, and Shriya has spoken about how their conversations have changed over time.
When the first Drishyam film was made, both actresses were at an earlier stage in their lives and careers. By the time the sequel was filmed, Ishita had married, and their conversations increasingly reflected their changing personal experiences.
By the third instalment, their discussions also included family life and children. Shriya has described Ishita warmly and praised her as a mother, reflecting the personal connection that developed alongside their on-screen relationship.
Such long-running collaborations can create a sense of familiarity among cast members. When actors return to the same characters over several years, they bring new experiences and perspectives to their performances. These changes can influence how they approach relationships that remain central to a film series.
Drishyam: The Conclusion brings the franchise back to cinemas
Drishyam: The Conclusion features Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar, with Shriya Saran returning as Nandini and Ishita Dutta as Anju. The film continues the crime-thriller story built around the Salgaonkar family and the consequences of events that have shaped their lives.
The franchise has attracted audiences through its suspense-driven storytelling, family drama and the tension between the Salgaonkars and the investigators pursuing the case. Its appeal lies partly in the way it combines an ordinary family setting with a complex criminal mystery.
The third film has also generated discussion about the returning cast and the conclusion of the characters’ journeys. Shriya’s comments about playing Nandini for the final chapter reflect the personal and professional significance of returning to a role over several years.
For the actress, the character has developed across the franchise, requiring her to revisit the family’s emotional experiences while maintaining continuity with earlier films.
Why the casting discussion matters
Shriya’s comments underline how audiences assess on-screen relationships differently from real-life relationships. A relatively small age gap between performers may appear unusual when considered outside the story, but the effect can be reduced when the script establishes a convincing family history and the actors deliver believable performances.
Her experience also highlights the role of strong writing in making character relationships credible. The adoption background, the family dynamics and the emotional demands of the plot all contribute to how viewers understand Nandini and Anju’s relationship.
As Drishyam: The Conclusion continues its theatrical run, discussions around the cast provide another perspective on the work behind the franchise. Shriya’s remarks offer insight into the choices actors consider when accepting roles and the importance of a story that allows audiences to look beyond real-life differences.
Ultimately, the actress believes that the impact of the narrative matters more than the age difference between the performers. Her return as Nandini, alongside Ishita Dutta and Ajay Devgn, brings the familiar Salgaonkar family back to the centre of the franchise’s concluding chapter.
