Why Did Akshaye Khanna Exit Drishyam 3? Pay and Role Changes Spark Buzz

The suspense thriller Drishyam has emerged as one of Indian cinema’s most successful film franchises. Directed by Jeethu Joseph and led by Mohanlal, the original Malayalam film created a massive impact at the box office. Due to its popularity, the movie was remade in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Tamil. Following this success, a sequel was produced, with the Malayalam version premiering directly on OTT platforms in 2021 because of the pandemic.

The franchise continued to dominate audiences across languages. Both the Telugu and Hindi versions of Drishyam received strong digital viewership, while Venkatesh starred in the Telugu Drishyam 2, which was also released online in the same year. In contrast, Ajay Devgn’s Hindi version of Drishyam 2 arrived in theaters in 2022 and went on to collect over Rs 300 crore worldwide. With such overwhelming success, the makers confirmed plans for the third installment.

The Malayalam version of Drishyam 3, once again bringing together Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph, has recently completed filming and is scheduled for a summer release next year. Meanwhile, production has also begun on the Hindi adaptation, Drishyam 3. The film features Tabu and Shriya Saran in prominent roles, with Abhishek Pathak directing the project. The Hindi version is expected to hit cinemas on October 2, 2026. However, reports suggest that Akshaye Khanna is no longer associated with the film.

Akshaye Khanna previously played a police officer in Drishyam 2 and received widespread appreciation for his performance. Industry buzz indicates that the actor asked for a higher fee to be part of Drishyam 3 and also proposed certain changes to how his character would be portrayed on screen. These requests reportedly led to disagreements with the film’s producers.

At present, there appears to be a clear difference of opinion between the actor and the production team. Sources claim that Akshaye Khanna chose to step away from the project on his own. While the accuracy of these claims is yet to be officially confirmed, insiders believe that even if the reports are true, the makers are unlikely to revise their stance or bring him back into the film.