Did ‘Dhurandhar’ star Akshaye Khanna leave Drishyam 3 due to spat over money? Producer says: ‘Just 12 days before the shoot I got a text…’

Akshaye Khanna has been dominating conversations lately, and not solely because of his widely praised turn as the menacing Rehman Dakait in the blockbuster Dhurandhar. The seasoned actor also found himself at the centre of controversy after parting ways with the hugely successful Drishyam franchise.

Speaking to The Times of India, Panorama Studios producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, who financed the Hindi adaptations of the celebrated Malayalam thriller series, shed light on the circumstances surrounding Akshaye’s sudden departure from Drishyam 3. According to Pathak, the actor stepped away from the project well before Dhurandhar even arrived in theatres.

The producer clarified that Akshaye’s exit had nothing to do with payment disputes. Kumar Mangat Pathak explained that the actor was extremely confident about the performance of Dhurandhar even before its release and had structured his remuneration accordingly, anticipating the film’s success.


He added that Akshaye was paid an advance after being deeply impressed by the script of Drishyam 3. Recalling the narration session, Pathak revealed that Akshaye warmly embraced director Abhishek Pathak once the story was narrated and confidently predicted that the film would comfortably cross the Rs 500 crore milestone at the box office.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn just days before filming was scheduled to begin. Kumar Mangat Pathak revealed that nearly two weeks prior to the planned shoot, he received a message from Akshaye informing him of his decision to walk away from the film. The producer stated that he attempted to contact the actor multiple times after receiving the text, but his calls went unanswered. Sharing his disappointment with The Times of India, Pathak remarked that Akshaye has a habit of becoming unreachable when he chooses to disengage, something he was already aware of, but described the timing of this decision as extremely unprofessional.

“Just 12 days before the shoot was to commence on December 16, I got a text from him saying he wouldn’t be doing the film, " he said.

Despite the setback, Drishyam 3 has since regained momentum. Jaideep Ahlawat has now stepped into the role previously intended for Akshaye Khanna, allowing the project to move forward. The Hindi version is slated for a theatrical release on October 2, 2026. Meanwhile, production on the original Malayalam installment has already concluded, and the film is currently progressing through post-production stages.