Vijay Raaz, Rahul Dev and Vidya Malavade will play antagonists to actor Kunal Kemmu’s detective character Abhay Pratap Singh in the upcoming third season of Zee5’s thriller web-series Abhay.

In a statement, Raaz revealed, “I am thrilled to be a part of Abhay 3 and to be collaborating with Ken and Kunal. This series has set a benchmark and I am confident that [the third season] will shake things up further as it is unlike anything you have seen before. I cannot reveal much; however, my character, which has an alter ego, will give Abhay's character a tough time in this season.”

A new motion poster featured Kemmu's character with a voiceover by Raaz’s character intoning, “Yeh sharir keval atma ka boj hai. Rishte, naate, moh, maya... mrityu se bach kar bhala kaun hai jeet paya [This body is merely a vessel for the soul. Relationships, attachments and wealth... but how can one escape from death?].

Dev said he was grateful to be a part of this series and was looking forward to the audience's response. He said, “Abhay is a very successful franchise with a loyal fan following so I am happy to be a part of this unconventional series and of the Zee5 family. It's also great to collaborate with Ken as he is a director with a great visual sense and a crackling sense of humour.”

Malavade, who plays a character named Nidhi, said, “There were many reasons why I wanted to work in Abhay 3, one of the main ones being the character I play – Nidhi. I really wanted to explore this intense dark headspace of Nidhi which was quite the opposite of most of the characters I have played so far. Moving from Miss Goody Two-Shoes to this visceral character will always be a journey to remember. I am excited for the world to watch season three as I know that it’s going to be another successful addition to the franchise.”

Abhay, which was launched in 2019, saw Kemmu step into the mind of a criminal in order to solve a case. The new season will see artistes Asha Negi, Nidhi Singh, Rituraj Singh and Elnaaz Nourozi reprise their characters.

Ken Ghosh, who directed the first two seasons, also returns to helm this latest season. Abhay (Season 2) was premiered in 2020; the latest season went on the floors in October 2021 and is expected to be premiered soon on Zee5.