As speculation continues around Akshaye Khanna’s exit from Drishyam 3, director Abhishek Pathak opens up about the controversy, shortly after producer Kumar Mangat Pathak spoke about the issue. Setting the record straight, Abhishek confirms that the film will move ahead with Jaideep Ahlawat. “No, Jaideep is not replacing Akshaye. I’m writing a new character,” Abhishek clarifies. The director also shares how the film’s lead, Ajay Devgn, has reacted to the issue. “He left it to me completely. Anyway, it’s more about me, Akshaye and the production. So, I would rather leave that aspect of how we dealt with it out.”‘The contract was signed in November’Talking about Akshaye’s exit, Abhishek says, “All this happened after the contract was signed in November. He left the movie five days before it was going on the floors. The look was locked, costumes were getting made, the narration had happened and he loved the story.” He says the first disagreement arose when Akshaye wanted to wear a wig. “My film starts from the point where it ended. I couldn’t have him in the courtroom in the afternoon and in the evening he comes back with hair. How is it possible? That was the point I explained and convinced him. A few days later, this came up again and that’s when we said we will work it out,” shares Abhishek.
‘We had reached a mutually agreed upon amount’Reflecting on Akshaye’s decision to leave Drishyam 3, Abhishek says, “Kumar Mangat earlier told us that Akshaye left the film a day before Dhurandar’s release, stressing that it wasn’t because of money matters.”Addressing reports suggesting that Akshaye demanded `21 crore for the film, Abhishek replies, “He is putting out those rumours! I do not want to talk about the amount we eventually locked. Yes, the commercials were revisited, but we somehow worked it out and reached a figure that was mutually agreed upon. Then the contract was signed and after that, all this drama started.”Abhishek believes the actor’s decisions were influenced by external voices. “I think it’s just that people around him started telling him that he’ll become a superstar and he should now look at something which is all about him. So, I wish him all the best, and would say – try to do a solo film now.”Asked whether he attempted to resolve the issue, Abhishek says, “When he doesn’t have an answer, then he doesn’t know what to say. That’s something very stupid because we have known each other for a very long time. I stopped (trying to resolve the issue) because I thought there’s no point talking to this person right now, he’s on some other planet.”‘A film’s success is not about one person, it is a team effort’Talking about the success of Dhurandhar, Abhishek says, “It’s a great film. It’s doing great numbers and everyone is happy in the industry. But it is a team effort. Be it Chhaava or Dhurandhar, it’s a team effort of the writer, director, actors and a lot of other people involved. It’s not about one person.”
