Controversy Surrounding Akshaye Khanna: A Director’s Perspective
Recently, producer Kumar Mangat Pathak shared his negative experience while working with Akshaye Khanna, which led to Khanna’s replacement by Jaideep Ahlawat in the upcoming film Drishyam 3. Following this, writer-director Manish Gupta opened up about his own encounters with Khanna during the film Section 375.
Gupta revealed that in 2017, Khanna was contracted for Section 375 with a fee of Rs. 2 crores. However, after taking an advance payment of Rs. 21 lakhs, Khanna abruptly left the project to work on another film, The Accidental Prime Minister, leaving Gupta and his team waiting for six months.
Upon returning, Khanna claimed he wanted an increased payment of Rs. 3.25 crores, disregarding their original agreement. Gupta expressed that Khanna’s demands didn’t stop there; he aimed to control the entire production and insisted on having things done his way. Gupta maintained that he wouldn’t yield to such unreasonable requests, which, unfortunately, is common in the industry.
Feeling troubled by Gupta’s firm approach, Khanna allegedly pressured Pathak to replace Gupta with himself calling for overall control of the film. Instead of addressing Khanna’s behavior, Pathak chose to remove Gupta as director, taking away the script and extensive research Gupta had done over three years.
Gupta stated that when he threatened legal action, he received notice from Pathak to settle outside of court. Ironically, Pathak is now dealing with similar issues with Khanna on Drishyam 3.
While Gupta acknowledges Khanna’s talent as an actor, he is critical of his professional conduct, especially given that Section 375 was a pivotal project in Khanna’s career after a long break. Gupta’s name remains as the solo writer, showcasing the film’s true vision.
This unfolding tale emphasizes the complexities and challenges in Bollywood that filmmakers often face in their pursuit of creativity and control.
