Drishyam 3 role is new, not an Akshaye Khanna replacement: Jaideep Ahlawat

Actor Jaideep Ahlawat has stepped into the Drishyam universe without carrying the weight of what came before. The actor, who plays SP Crime Branch Rajveer Singh Tomar in Drishyam The Conclusion, said he never felt any pressure about audiences comparing his character with Akshaye Khanna’s cop from Drishyam 2. For him, the script made it clear from the beginning: this was not about filling someone else’s shoes, but about starting a completely new journey.

Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Goa on September 9, Jaideep said he was never introduced to the role as a replacement for Akshaye. “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 said.

According to Jaideep, the biggest draw was understanding the man behind the uniform. Director Abhishek Pathak’s narration presented Tomar as a character with his own story, relationships and motivations.

“One character’s journey concludes and another is introduced,” Jaideep said, adding that there was little reason for him to let the earlier character’s legacy become a burden. His journey, he explained, was “completely different”, with fresh relationships being formed, including those with Meera and the families at the heart of the story.