Abhishek says that while there was no panic, the film’s team was unhappy with how it all played out.
I thought, ‘Ye kya tareeka hua (What is this)?’”The official announcements had been made.
In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Abhishek recalls that chaotic week and justifies his decision not to push the shoot forward.
We were seven days away from the shoot when we were to film his scene with Ajay (Devgn) sir,” he says.
Abhishek says the reason he didn't cancel the shoot was that over 200 people were dependent on him and the film.
In December 2025, news emerged that Akshaye had left the film due to creative and monetary disagreements with the makers. The film was supposed to begin filming a week later, after Christmas. Abhishek says that while there was no panic, the film’s team was unhappy with how it all played out. “I won’t say panic, but we were not happy with the whole idea. I thought, ‘Ye kya tareeka hua (What is this)?’”
The official announcements had been made. The stage was set. Drishyam , the Hindi version, was set to return for a third and final part. But just days before filming was to begin, Akshaye Khanna exited the production. What happened between him and the makers remains a subject of speculation. But for writer-director Abhishek Pathak , it was a critical moment. Somehow, he and the team managed not only to find a replacement for Akshaye but also to rewrite the script and get it all ready in time. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Abhishek recalls that chaotic week and justifies his decision not to push the shoot forward.
At that juncture, the film’s director decided not to push the shoot back. “The tough part was the call to continue, to just tell the team: ‘Hold on, don’t cancel anything. We will do it’. Bol to diya par ab karna bhi padega. Likhna bhi tha (I had said it, but now I had to do it and rewrite things). I asked for 2-3 days to figure out if we could achieve it. We were seven days away from the shoot when we were to film his scene with Ajay (Devgn) sir,” he says.
Jaideep Ahlawat was roped in as the replacement in just a couple of days. Abhishek rewrote parts of the script to accommodate the new character he would play. “He was kind of replacing a character that had been liked by the audience. I called him, and he asked me, ‘Casting change or character change?’ I told him I am changing the character. Then, he read it and found it fun. All that happened within 5-6 days,” the filmmaker recalls.
Abhishek says the reason he didn't cancel the shoot was that over 200 people were dependent on him and the film. “Set lag chuka tha (The set had been erected). We couldn’t cancel. There are so many people depending upon us to earn money. They have not taken any other jobs at this time. Everyone from the DOP to the production designers had locked their dates. People like light assistants and spot boys earn per day, and that would have all gone for a toss. That is not cool. Then, the dates we had were with combinations of so many actors. These are all big actors. I can’t suddenly tell them to give me dates later. They have other big films lined up, and those directors won’t leave those dates for me. So, we took that call,” he explains.
