Film producer Kumar Mangat Pathak has taken legal action against actor Akshaye Khanna concerning his involvement in the upcoming film “Drishyam 3.” The producer claims Khanna breached their agreement by communicating via text message that he would not participate in the project.
According to Pathak, an agreement was finalized with Khanna last month, which included an advance payment. The decision to cast Jaideep Ahlawat was prompted by the production’s timeline being disrupted due to Khanna’s withdrawal.
“Drishyam 3,” directed by Abhishek Pathak, is produced by Star Studio18 and includes notable names such as Ajay Devgn and Tabu in lead roles. Devgn reprises his character, Vijay Salgaonkar, while Tabu plays the role of Meera Deshmukh.
Pathak stated they had invested two years in developing “Drishyam 3,” during which Khanna was fully informed about the project. The producer mentioned that extensive discussions were held regarding Khanna’s character, including negotiations about his appearance, which had to be agreed upon before the signing of the contract.
Despite the investments made, including decisions around Khanna’s character look, all seemed to proceed positively until the actor sent a message withdrawing shortly before the release of another film, “Dhurandhar.” Pathak expressed his disappointment at the situation and characterized Khanna’s lack of response as unprofessional.
Upon sending the legal notice, which stated the necessity of complying with the agreement, Pathak noted that Khanna had yet to respond, leaving them with no choice but to consider further legal actions. The notice indicated potential court proceedings if compliance wasn’t achieved.
The producer highlighted the pre-production work done for Khanna’s character, mentioning that filming had already commenced at YRF studios. Losses incurred due to Khanna’s sudden exit prompted the swift casting of Ahlawat.
Having collaborated with Khanna on previous projects without issues, Pathak found the current state of events particularly disappointing and attributed it to a possible change in Khanna’s professional demeanor following recent successes. The anticipated release date for “Drishyam 3” is set for October 2, 2026.