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Days after the makers officially announced that the Hindi version of Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam 3 had formally kicked off, the franchise has found itself embroiled in a controversy following the alleged exit of actor Akshaye Khanna, who played a key role in the second instalment, from the project. Although these were initially rumours, producer Kumar Mangat Pathak of Panorama Studios, which is bankrolling the franchise in Hindi, recently confirmed the reports and launched a scathing attack on the actor for his alleged unprofessional behaviour.
Now, Kumar has revealed more details about what transpired with Akshaye, stating that he exited Drishyam 3 right before the release of director Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster spy actioner Dhurandhar, where his performance opened to widespread acclaim. Mentioning that he still has no clue why the actor made this decision, Kumar told Times of India that Akshaye stepped down from Drishyam 3 a day before Dhurandhar’s release. It may be recalled that Dhurandhar hit the screens on December 5, while Drishyam 3’s announcement video was unveiled on December 22.
ICYMI | Akshaye Khanna exits Drishyam 3: What was he doing in Drishyam 2, and how will this affect the third film?
Pointing out that Akshaye Khanna was confident about Dhurandhar’s success even before its debut, Kumar Mangat Pathak stated he did not leave the project over remuneration issues, as Akshaye had requested his salary after considering the spy actioner’s impending success. Noting that the actor was paid the advance amount after he was thoroughly impressed by the script, the producer recounted that Akshaye hugged director Abhishek Pathak following the narration and affirmed that the movie would easily surpass the Rs 500 crore mark at the box office. However, less than a fortnight before they were set to commence production, Kumar said he received a text from Akshaye stating that he was exiting the project.
Maintaining that he tried getting in touch with the actor, but to no avail, Kumar further alleged that the actor has a “tendency to go MIA whenever he wants to,” and described the way he ended things here as “unprofessional.” He added, “At least walk out graciously. How can you not respond to calls and messages?”
Watch Drishyam 3 teaser here:
With Jaideep Ahlawat replacing Akshaye Khanna, Drishyam 3 is back on track now and will hit the screens on October 2, 2026. The shooting for the original Malayalam version has already wrapped up, and the movie is now in post-production.
