Since the start of 2025, Akshaye Khanna has been hogging all the limelight. Earlier, it was the success of ‘Chhaava’ where he proved how the grey shade suits him. Then, towards the end came ‘Dhurandhar’, where Rehman Dakait got massive praise and critical acclaim. But currently, the actor is in a new role, not for all the right reasons. Recently, reports came out that Akshaye Khanna exited ‘Drishyam 3.’ The actor played a pivotal role in the sequel but moved away from the franchise ahead of the shoot. The producer of ‘Drishyam 3’ then, in his media intercation revealed that he plans to sue the actor, and as his replacement, he has found a better artist and person in Jaideep Ahlawat.
‘Drishyam 3’: Producer hails Jaideep Ahlawat on both personal and professional grounds amid Akhshaye Khanna’s exit controversy
While speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Kumar Mangat shared how Akshaye’s shocking exit will not impact the movie. He added that having Jaideep as Akshaye’s replacement in the film is nothing short of a blessing. “Drishyam is a very big brand. It doesn’t matter whether he is in the film or not. Now, Jaideep Ahlawat has replaced him. By the grace of God, we have got a better actor than Akshaye, and most importantly, we have got a better person than Akshaye as well. I had produced one of the first films of Jaideep’s career, Aakrosh (2010),” said the producer.
Akshaye Khanna’s exit from ‘Drishyam 3’
According to the producer, when the initial reading of the movie took place, the ‘Dhurandhar’ star was more than impressed by the film. He believed that it would be a Rs 500 crore movie.” He even hugged director Abhishek Pathak and the writer. Then, we had negotiations, after which we agreed on the fees,” added the producer. Agreements were signed, advance payments were made, but then “10 days before his shoot, he declined to work on the film,” Kumar mentioned.Kumar also shared about the disagreement over Akshaye’s look in the movie. He said that the actor wanted a wig, but the director told him that such a change in his look could hamper the continuity of the movie, as it is a story being told through sequels. Initially, Akshaye agreed, but “chamchas around him advised him that he would look smarter if he donned a wig. So, he again requested the same. Abhishek relented and was even ready to discuss this point with him. But then, he informed us that he doesn’t want to be a part of the film at all,” said Kumar.The producer also shared that he has suffered losses because of Khanna’s behaviour and thus sent him a legal notice. However, the actor hasn’t responded to the same as of now.
