Ajay Devgn recently announced the start of filming for Son of Sardaar 2. Amidst this, reports have surfaced that Vijay Raaz, who had been cast in a significant role, has been replaced by Sanjay Mishra. The film’s co-producer, Kumar Mangat Pathak, confirmed the news to Pinkvilla, explaining that Raaz’s behavior on set was the reason for his removal. Pathak also highlighted a concerning incident where Raaz’s spot boy allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel staff member while under the influence.
Pathak attributed Raaz’s dismissal to his demands for larger rooms, a premium vanity van, and the excessive charges for his staff, including a spot boy who was reportedly paid Rs 20,000 per night, a rate higher than most leading actors. Pathak explained that while everyone involved in the shoot received standard rooms in the UK, Raaz insisted on staying in premium suites, and his demands kept escalating.
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According to Pathak, when they tried to address the situation, Raaz was uncooperative and even demanded two cars for a three-person staff. When the Executive Producer declined, Raaz reportedly responded rudely, leading to the decision to remove him from the film.
On the other hand, Vijay Raaz offered a different account, stating that he was removed because he didn’t greet Ajay Devgn upon his arrival on set. Raaz shared that he arrived ahead of time for the trial and noticed Ajay Devgn standing about 25 meters away but chose not to greet him as Devgn seemed busy. Shortly after, Pathak informed Raaz that he had been removed from the film. Raaz emphasized that his only mistake was not greeting Ajay Devgn and that he was dismissed within 30 minutes of arriving on set.
In response to the sexual assault allegations, Raaz attempted to separate himself from his staff’s actions. “These are two different stories, and there is a difference of at least 10 hours between the two incidents. I was removed from the film on August 4 at 2 PM, and the episode at the hotel took place at 11 PM that night. Don’t try to mix the two. I have nothing to do with it, but I don’t encourage such behavior. I am no longer working with the spot boy,” Raaz clarified.
In response to Raaz’s claims, Pathak refuted the notion that Ajay Devgn was involved in the decision, explaining that Devgn is not the type to expect greetings from others and is respectful to everyone on set. Pathak emphasized that Raaz’s removal was due to his behavior, not because he failed to greet Ajay Devgn. He also mentioned that the decision to dismiss Raaz had resulted in a loss of approximately two crores for the production, highlighting the gravity of the issues they encountered.
Regarding Raaz’s complaints about the accommodations, Pathak mentioned that all the actors, including himself, stayed in the same category of rooms, which were quite comfortable. He added that the decision to replace Raaz was necessary to maintain a positive working environment on set.
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. While Ajay will reprise his role, reports suggest that Sanjay Dutt has been replaced by Ravi Kishan, with Mrunal Thakur reportedly cast as the female lead.
