The Hindi remake of Mohanlal’s Drishyam 3 was expected to move into full swing after its formal announcement, but the project has instead landed in controversy. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak of Panorama Studios has opened up about the circumstances under which Akshaye Khanna exited the third instalment.

He Stepped Down Before Dhurandhar Released

In an interview with The Times of India, Pathak revealed that Akshaye Khanna walked out of Drishyam 3 just a day before the release of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, a film that went on to receive massive praise for the actor’s performance. Pathak said the decision took him by surprise, especially as the actor had been enthusiastic about Drishyam 3 after hearing the narration.

The producer recalled that Akshaye had hugged the director following the script session and confidently predicted that the film would cross the Rs 500 crore mark. According to Pathak, the actor had already been paid an advance after finalising his remuneration, which was agreed upon after multiple discussions.

Yet, less than two weeks before the team was set to begin shooting, Pathak received a message from Akshaye stating that he was leaving the film. Attempts to reach him afterwards, he said, were unsuccessful.

Reacting sharply to the episode, Pathak remarked, “At least walk out graciously. How can you not respond to calls and messages?”

Legal Notice, Hairstyle Dispute, And A New Face For Tarun Ahlawat

Speaking separately to NDTV, Pathak added that Akshaye’s remuneration had been negotiated three times and denied claims that payment was the primary reason for the exit. He further alleged that the actor stopped answering calls altogether after these discussions, prompting Panorama Studios to initiate the process of sending him a legal notice.

The producer also disclosed that creative differences over the hairstyle of Akshaye’s character, IG Tarun Ahlawat, played a role in the fallout. While the team attempted to resolve the matter internally, he claimed that communication eventually broke down completely.

Akshaye Khanna had joined the franchise in 2022 as Tarun Ahlawat, an ally of Tabu’s IG Meera Deshmukh in her relentless pursuit of Ajay Devgn’s Vijay Salgaonkar. With his departure now confirmed, Jaideep Ahlawat has been brought on board to take over the role.

ALSO READ: Drishyam 3 Maker To Sue Dhurandhar Star Akshaye Khanna After Fallout: ‘He Negotiated Salary 3 Times, Stopped Taking Calls’

Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor starrer Homebound has been shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Earlier, in an interview with NDTV, Ishaan revealed how he would react if Homebound won an Oscar.

Ishaan Khatter Talks About Homebound

He told us at the NDTV World Summit 2025 session titled Ishaan Khatter: Fierce, Fearless, Free, “I have an aching suspicion that I might throw my jacket and run into a wall.”

Further, sharing the reactions the film received at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Ishaan said, “This is a film that is extremely special to me, and at the risk of sounding shameless, I’m thankful to everyone who has championed it. It’s a rare kind of film, very humane, and I’m very proud of it. It’s been surreal, a milestone to be sitting in an audience like that at Cannes – it’s overwhelming, understandably; time was warped for me; it was all very surreal.”

The film was screened at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. Homebound also went to the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Ishaan also shed light on his character Shoib and said, “The only point of access was understanding the emotional strife. It is a character that’s quite at a distance from me. We’re actors – 0.1% of the country – and this is a character that makes up 80% of our country, but we barely see them in cinema. We had to walk towards the character. Neeraj Ghaywan, the director, made it very clear to us: craft is not just what I want; we need you to become the character.”

About Oscars Shortlist

Homebound is among the films competing for a place in the Best International Feature Film category, joining a wide range of global entries.

Other films on the shortlist include Argentina’s Belen, Brazil’s The Secret Agent, France’s It Was Just an Accident, Germany’s Sound of Falling, Iraq’s The President’s Cake, Japan’s Kokuho, Jordan’s All That’s Left of You, Norway’s Sentimental Value, Palestine’s Palestine 36, South Korea’s No Other Choice, Spain’s Sirat, Switzerland’s Late Shift, Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl, and Tunisia’s The Voice of Hind Rajab.
Also Read: Homebound Shortlisted For Oscars 2026, ‘Over The Moon’ Karan Johar Writes Emotional Note