In a shocking turn of events, veteran actor Vijay Raaz has been removed from the upcoming comic caper Son of Sardaar 2. The decision reportedly stems from alleged unprofessional behaviour on the sets of the film, currently being shot in London. The movie, a sequel to the 2012 hit Son of Sardaar, features an ensemble cast including Ajay Devgn, Deepak Dobriyal, Chunky Panday and Mrunal Thakur, among others. However, the drama behind the scenes seems to be making more headlines than the film itself.
According to Kumar Mangat Pathak, the co-producer of Son of Sardaar 2, Vijay Raaz’s removal was due to his conduct on set. “Yes, it’s true that we have removed Vijay Raaz from the film because of his behavior on the sets. He demanded bigger rooms, a vanity van, and also overcharged us for the spot boys. His spot boy was paid Rs 20,000 per night, which is more than what some of the biggest actors pay. UK is an expensive place, and everyone got standard rooms during the shoot, but he demanded premium suites,” Kumar Mangat told Pinkvilla.com.
The producer also detailed how Raaz’s demands escalated over time. “When we tried explaining the costing scenario to him, he refused to understand and spoke rudely. His constant response was, ‘Aap logo ne mujhe approach kiya, main kaunsa saamne se aaya kaam mangne.’ We tried to accommodate all his demands, but the behavior kept getting worse. He started to demand two cars for a three-person staff to travel as well. After all the discussions, we decided to remove him from the film.”
Vijay Raaz, however, has a different version of events. The actor claims that his removal was due to a perceived slight, not misconduct. “I reached the location before time for the trial. I didn’t greet Ajay Devgn because he was busy, and I continued to speak to my friends around. Thirty minutes later, Mr. Kumar 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 was removed from the film within 30 minutes of reaching the sets.”
Kumar Mangat refuted this claim, stating that the issues had started long before the day of the shoot. “Ajay Devgn isn’t someone who waits to be greeted by people. He likes to be surrounded by creative people and treats everyone with respect. The story of him being removed for not greeting Ajay Devgn is false. We suffered a loss of at least two crores for removing Vijay Raaz from the film, and we would not take such a step for small matters.”
Mangat insists that the decision was based on Raaz’s unprofessional behaviour and mounting demands. “Even other actors and I stayed in the same category of room as him, which costs Rs 45,000 per night and is in one of the best hotels. There is no place for unprofessional behaviour. It’s fortunate that we removed him before the start of the shoot, as his presence would have created many issues on set.”
Vijay Raaz, defending his actions, questioned, “After 26 years in the industry, can’t I make a simple demand for a larger room?” Despite his defence, the producers remain firm in their decision.
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