The excitement around Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3 is growing, with fans eagerly waiting for the next chapter of the popular Hindi thriller franchise. The film is expected to continue the story of Vijay Salgaonkar and his family, but the upcoming instalment has already gone through a major casting change.

Akshaye Khanna, who played a key role in Drishyam 2, will not return for the third instalment. Jaideep Ahlawat has been brought on board, but there is an important twist: he will not be playing Akshaye Khanna’s character.

Drishyam 3 director Abhishek Pathak has now opened up about the casting change and revealed how the makers managed to make the transition just days before filming was scheduled to begin.

Why was Jaideep Ahlawat brought into Drishyam 3?

The makers had already announced Drishyam 3 as the third and final chapter of the Hindi franchise, and preparations for the film were reportedly well underway.

However, Akshaye Khanna exited the project just seven days before shooting was scheduled to begin. Initial reports suggested that creative differences and fee-related discussions were among the factors behind his departure.

With very little time left, director Abhishek Pathak decided against postponing the shoot. Instead, the portions written specifically for Khanna's character were reworked, paving the way for Jaideep Ahlawat to join the cast.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Pathak explained that the situation was difficult for the team because Akshaye Khanna's character had already become popular with audiences.

Jaideep Ahlawat asked one important question

According to Pathak, when he approached Jaideep Ahlawat, the actor immediately wanted to know whether he was simply taking over an existing role or whether the character itself was being changed.

Pathak told him that the character was being rewritten. Ahlawat subsequently read the revised material and found it interesting.

The director revealed that the entire process—from approaching Ahlawat to finalising the new character—was completed in just five to six days.

This means that Jaideep Ahlawat isn't simply stepping into Akshaye Khanna's shoes. Instead, audiences will reportedly see him portraying a newly developed character in Drishyam 3.

The makers had just seven days to make it work

For Abhishek Pathak, one of the biggest challenges was deciding whether the production should continue despite the sudden casting setback.

The director explained that his first priority was to ensure that the existing shooting schedule wasn't cancelled. He asked the team to hold on while he worked on rewriting the material.

Pathak said he gave himself just two to three days to determine whether the changes could be made successfully. The pressure was particularly high because only seven days remained before a scheduled scene with Ajay Devgn had to be filmed.

Drishyam 3 gets a major character change

The casting change could make Drishyam 3 particularly interesting for fans of the franchise. Rather than simply replacing Akshaye Khanna with another actor in the same role, the makers chose to create a different character for Jaideep Ahlawat.

With Ajay Devgn returning as Vijay Salgaonkar and Jaideep Ahlawat joining the cast in a new role, the third instalment is expected to bring another layer of mystery and suspense to the franchise.