‘Drishyam 3’: How Jaideep Ahlawat replaced Akshaye Khanna at the last minute

Director Abhishek Pathak reveals how Jaideep Ahlawat replaced the actor and the team rewrote parts of the script in just days.

The makers of the Hindi ‘Drishyam’ franchise faced a major last-minute challenge when Akshaye Khanna exited the third instalment just seven days before filming was scheduled to begin.

Director and writer Abhishek Pathak has now recalled how the team managed to replace Khanna, rewrite parts of the script and begin filming as planned.

Khanna’s exit was reported in December 2025, with reports citing creative and monetary disagreements with the makers. According to Pathak, the team was unhappy with the development but decided not to postpone the shoot.

“I won’t say panic, but we were not happy with the whole idea. I thought, ‘Ye kya tareeka hua?’” Pathak told Hindustan Times.

Jaideep Ahlawat was brought in as Khanna’s replacement within a few days. Pathak said the change also required him to rewrite the character rather than have Ahlawat step into the existing role.

“I called him, and he asked me, ‘Casting change or character change?’ I told him I am changing the character. Then, he read it and found it fun. All that happened within 5-6 days,” the filmmaker recalled.

Pathak said the decision to continue the shoot was partly due to more than 200 people already being dependent on the production.

“The set had been erected. We couldn’t cancel,” he said, explaining that crew members including the cinematographer, production designers, lighting assistants and spot boys had already committed to the project.

He also pointed to the difficulty of rearranging dates involving the film’s established cast.

“These are all big actors. I can’t suddenly tell them to give me dates later. They have other big films lined up,” he said.

Pathak initially asked for two or three days to determine whether the changes could be completed in time. The team ultimately went ahead with the shoot.

Ahlawat’s introduction was initially filmed in Goa but was later reshot in Mumbai after Pathak felt the scene could be improved.

“It was last-minute writing, and I felt it could be better,” he said.

According to Pathak, the pressure of having to make the changes quickly ultimately helped shape Ahlawat’s character.

“That last-minute pressure made the character beautiful,” the director said, adding that working within the expectations of a successful franchise made the situation particularly challenging.

Officially titled ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’, the third film brings back Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar, alongside Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav and Kamlesh Sawant.

Ahlawat joins the cast along with Prakash Raj and Saurabh Shukla.

‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ is scheduled to release in cinemas on October 2, 2026.