'Son of Sardaar 2' controversy: Vijay Raaz denies misconduct allegations
Actor Vijay Raaz has refuted allegations of misconduct on the sets of the upcoming film Son of Sardaar 2. The actor was reportedly asked to exit the project on his first day of filming in Scotland, Pinkvilla reported. Producer Kumar Mangat Pathak had claimed that Raaz was removed due to his behavior on set, demands for "bigger rooms, vanity van," and overcharging for spot boys. Now, Raaz has shared his side of the story.
'All a lie,' says Raaz about producer's claims
When asked about Pathak's allegations, Raaz told HT, "It's all a lie. All these discussions are done before the actor reaches the set. Them mentioning it now in itself means there is something fishy." He said, "All this was decided, which is why I went all the way to Scotland for the film's shoot. Vahaan jaake thodi na final karenge yeh sab (They will not finalize these things after reaching there)!"
'I told them my room is congested'
Raaz said, "I told them that my room is congested, I do yoga so I need some space apart from the bed. Who else will I tell this to, if not the executive producer?)" "The next morning, it was all going well. The discussion about the room was already done way before this. After half an hour, they told me 'aap chale jaaiye'. I told them 'aapne bulaya tha, ab aap yeh keh rahe hain'. I can't force someone."
Raaz suggests he was removed for not greeting Ajay Devgn
Raaz suggested that his removal is likely related to his failure to greet the film's lead actor, Ajay Devgn. He said, "I was standing with people at one place, and saw Ajay ji talking to someone. I thought I would go and meet him, it was his scene being shot." He added, "Kumar Mangat ji's behavior until that point was different. Aadhe ghante baad kya ho gaya (What happened after half an hour)?" "Aisa kya badal gaya?"
Raaz's spot boy overcharged us, says producer
Meanwhile, earlier, Pathak had told Pinkvilla, "It's true that we have removed Vijay Raaz from the film because of his behavior on the sets." "In fact, his spot boy was paid ₹20,000 per night, which is more than any big actor. The UK is an expensive place, and everyone got standard rooms during the shoot, but he demanded premium suites." "When we tried explaining the costing scenario to him, he refused to understand and spoke rudely."
Sanjay Mishra replaces Raaz in 'Son of Sardaar 2'
Meanwhile, Sanjay Mishra has replaced Raaz in the film, Pathak confirmed. The first installment, Son of Sardaar, featured Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha and Sanjay Dutt and was released in 2012. While Devgn will reprise his role, reports suggest that Dutt has been replaced by Ravi Kishan. Mrunal Thakur has been cast as the film's female lead.
