- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-27
Film producer Kumar Mangat Pathak has issued a legal notice to Akshaye Khanna for allegedly breaching his agreement for the upcoming film “Drishyam 3”. The actor reportedly refused participation via a text message, prompting the production team to sign Jaideep Ahlawat as his replacement to avoid further delays and financial losses.
The agreement with Khanna was signed last month, with the actor receiving an advance payment, reportedly three times his fee from “Drishyam 2”. Producer Mangat Pathak said that Khanna had agreed to the script, his look, and other requirements before signing. However, shortly before the release of “Dhurandhar”, Khanna allegedly informed the team he would not be part of the project and stopped responding to calls and messages.
“Filming had already begun from December 18 at YRF Studios, and we were suffering losses because of the delay,” Mangat Pathak told PTI. “We were left with no option but to issue a legal notice.”
Drishyam 3, directed by Abhishek Pathak and presented by Star Studio18, stars Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar and Tabu as former cop Meera Deshmukh. In the previous installment, Khanna played IG Tarun Ahlawat.
The producer described the chain of events as “disappointing,” noting that Khanna had previously worked with him on films like “Aakrosh” and “Section 375” without issues. Khanna’s team has not responded to the producer’s claims.
