‘Drishyam 3’ writer-director Abhishek Pathak has revealed how his team dealt with the sudden exit of Akshaye Khanna just days before the shoot began. He also explained why he refused to delay filming and how Jaideep Ahlawat came on board.
Abhishek Pathak on the chaotic week
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Abhishek Pathak recalled that the team did not panic, but they were clearly unhappy with how things turned out with Akshaye Khanna. He said, “I won’t say panic, but we were not happy with the whole idea. I thought, ‘Ye kya tareeka hua (What is this)?'”
Jaideep Ahlawat steps in
Abhishek rewrote the parts of the film that had been written with Akshaye in mind. Jaideep Ahlawat was then cast in his place. Describing how fast things moved, the director said, “He was kind of replacing a character that had been liked by the audience. I called him, and he asked me, ‘Casting change or character change?’ I told him I am changing the character. Then, he read it and found it fun. All that happened within 5-6 days.”
Why the shoot was not delayed
Abhishek Pathak chose not to push the schedule and explained how tough that decision was.“The tough part was the call to continue, to just tell the team, ‘Hold on, don’t cancel anything. We will do it.’ Bol to diya par ab karna bhi padega. Likhna bhi tha (I had said it, but now I had to do it and rewrite things). I asked for 2-3 days to figure out if we could achieve it. We were seven days away from the shoot when we were to film his scene with Ajay (Devgn) sir,” he said.He said he did not cancel because more than 200 people depended on the film for work. The set was ready, and a delay would have hurt the crew and the actors, whose dates were already locked.
Akshaye Khanna exits ‘Drishyam 3’ before shoot
The makers had already announced the third and final part of the Hindi Drishyam franchise, and preparations were in full swing. Then, only days before cameras were to roll, Akshaye walked out of the project. The exact reason is still unclear, but the exit left the team in a tricky spot. The team now had to find a replacement, tweak the script and stay on schedule.Reports in December 2025 claimed he left over creative and monetary differences with the makers. The shoot was set to start a week later, right after Christmas.
‘Drishyam 3’ cast and release date
‘Drishyam 3’ stars Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Tabu and Jaideep Ahlawat in key roles. The film will release in theatres on October 2.
