Cinema VinesJaideep Ahlawat has clarified that he is not stepping into Akshaye Khanna’s shoes for the third instalment of the Drishyam franchise. Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Goa on September 9, the actor addressed rumours that he was replacing Khanna, and made it clear that his role in Drishyam: The Conclusion is a brand‑new character named Rajveer Tomar.
In the film’s narrative, Rajveer Tomar is a senior police officer from the Crime Branch who is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding Vijay Salgaonkar, played by Ajay Devgn. The storyline follows Vijay’s attempt to stay ahead of the law while protecting his family, creating a tense cat‑and‑mouse chase. Ahlawat’s character is distinct from the previous protagonist, and the director, Abhishek Pathak, has emphasised that the new role was written specifically for him rather than as a continuation of Khanna’s character.
During the launch, Ahlawat responded to a question about whether he was the replacement for Khanna, saying, “No, not at all. When I heard the story, it wasn’t framed as if I was stepping into Akshaye Sir’s shoes or anything like that.” He added that the biggest draw for him was understanding the man behind the uniform and that his journey is “completely different,” with fresh relationships forming with Meera and other key characters in the story.
Director Pathak has also reiterated that Ahlawat is not taking over Khanna’s role. In an earlier interview with ETimes, Pathak confirmed that the actor was brought in to play a new character, not a continuation of the previous one. The film’s trailer, unveiled on Thursday, picks up after the events of Drishyam 2 and introduces this new mystery at its centre.
Alongside Ahlawat, the cast includes Tabu, Shriya Saran, Prakash Raj, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta and Mrunal Jadhav. Drishyam: The Conclusion is set to hit Indian cinemas on October 2, marking the end of the Hindi Drishyam saga.
