Jaideep Ahlawat has allegedly replaced Akshaye Khanna in Drishyam 3

After Akshaye Khanna decided to leave the project following a dispute over fees, creative demands and an alleged communication breakdown with the production team, Jaideep Ahlawat came in to replace him in Drishyam 3. The announcement of the new casting is the next step in the franchise's way to its third chapter, to which Ajay Devgn and Tabu return as main characters. Producers have welcomed the signing of Jaideep Ahlawat as a very important and urgent decision, which was made, among other reasons, to ensure the continuation of the film's timeline and its integrity.

Why Akshaye Khanna left Drishyam 3

The makers of Drishyam 3 have openly blamed Akshaye Khanna for acting in an unprofessional manner, and, based on their statement, he left the project only 10 days prior to the start of the shooting. The production team asserted that after continuous renegotiations, the actor's going silent on them forced them to take immediate steps. Thereafter, a legal notice was sent to Akshaye Khanna, which is quite a rare and public way of elevating a casting disagreement in Bollywood.

Jaideep Ahlawat is said to have replaced Akshaye Khanna as per several industry reports after the latter demanded a significantly higher remuneration, reportedly around 21 crore, following the success of his recent projects. Besides the hike in the fee, Akshaye Khanna is also said to have raised some extra conditions related to his on-screen appearance, which included styling choices, and the makers felt that it disrupted the continuity from Drishyam 2. It is said that the rounds of negotiations were many before finally stalling altogether.

The announcement of Jaideep Ahlawat's casting is said to be a planned move that is upward, with the producers stating that they have found a better actor and a better professional to take the lead role. "Drishyam 3" is being described as a big, ticket instalment of the popular crime thriller series, with Ajay Devgn going back to the role of Vijay Salgaonkar and Tabu as IG Meera Deshmukh. The film, as of now, is scheduled to begin shooting in the early part of 2026, and a release date of October 2, 2026, has been announced.

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