‘He Wanted Full Control’: Section 375 Writer Manish Gupta Alleges Akshaye Khanna Breached Contract And Had Him Removed
Section 375 writer Manish Gupta recalls his legal dispute with Akshaye Khanna, alleging unprofessional conduct and contract breach as the Drishyam 3 controversy unfolds.
As the controversy surrounding Drishyam 3 continues to intensify, fresh details have emerged from the past involving actor Akshaye Khanna. This time, the revelations come from filmmaker and writer Manish Gupta, who was originally attached as both director and writer of Section 375. Recalling his own turbulent experience with the actor, Gupta has alleged a pattern of professional misconduct, contract violations, and power struggles that, according to him, derailed his film and led to prolonged legal conflict.
Manish Gupta Revisits The Section 375 Fallout
Manish Gupta, who wrote and initially directed Section 375, described the early days of the project and the problems that soon followed. According to him, Akshaye Khanna signed the film in 2017 with an agreed remuneration of Rs. 2 crore, accepted an advance of Rs. 21 lakh, and committed to specific shooting dates.
However, Gupta claims that the actor later reassigned those same dates to another project, The Accidental Prime Minister, and flew to London for its shoot, leaving the Section 375 team in limbo for nearly six months.
“In 2017, Akshaye signed my film Section 375 with me as director-writer and Kumar Mangat as producer. His fee was fixed at Rs. 2 crores. He took an advance of Rs. 21 lakhs, and he signed a contract with us. But suddenly, he gave away the dates he’d committed to us to another movie, The Accidental Prime Minister, and he flew off to London to shoot that movie, leaving my crew waiting idle for six months!”
Upon returning, Gupta alleges that Khanna demanded a revised fee of Rs. 3.25 crore, significantly higher than the original agreement.
“After finishing that movie, Akshaye came back and started demanding Rs. 3.25 crores. Instead of the Rs. 2 crores signed by him in the contract… Akshaye’s unreasonable demands did not end here. He wanted to fully control the film and wanted everything done his way.”
‘Akshaye Got Me Removed As Director’
Gupta further claimed that his refusal to comply with these demands triggered a deeper conflict. He said that Khanna began pressuring producer Kumar Mangat to remove him from the project.
“Since it was hurting Akshaye’s ego to take orders from an authoritarian director like me, he started pestering the producer Kumar Mangat to remove me as the director of the film and give the entire control of the film to him instead.”
Gupta says he was eventually removed from the film, while his completed script and years of pre-production material were taken from him.
“Producer Kumar Mangat, instead of disciplining the actor’s unreasonable behaviour, made me a scapegoat and removed me as the director… while seizing my fully-written bound script and the hard drive containing my three years of hard work.”
Legal Action And Settlement
Following the fallout, Gupta says he initiated legal proceedings.
“I warned Akshaye that I would drag him to court, and I sent two legal notices to producer Kumar Mangat… My lawyers… were filing a case at Bombay High Court against both of them, but Kumar Mangat promptly did an out-of-court settlement with me.”
He also pointed to the irony of the present situation, as Mangat has now taken legal action against Akshaye Khanna over the Drishyam 3 dispute.
Akshaye Khanna’s Talent And Dhurandhar Performance
Despite his allegations, Gupta acknowledged the actor’s skill, saying, “Akshaye is no doubt a brilliant actor. I am only pointing out his lack of ethics.”
He further remarked on the significance of Section 375 in Khanna’s career:
“Akshaye’s comeback film after a decade of anonymity was my film Section 375… Section 375’s credits carry my name as the solo writer of the ‘story, screenplay and dialogues’. So, the world knows that the film was solely my vision.”
Drishyam 3 Dispute Adds New Dimension
Earlier this week, Drishyam 3 producer Kumar Mangat Pathak publicly accused Akshaye Khanna of exiting the film just days before shooting was scheduled to begin. Mangat described the actor’s conduct as “toxic and unprofessional,” stating:
“There was a time when Akshaye was nothing… Even then, so many people told us not to work with him because of his unprofessional behaviour. His energy on set is absolutely toxic.”
He further said, “I have suffered losses because of his behaviour. I am going to take legal action. I have already sent him a legal notice; he’s yet to reply to it.”
Following Akshaye Khanna’s departure from the project, Jaideep Ahlawat has now been cast in the role.
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