The ‘Drishyam 3’ Storm: Akshaye Khanna’s Exit, Allegations, and the Mystery Behind the Silence

Shantiswaroop Tripathi

The end of 2025 has been marked not only by the film Dhurandhar entering the ₹1,000-crore club, but also by the controversy surrounding Akshaye Khanna’s exit from Drishyam 3. At present, Akshaye Khanna has maintained complete silence on the issue, while the film’s producer Kumar Mangat Pathak and director Abhishek Pathak—who is also Kumar Mangat Pathak’s son—have, in interviews given to select media persons, levelled several allegations against Akshaye Khanna. These range from wearing a wig to demanding a fee of ₹21 crore as remuneration. (Akshaye Khanna exit from Drishyam 3 controversy)

Abhishek Pathak even went so far as to challenge Akshaye Khanna, saying that he should prove his worth by delivering a successful film as a “solo” hero. The father–son duo did not stop there; they even spoke about taking Akshaye Khanna to court. The manner in which their interviews appeared in certain English newspapers and major English websites makes the entire matter look more like a mix of conspiracy and frustration.

Before examining this issue in detail, it is important to recall that before the end of the old studio system, artists, writers, and directors were all employed by studios on monthly salaries. After the collapse of that system, it came to be said that in Bollywood, destinies change every Friday. From that point on, the credit—or blame—for a film’s success or failure began to be placed squarely on the shoulders of actors rather than producers, writers, or directors. Gradually, Bollywood became “artist-driven.” Ever since, an actor’s remuneration has risen or fallen in direct proportion to a film’s success each Friday. That is why today some actors are paid ₹1 crore, while others command fees as high as ₹135 crore. (Akshaye Khanna silence on Drishyam 3 exit)

Against this backdrop, the key question is: if the producer of Drishyam 3 is telling the truth—that Akshaye Khanna raised his fee demand to ₹21 crore after the success of Dhurandhar—then why did the producer and director react so angrily? Could this matter not have been resolved through dialogue instead of turning it into a controversy? Secondly, if the producer is earning handsomely, why hesitate to share a portion of that profit with the actor? It is worth recalling that Drishyam 2, the previous installment, was released on 18 October 2022. Made on a budget of ₹50 crore, the film earned ₹345 crore. Adjusted to present value, this amounts to nearly ₹900 crore—because on 18 October 2022, the price of gold was ₹50,000 per 10 grams, whereas today it stands at ₹1,32,000 per 10 grams.

Released on 5 December, Dhurandhar has crossed the ₹1,000-crore mark at the box office. Actors associated with the film—Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna—went on to exit Don 3 and Drishyam 3 respectively. Yet Ranveer Singh’s exit from Don 3 did not spark any controversy. There was no uproar, and producer Farhan Akhtar has not made any statement so far, despite having been scheduled to begin shooting with Ranveer Singh from January. This has led social media users to ask: why did only the Drishyam 3 producer and director react so strongly?

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Questions are also being raised about the timing of the controversy, which seems natural. According to producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, Akshaye Khanna exited Drishyam 3 on 4 December—one day before Dhurandhar’s release. At that point, Dhurandhar had not yet become a hit. So on what basis did Kumar Mangat claim that the success of Dhurandhar “went to Akshaye Khanna’s head”?

Furthermore, Akshaye Khanna left Drishyam 3 on 4 December, yet the producers began shooting with a replacement actor, Jaideep Ahlawat, from 16 December in Mumbai and completed the first schedule by 29 December. The second schedule is set to begin in Goa on 8 January 2026. Interestingly, despite Akshaye Khanna’s exit on 4 December, the media remained unaware until 24 December. It was only on 25 December, when Kumar Mangat Pathak spoke to certain English websites and openly accused Akshaye Khanna, that the news broke. (Akshaye Khanna fee demand 21 crore Drishyam 3)

This raises the question: why did Kumar Mangat Pathak remain silent for 20 days before launching an attack? This silence has weakened the producer–director’s position. It is worth noting that on 16 December, the producers issued a press release announcing the start of shooting and also posted a video on social media stating that Drishyam 3 would be released on 2 October 2026. However, the audience paid little attention, and the film did not generate much buzz. This has led to speculation: is the controversy surrounding Akshaye Khanna’s exit a publicity stunt, or is there a conspiracy against him?

There is no denying that Akshaye Khanna is a fine actor—a fact acknowledged even by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak. Akshaye Khanna’s debut film Himalay Putra (1997), produced by his father Vinod Khanna and directed by Pankaj Parashar, did reasonably well at the box office and showcased his acting potential. Later that year, Border released, and his portrayal of Second Lieutenant Dharamveer Singh Bhan won hearts. He went on to display his talent in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Humraaz, and Gandhi, My Father. While he never became a conventional “star,” his acting ability was never in doubt. (Drishyam 3 casting controversy explained)

In 2017, his performance alongside Sridevi in Mom reminded audiences of his true calibre. The same year, Kumar Mangat Pathak’s Section 375 and later Drishyam 2 (released on 18 October 2022) reinforced the idea that sidelining Akshaye Khanna would be a mistake for filmmakers. In early 2025, his portrayal of Aurangzeb in Chhaava elevated him to star status, and with Dhurandhar, where he played Rahman Daku, he not only became a star but dominated the industry. He will soon be seen as Guru Shukracharya in Mahakali, and since the first look was released, he has been widely discussed. This rising stardom, some say, has unsettled certain sections of Bollywood, leading to a deliberate attempt to dim his shine through the Drishyam 3 controversy. (Dhurandhar enters 1000 crore club news)

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It is particularly surprising because Akshaye Khanna has already worked with Kumar Mangat Pathak in Section 375 and Drishyam 2, and both parties have acknowledged their cordial relationship. Despite this, the public sparring suggests that something is amiss. Akshaye Khanna’s silence has only deepened the mystery. He appears to be following the principle that “silence is golden.”

During this controversy, Abhishek Pathak’s statements have often seemed contradictory and indicative of frustration. He has claimed that Jaideep Ahlawat was not cast to replace Akshaye Khanna’s character, but that an entirely new character was written for him. This raises a question: was the entire script altered and a new character added within just ten days? Those close to Jaideep Ahlawat note that he usually takes time to prepare for a role, making it hard to believe that he would begin shooting a newly written character without preparation. This suggests that beneath the controversy lies either a large cloud of smoke—or perhaps an approaching storm.

Cinema is a medium where no one can predict success or failure in advance. In such a context, Abhishek Pathak’s challenge to Akshaye Khanna to prove himself as a solo hero only reflects his own irritation. The old saying comes to mind: a cornered cat scratches the post.

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Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak have stated in interviews that they have sent Akshaye Khanna a legal notice to recover their losses. However, the notice has not been made public, and it is unclear whether Akshaye Khanna received it or responded. Film critic KRK claims that Akshaye Khanna has replied, stating that the story he was initially narrated was excellent, but that it was later changed—and he did not like the revised version. If this is true, Akshaye Khanna has effectively put a full stop to the controversy, as there can be no concrete proof of what story was narrated earlier and how it was altered. (Akshaye Khanna latest Bollywood controversy)

Still, the controversy refuses to die down. More voices have joined the chorus of accusations. Section 375 writer-director Manish Gupta alleged in an interview that Akshaye Khanna had signed the film in 2017 for a fee of ₹2 crore and taken ₹21 lakh as advance, but later diverted his dates to The Accidental Prime Minister and demanded ₹3.25 crore instead. Gupta claims this led to him being removed from the project. This raises another question: why did Manish Gupta remain silent for eight years? He says the matter was settled outside court. If so, why speak now? His statements, too, appear contradictory.

Our intention here is not to give anyone a clean chit or to place anyone in the dock, but to present all the facts before the readers. Now it is up to them to decide: is this part of a conspiracy, a publicity stunt, or something else altogether? One must remember that in Bollywood, there are no permanent friends or enemies—anything can happen at any time

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