After Sanjay Dutt Visa's rejection, Ajay Devgn starrer Son of Sardaar 2 has landed in another controversy. In a shocking turn of events, the producer of the film has ousted Vijay Raaz from the film. As per reports, Vijay was removed due to his alleged misbehaviour on set. Makers revealed that Sanjay Mishra has now replaced Vijay Raaz to play his part in the film.
Here’s What Producer Stated
The co-producer Kumar Mangat Pathak in his official confirmation revealed that Vijay Raaz was removed from a film due to his behaviour on the sets. He made excessive demands for larger rooms, and a vanity van, and overcharged for spot boys, who were reportedly paid Rs 20,000 per night, a rate higher than most leading actors. Despite being offered standard accommodations, he insisted on premium suites.
Pathak also mentioned that when he was confronted about the costs, Vijay responded rudely and continued to make unreasonable demands, escalating to the point of requesting two cars for a three-person staff. “His constant response was, ‘Aap logo ne mujhe approach kiya, main kaunsa saamne se aya kaam mangne’. While we tried to accommodate all his demands, the behaviour kept getting worse, as his demands never ended,” he stated speaking to Pinkvilla.
Here’s What Vijay Claims
Vijay Raaz stated that he was removed from the film because he didn't greet Ajay Devgn upon his arrival on set. Raaz arrived ahead of time, and noticed Ajay Devgn, but chose not to greet him as Devgn seemed busy. Shortly after, he was informed that he had been removed from the film.
“Mangat came to me and said, ‘Aap Film Se Nikal Jaaye, Hum Aapko Nikal Rahe Hai’. The only misconduct from my end is, that I didn’t greet Mr. Ajay Devgn. I didn’t even meet the crew, and these are the only people I interacted with. I was removed from the film 30 minutes after reaching the sets, as I didn’t greet Ajay Devgn. These are powerful people, and the chatter of misconduct doesn’t arise at all”, he concluded.
Producer Response To Vijay Claims
Pathak clarified that Ajay Devgn was not involved in the decision and emphasized that Raaz's removal was due to his behaviour, not because he failed to greet Ajay Devgn. He expressed, "There is no place for unprofessional behaviour. It’s a good thing that we removed him before the start of the shoot, as his presence and behaviour would have created a lot of issues on the set. We didn’t remove him for not greeting Ajay Devgn, we have removed him for unreasonable demands and misconduct with the crew. He has now even refused to pay back the advance he has taken.”
Pathak also claimed that it has caused the production a loss of approximately two crores.
Vijay Alleged For Sexual Misconduct
Vijay Raaz’s spot boy allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel staff while under the influence of alcohol. Reacting to this, he clarified, “These are two different stories and there is a difference of at least 10 hours in the two episodes. I was removed from the film on August 4 at 2 PM and the episode at the hotel took place at 11 PM on August 4. Don’t try to mix the two. I have nothing to do with it. However, I don’t encourage such behaviour. I am no longer working with the spot boy.”
Son of Sardaar 2 is the sequel to the 2012 film Son of Sardaar, which starred Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sanjay Dutt in lead roles. The second instalment is presented by Jio Studios and Devgn Films, a Devgn Films and SOS 2 Limited production. It was directed by Vijay Kumar Arora and produced by Devgn and Jyoti Deshpande.
The comic caper is currently being shot in the United Kingdom. It stars Ravi Kishan, Mrunal Thakur, Chunkey Pandey, Vindu Dara Singh, Deepak Dobriyal, Mukul Dev, Ashwini Kalsekar, Kubbra Sait, and Sanjay Dutt in key roles.