{"id":385772,"date":"2026-01-02T00:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T00:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/385772\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T00:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T00:49:10","slug":"akshaye-khanna-joins-telugu-debut-mahakali-sets-amid-drishyam-3-fallout-and-dhurandhar-success-hindi-movie-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/385772\/","title":{"rendered":"Akshaye Khanna joins Telugu debut Mahakali sets amid Drishyam 3 fallout and Dhurandhar success | Hindi Movie News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Akshaye After making headlines for his controversial exit from Drishyam 3, Akshaye Khanna<\/a> has now shifted focus to his upcoming mythological epic Mahakali. The actor, who is currently riding high on the success of his spy actioner Dhurandhar, has joined the sets of the film, marking his official Telugu debut.Mahakali stars Bhoomi Shetty in the lead role as Maha and is positioned as a key installment in the Prashanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU). Last September, filmmaker Prashanth Varma had unveiled Akshaye\u2019s first-look poster from the film, revealing him as Shukracharya, a pivotal character in the mythological narrative.<\/p>\n

Director\u2019s post confirms Akshaye\u2019s presence on set<\/p>\n

The latest update came through director Puja Kolluru<\/a>, who recently shared a year-end post on Instagram featuring a selfie with Akshaye Khanna from the film\u2019s sets. The post effectively confirmed that filming is underway with the actor on board.Touted as Tollywood\u2019s first female superhero film, Mahakali is being positioned as a large-scale, genre-defining project and is scheduled for an early 2026 theatrical release.<\/p>\n

Drishyam 3 exit sparks industry debate<\/p>\n

While Akshaye\u2019s professional slate continues to expand, his sudden exit from Drishyam 3 has sparked intense debate within the industry. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak of Panorama Studios publicly accused the actor of walking out just days before the film was set to go on floors.Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Pathak alleged that Akshaye\u2019s recent success had impacted his conduct. \u201cSuccess has gone to Akshaye Khanna\u2019s head,\u201d he said, adding that a legal notice was sent to the actor following his exit.Pathak went on to make strong remarks about Akshaye\u2019s career trajectory, claiming that Section 375 and Drishyam 2 played a crucial role in reviving his standing in the industry. He also described the actor\u2019s energy on set as \u201ctoxic\u201d and questioned his ability to carry a solo film commercially.<\/p>\n

\u2018Dhurandhar is a team effort,\u2019 say makers<\/p>\n

Pathak further downplayed Akshaye\u2019s individual contribution to Dhurandhar, stating that the film\u2019s success was largely driven by its leading star Ranveer Singh. Drawing comparisons, he pointed out that the Drishyam franchise is fronted by Ajay Devgn, while Chhaava and Dhurandhar also revolve around bigger marquee names.\u201cIf Akshaye does a solo film, it won\u2019t even collect Rs 50 crore in India,\u201d Pathak claimed, adding that the actor should test his perceived superstardom independently.<\/p>\n

Abhishek Pathak breaks silence on creative differences<\/p>\n

Following these statements, Drishyam 3 director Abhishek Pathak also addressed Akshaye Khanna\u2019s exit in an interaction with ETimes. Clarifying speculation around recasting, he confirmed that Jaideep Ahlawat is not replacing Akshaye but will instead play a newly written character.\u201cHe left the decision entirely to me,\u201d Abhishek said, referring to Ajay Devgn\u2019s reaction to Akshaye\u2019s departure.Pathak revealed that the contract was signed in November and accused the actor of exiting just five days before the shoot, despite the look being locked, costumes underway and narration completed.<\/p>\n

Wig controversy and continuity concerns<\/p>\n

One of the major points of contention, according to Abhishek Pathak, was Akshaye\u2019s request to wear a wig in Drishyam 3. The director explained that the film continues directly from Drishyam 2, where the actor sported a bald look.\u201cYou can\u2019t have him bald in the afternoon courtroom scene and suddenly show up with hair in the evening,\u201d Pathak said, adding that the issue resurfaced despite earlier discussions. <\/p>\n

REVEALED! Akshaye Khanna’s First Look As Shukracharya In Prasanth Varma’s Mahakali<\/p>\n

Fees renegotiated but issues persisted<\/p>\n

Addressing rumours of a Rs 21 crore fee demand, Pathak declined to reveal the exact amount but admitted that Akshaye\u2019s remuneration was renegotiated. \u201cThe commercials were revisited, we worked it out, and the contract was signed. After that, all this drama started,\u201d he said.Pathak also noted that Akshaye exited the project a day before Dhurandhar\u2019s release, maintaining that the decision was not driven by money. <\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s being told he\u2019ll become a superstar\u2019<\/p>\n

In a candid remark, Abhishek Pathak suggested that external influences may have played a role in the actor\u2019s decision-making. \u201cPeople around him are telling him that he\u2019ll become a superstar and that he should do something all about him,\u201d he said, adding pointedly, \u201cTry doing a solo film now.\u201dCalling Dhurandhar\u2019s success a collective achievement, Pathak concluded, \u201cIt\u2019s not about one person.\u201dAs the controversy continues to unfold, Akshaye Khanna appears determined to move ahead, with Mahakali set to introduce him to a new industry and audience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After making headlines for his controversial exit from Drishyam 3, Akshaye Khanna has now shifted focus to his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385773,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[194882,26449,187735,207114,207115,64,63,73966,199626,134,207111,207112,207113],"class_list":["post-385772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-akshaye","tag-akshaye-khanna","tag-akshaye-khanna-dhurandhar","tag-akshaye-khanna-drishyam-3","tag-akshaye-khanna-mahakali","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-dhurandhar","tag-drishyam-3","tag-entertainment","tag-mahakali","tag-prashanth-varma","tag-puja-kolluru"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}