With the developers establishing a theatrical release date of October 2, 2026, the announcement of Drishyam 3 had created enormous expectation. But when Akshaye Khanna departed the movie, the anticipation was soon followed by shock. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak has officially addressed the rumors surrounding Akshaye`s departure from the movie and whether Jaideep Ahlawat would take the Dhurandhar star`s place.

Kumar Mangat Pathak slammed Akshaye Khanna

Kumar Mangat Pathak spoke to Bollywood Hungama, "We had signed an agreement with Akshaye Khanna. His fees also got locked after a lot of renegotiations from his side. He insisted that he would like to wear a wig. But (director) Abhishek Pathak convinced him that it wouldn’t be practical, as it would result in continuity issues since Drishyam 3 is a sequel."