‘Not a replacement for Akshaye Khanna’: Jaideep Ahlawat explains his Drishyam 3 role

In December 2025, Akshaye Khanna faced controversy when reports emerged of his exit from Drishyam 3. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak claimed Khanna requested a remuneration revision due to the success of Dhurandhar, leading to a fallout. However, Jaideep Ahlawat later clarified that he was not replacing Khanna's character but rather adding a new role to the story.

Ahlawat emphasized that he was not stepping into Khanna's shoes and felt no pressure to do so. He explained that the script had been completely reworked and that his character was written as an entirely new addition. Ahlawat stated, "I am not replacing Akshaye Khanna. When I read the story, it was nowhere mentioned or said that he was a replacement to Akshaye Khanna.

One character's journey ends and another character's journey starts. My character isn't existing because of someone else, but has his own journey. They have written it very well." Ajay Devgn also addressed the controversy, explaining that the film would expand the investigation while avoiding repetition from previous films.