Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Akshaye Khanna Exit Put Drishyam 3 Team Under Pressure
Akshaye Khanna was supposed to act in the third Drishyam film.
He left the project only seven days before filming was due to start.
This created a big problem for director Abhishek Pathak and his team.
They quickly changed the script and created a different character.
Jaideep Ahlawat joined the film in Khanna’s place.
The producer says Khanna had signed an agreement and received money before leaving.
A legal notice was sent to Khanna over the alleged breach of agreement.
The director says sudden departures can also hurt film workers who depend on daily wages.
Akshaye Khanna reportedly left Drishyam 3 seven days before filming was scheduled to begin.
Director Abhishek Pathak said the team rewrote Khanna’s character and introduced a new one.
Jaideep Ahlawat replaced Khanna as SP Crime Branch Rajveer Singh Tomar.
Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak said Khanna had signed an agreement and received a signing payment before leaving.
The filmmakers have sent Khanna a legal notice, while Abhishek Pathak called for stronger industry protections for signed projects.
- Who
- Director Abhishek Pathak, producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, Akshaye Khanna, and replacement actor Jaideep Ahlawat are central to the dispute.
- What
- Akshaye Khanna left Drishyam 3 shortly before filming, prompting a rewritten character and the appointment of Jaideep Ahlawat.
- When
- Khanna reportedly left seven days before the scheduled start of filming; the film is scheduled for theatrical release on October 2.
- Why
- The departure required the filmmakers to revise the script and protect the production schedule and actors’ dates.
- Film
- Drishyam: The Conclusion, also known as Drishyam 3
- Director
- Abhishek Pathak
- Departing actor
- Akshaye Khanna
- Replacement actor
- Jaideep Ahlawat
- Legal action
- Kumar Mangat Pathak sent Khanna a legal notice for alleged breach of agreement.
- Release date
- October 2
- Lead cast
- Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Tabu, and Rajat Kapoor