The upcoming Drishyam: The Conclusion faced a major casting challenge when Akshaye Khanna exited the film just seven days before filming was scheduled to begin. Director Abhishek Pathak has now revealed how the team handled the unexpected situation and managed to begin shooting without postponing the schedule.
Akshaye Khanna had played an important role in Drishyam 2 and was initially associated with the third instalment as well. His departure meant that the filmmakers had to quickly find another actor, rethink the character and make changes to the screenplay.
Speaking about the situation, Abhishek Pathak said the team was not in a state of panic, but they were certainly unhappy with how things had unfolded. He recalled thinking, “Ye kya tareeka hua?” while dealing with the sudden change.
Why the Drishyam 3 Shoot Could Not Be Delayed
One of the biggest challenges for Pathak was deciding whether to postpone the shooting schedule. By the time Akshaye Khanna left, the production had already made extensive preparations.
The set had been constructed and the dates of the cast and crew had been fixed. According to Pathak, more than 200 people were dependent on the film for work.
The production team included cinematographers, production designers, lighting assistants, spot workers and several other crew members. Many of them had already committed their dates to the project.
Pathak explained that cancelling the schedule would have affected not only the production but also the livelihoods of the people working on it. The dates of the lead actors were also already locked, making a major postponement difficult.
Jaideep Ahlawat Was Brought in Within Days
With only a week remaining before the shoot, the makers had to find a replacement quickly. Jaideep Ahlawat was eventually approached for the project.
Interestingly, the change was not simply about replacing one actor with another. Pathak revealed that the character itself was rewritten for Jaideep.
When the director contacted Jaideep, the actor reportedly asked whether it was simply a casting change or whether the character was also being changed. Pathak told him that the character was being rewritten.
Jaideep then read the revised material and found the new character interesting. According to Pathak, the entire process of approaching Jaideep, rewriting the material and getting him on board happened within approximately five to six days.
The Script Had to Be Rewritten Quickly
Akshaye Khanna’s exit meant that Pathak could not simply hand the same character to Jaideep Ahlawat. Instead, parts of the script had to be rewritten.
This became one of the biggest tasks during an already tight production schedule. Pathak said he asked for two to three days to determine whether the changes could be completed in time.
The situation was particularly challenging because the team was only seven days away from filming a scene involving Ajay Devgn when the casting problem emerged.
The director ultimately decided to continue with the original schedule rather than push the shoot forward.
Jaideep Ahlawat Took Over a Akshaye Khanna
Jaideep Ahlawat was stepping into a franchise that already had an established audience and replacing an actor whose character had been introduced in the previous film.
Pathak acknowledged that Jaideep was effectively entering a role connected to a character that audiences had already seen and appreciated. However, rewriting the character gave the actor an opportunity to bring a fresh interpretation to the third instalment.
The casting change therefore became more than a straightforward substitution. The filmmakers used the situation to reshape the character and introduce a different presence into the story.
Reports Had Earlier Linked Akshaye’s Exit to Disagreements
Akshaye Khanna’s departure from Drishyam 3 was reported in December 2025. At the time, reports linked his exit to alleged creative and monetary disagreements with the makers.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the actor’s departure have not been fully detailed by the actor himself in the latest reports. Pathak’s recent comments mainly focus on the production crisis created by the timing of the exit and how the team responded to it.
This distinction is important because the reported reasons for the departure and the director’s account of the subsequent production process are separate aspects of the story.
Drishyam: The Conclusion Brings Back Ajay Devgn
Despite the last-minute casting change, Drishyam: The Conclusion continued according to schedule.
Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar, the central character of the Hindi franchise. Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and other familiar actors are also returning.
Jaideep Ahlawat joins the cast in the new version of the police character, while Prakash Raj and Saurabh Shukla are among the other actors associated with the film.
The film is being presented as the third and final chapter of the Hindi Drishyam franchise.
Drishyam: The Conclusion Release Date
Drishyam: The Conclusion is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on October 2, 2026.
The film will continue the story of Vijay Salgaonkar and his family, with the third instalment expected to take the characters into a new phase of the story.
The return of Ajay Devgn, along with the addition of Jaideep Ahlawat, has already generated considerable interest among franchise followers.
Abhishek Pathak Managed a Major Last-Minute Challenge
Akshaye Khanna’s exit just seven days before shooting could have forced the production to reconsider its schedule. Instead, Abhishek Pathak chose to move ahead.
The team rewrote the character, approached Jaideep Ahlawat, completed the casting change within days and continued with the prepared production schedule.
With more than 200 people already dependent on the project, a cancellation would have affected a large production unit. The completed set and locked actor dates made the decision even more complicated.
Click here for the latest news from Bollywood, Hollywood, South Film Industry, Bhojpuri and TV world… Click here to join the Facebook Page, Twitter Page, YouTube page, and Instagram of Bollywood Mascot!
Leave a Comment