The upcoming Drishyam: The Conclusion faced a major casting challenge shortly before production began. Director and writer Abhishek Pathak has revealed how the team dealt with Akshaye Khanna’s exit from Drishyam 3 just days before the scheduled start of filming.
Akshaye Khanna, who played IG Tarun Ahlawat in Drishyam 2, was initially associated with the third instalment. However, he exited the project shortly before the shoot was scheduled to begin. The development forced the makers to rethink the character and move quickly to find another actor.
Pathak has now recalled the tense period and explained why the team decided not to postpone the production.
Akshaye Khanna Left Just Seven Days Before the Shoot
According to Abhishek Pathak, the team was only around seven days away from filming when the casting issue arose.
Reports in December 2025 had linked Akshaye Khanna’s departure to creative and monetary disagreements with the makers. However, Pathak’s latest comments focus primarily on the practical difficulties created by the sudden change.
The director admitted that the team was unhappy with the situation. He recalled thinking, “Ye kya tareeka hua?”, while making it clear that he did not consider the situation a reason to panic.
The challenge was particularly significant because preparations for the shoot were already complete.
Abhishek Pathak Decided Not to Delay the Shoot
One of the biggest decisions facing the filmmaker was whether to postpone filming.
Pathak ultimately decided to continue with the planned schedule. The set had already been constructed and more than 200 people were dependent on the production for work.
The director explained that members of the technical crew, including the cinematographer, production designers, lighting assistants and spot workers, had already blocked their dates for the project.
Postponing the shoot could also have created scheduling problems with the film’s established cast. The actors had other projects lined up, meaning their dates might not have been available again immediately.
For Pathak, cancelling the schedule would therefore have affected a large number of people beyond the lead cast.
Jaideep Ahlawat Came on Board Within Days
With Akshaye Khanna no longer part of the project, the makers needed to find an actor who could join almost immediately.
Jaideep Ahlawat eventually came on board. However, according to Pathak, this was not simply a case of asking Ahlawat to step into the exact same role.
The filmmaker decided to rewrite the character to suit the new actor.
Pathak recalled contacting Ahlawat and explaining that the character itself was being changed. Ahlawat read the revised material and reportedly found the new role interesting.
The entire process, including the casting and writing changes, was completed within approximately five to six days.
The Character Was Rewritten for Jaideep Ahlawat
The decision to create a new character allowed the filmmakers to avoid directly replicating Akshaye Khanna’s role from the previous film.
Pathak had to work quickly because the production schedule was already fixed. He asked for a couple of days to determine whether the changes could realistically be completed before the cameras began rolling.
The director also had to ensure that the revised character fitted naturally into the story and worked with the existing characters.
This meant that the casting change resulted in creative changes to the screenplay rather than simply replacing one actor with another.
Jaideep Faced a Major Challenge
Joining a major franchise only days before filming presented its own difficulties for Jaideep Ahlawat.
Unlike a typical production, where an actor may have months to prepare for a role, Ahlawat had only a few days to understand the character and the world of the film.
Pathak revealed that the actor participated in readings and asked questions about the role before beginning his scenes. A look test was also conducted in Mumbai.
The filmmaker acknowledged that Ahlawat had to enter a project that had already been developed with another actor in mind.
Jaideep’s First Scene Was Later Reshot
The pressure of the last-minute casting change also affected the filming process.
Pathak revealed that Jaideep Ahlawat’s introduction scene was initially shot in Goa. However, after reviewing the material, the director felt that the sequence could be improved.
The scene was subsequently reshot in Mumbai.
Pathak attributed the decision partly to the fact that the writing had been completed under significant time pressure. He felt that the character’s introduction could be stronger and made the necessary changes.
The reshoot demonstrates how the last-minute casting situation affected not only the screenplay but also the filming process.
Why the Shoot Could Not Be Cancelled
The Drishyam 3 Akshaye Khanna exit created a difficult situation because the production had already reached an advanced stage of preparation.
Pathak explained that a film set involves hundreds of people whose work and income are connected to the production. Many crew members work on a daily-payment basis, meaning a sudden cancellation could directly affect their earnings.
The director also pointed out that the schedules of major actors had already been coordinated. Asking them to return at a later date could have created conflicts with their other films.
As a result, the team chose to solve the casting problem while keeping the production moving.
Drishyam: The Conclusion Brings Back Ajay Devgn
The third instalment, officially titled Drishyam: The Conclusion, brings back Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar.
Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Rajat Kapoor and Kamlesh Sawant are also returning from the earlier films. Jaideep Ahlawat joins the cast in a new role, while Prakash Raj and Saurabh Shukla are among the other additions.
The film is directed by Abhishek Pathak and continues the story of Vijay Salgaonkar and his family.
Drishyam: The Conclusion Release Date
Drishyam: The Conclusion is scheduled to release in theatres on October 2, 2026.
The film is being positioned as the third and final chapter of the Hindi Drishyam franchise. With Ajay Devgn returning as Vijay Salgaonkar and Jaideep Ahlawat entering the story after Akshaye Khanna’s departure, the new instalment has generated considerable curiosity among franchise followers.
The casting change has now become part of the film’s behind-the-scenes story, with Pathak explaining how the team managed to overcome the setback without abandoning its shooting schedule.
A Last-Minute Change That Altered the Film
The Drishyam 3 Akshaye Khanna exit came at a particularly difficult point because filming was only a week away. Yet instead of postponing production, Abhishek Pathak and his team rewrote the character, brought Jaideep Ahlawat into the project and continued according to schedule.
For Ahlawat, the challenge involved joining an established franchise with only a few days of preparation. For Pathak, it meant rewriting portions of the screenplay while managing a large crew and fixed actor schedules.
With the film now heading towards its October 2 release, audiences will get to see how the changes ultimately fit into the final chapter of the Drishyam story.
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