Akshaye Khanna is right now the flavour of the season. People, especially women, are absolutely obsessed with him and the character of Rehman Dakait that he portrayed in Aditya Dhar's year-ender blockbuster, 'Dhurandhar'. From his dance moves to his on-screen charisma to his stellar looks, netizens have been going absolutely gaga over him, and all of this is a repetition of how much the audience loved him in the 90s and the early 2000s. Amidst all the love pouring on him, the news of his exiting 'Drishyam 3' a couple of days prior to the shooting date has been doing the rounds. Netizens had been debating for so long about why the actor would choose to exit it, and now, finally, the producer of the film has opened up about it.
When the news of the exit started to make the headlines, netizens were sure that this move would probably have something to do with the success of Dhurandhar. Several reports had also stated that the actor chose to exit the film due to creative and financial differences. However, producer Kumar Mangat Pathak spoke to Bollywood Hungama about what actually transpired.
He said, "We had signed an agreement with Akshaye Khanna. His fees also got locked after a lot of renegotiations from his side. He insisted that he would like to wear a wig. But (director) Abhishek Pathak convinced him that it wouldn't be practical, as it would result in continuity issues since Drishyam 3 is a sequel."
The producer further went on to add, "He understood his point and agreed to let go of that demand. However, the chamchas around him advised him that he would look smarter if he donned a wig. So, he again requested the same. Abhishek relented and was even ready to discuss this point with him. But then, he informed us that he doesn't want to be a part of the film at all."
Kumar Mangat then went on to reveal things that perhaps his fans are not ready to take in. The producer made some serious allegations about how the actor carries and conducts himself on the film sets. He also claimed that Akshaye has always had issues with being professional.
He mentioned, "There was a time when Akshaye was nothing. That's when I made Section 375 (2019) with him. Even then, so many people told us not to work with him because of his unprofessional behaviour. His energy on set is absolutely toxic. Section 375 got him recognition. Later, I signed him in Drishyam 2 (2022). He has got all the big offers only after Drishyam 2. Uske pehle woh 3-4 saal tak ghar pe baitha hua tha."
"Also, it's important to note that the Drishyam franchise is fronted by Ajay Devgn. Chhaava is a Vicky Kaushal film along with Akshaye. The same goes for Dhurandhar – it's Ranveer Singh's film. If Akshaye does a solo film, it won't even collect Rs 50 crores in India. Forget the lifetime; if he thinks he has become a superstar, then he should try mounting a superstar budget film with some studio and see who greenlights his film with that kind of budget", added Kumar Mangat.
There has been no public statement made by Akshaye Khanna so far. According to speculation and several reports, the makers of the film will rope in Jaideep Ahlawat for the role.
