India, Dec. 28 -- After delivering two major hits in 2025 - Chhaava and Dhurandhar - Akshaye Khanna emerged as one of the year's most bankable actors. But the 50-year-old is now making headlines for a less flattering reason: his sudden exit from Drishyam 3, amid rumours that he demanded a hefty fee hike following Dhurandhar's success. Addressing the speculation, Drishyam 3 producer Kumar Mangat Pathak tells us that Akshaye walked out of the film just a day before Dhurandhar's release on December 5. Kumar says, "He didn't give any reason, neither did he answer calls." His sudden exit not only left the makers scrambling to recast the role, with actor Jaideep Ahlawat stepping in, but also caused financial losses for the production, prompting them to send Akshaye a legal notice. "Voh set tod diya, ab set dobara lagega, baaki shoot Jaideep ke saath karenge. I will definitely take compensation from Akshaye for this," Kumar states. Elaborating on the situation, Kumar shares, "We had signed Akshaye for the fees he asked for. The costume designers had begun work on his look as well. But one fine day, before Dhurandhar's release, Akshaye said he wanted his character (who was bald) to have hair because people had praised his look in Dhurandhar. Abhishek (Pathak, director of Drishyam 3) said it's not possible because the movie begins from the same night as the second installment. Chhe ghante ke gap mein toh baal nahi aa sakte. He had agreed then." The producer believes external influence played a role in Akshaye's decision. "Aas paas ke chamchon ne dimaag mein daal diya uske, ki Dhurandhar ka look aapka achha laga, ab se aap ussi look mein kaam karo, aise thodi hota hai!" he says. Kumar believes Akshaye's sudden change in attitude is a result of his recent success. "We were such good friends. Achanak success sar pe chadh gayi," he shares. He further makes it clear that there is no possibility of reconciliation: "Kabhi dobara kaam nahi karna hai, iss tarah ke behaviour ke baad." We tried reaching out to Akshaye but received no response at the time of going to press....