New Delhi: Producer Kumar Mangat has spoken out about Akshaye Khanna’s sudden exit from Drishyam 3, alleging unprofessional conduct and a breach of contract by the actor.
According to Mangat, Akshaye Khanna walked out of the film at the last minute, causing significant financial losses to the production. Dig in for more details.
Why did Akshay Khanna leave Dhrishyam 3?
Mangat said in a statement, “There is a breach of contract. We had paid him his fee upfront and also paid his designer. The set was already standing at YRF Studios, and because of his last-minute unprofessional exit from the film, we incurred a loss and had to dismantle the set.”
He further added that legal action is underway. Mangat confirmed that a legal notice has been sent to the actor, and they will be moving court against the actor soon.
Kumar Mangat added that the dispute arose over the actor’s look in the third instalment. He wanted a change in his appearance and insisted on wearing a wig. The director Abhishek Pathak told him that the story begins the night Drishyam2 ended, and it will be difficult to convince the audience and affect the continuity of the film. We asked for a meeting, but Akshaye didn’t take our calls and at the last minute said that he was not convinced and exited from the film.” Drishyam 3 will now have a new officer replace Akshaye Khanna’s character in the film.
Notably, Kumar Mangat had earlier played a key role in Akshaye Khanna’s career resurgence by backing Section 375, a film that brought the actor back into the industry spotlight. Mangat also distributed Khanna’s subsequent film, Sab Kushal Mangal Hain.