Actor Arshad Warsi is all praise for his Hulchul (2004) and ShortKut (2009) co-star Akshaye Khanna amidst the latter being in the middle of a controversy over his exit from Drishyam 3.

Recently, producer Kumar Mangat Pathak had accused Akshaye of unprofessional behaviour after he exited from the film just ten days before the shoot, despite having signed an agreement. Kumar also sent him a legal notice. He also alleged that Akshaye had requested to wear a wig for the film, but the director declined due to continuity issues and criticised the actor for his alleged unprofessional conduct.

In an interview with The Lallantop, Arshad, however, praised Akshaye’s for his acting skills and said that he had a pleasant experience working with him. "Akshaye is a very serious guy. He has been a brilliant actor from the very beginning; there was never any doubt about that, but he likes to stay in his own world."

He added, "He doesn't care about you or anybody. Uska apna hai ki apni zindagi hai, aap mere baare mein kya sochte ho ya nahi sochte ho, woh meri problem nahi hai. Life jeeta hai apne hisaab se. (He believes it is his own life, and what you think or do not think about him is not his problem. He lives life on his own terms.) He does not care about PR and all that - he has been like this right from day one."

Jaideep Ahlawat has since stepped in to take over Akshaye's role in Drishyam 3, which is scheduled to hit theatres on October 2, 2026. It also stars Ajay Devgn.