In a shocking turn of events, veteran actor Vijay Raaz has been removed from the upcoming comic Son of Sardaar 2. The decision reportedly comes after alleged unprofessional behaviour on the sets of the film, which is currently being shot in London. The film, a sequel to the 2012 hit Son of Sardaar, features an ensemble cast that includes Ajay Devgn, Deepak Dobriyal, Chunky Panday and Mrunal Thakur, among others. However, the behind-the-scenes drama seems to be grabbing more headlines than the film itself.

According to Son of Sardaar 2 co-producer Kumar Mangat Pathak, Vijay Raaz was taken out of the film because of his behaviour on the sets. “Yes, it is true, we took Vijay Raaz out of the film because of his behaviour on the sets. He demanded bigger rooms, a van with a vanity mirror and also charged too much for the spot boys. His spot boy was paid Rs 20,000 per night, which is more than some of the biggest actors are paid. The UK is an expensive country and during the shoot, everyone was given standard rooms, but he demanded premium suites,” Kumar Mangat told Pinkvilla.com.

The producer also explained how Raaz’s demands escalated over time. “When we tried to explain the cost situation to him, he refused to understand and spoke rudely. His constant response was, ‘If you don’t come to me, you won’t do anything.’ We tried to meet all his demands, but his behavior got worse and worse. He even started demanding two cars for the transportation of a three-member team. After all the discussions, we decided to take him out of the film.”

However, Vijay Raaz has a different version of events. The actor claims his removal was due to a perceived insult and not any misconduct. “I arrived at the set before the trial time. I did not greet Ajay Devgn because he was busy and kept talking to my friends nearby. Thirty minutes later, Mr. Kumar Mangat came to me and said, ‘The film is a big hit and I am just thrilled.’ The only misconduct on my part is that I did not greet Mr. Ajay Devgn. I was removed from the film within 30 minutes of arriving on the set.”

Refuting this claim, Kumar Mangat stated that the problems had started long before the day of shooting. “Ajay Devgn is not someone who waits for people to greet him. He likes to be around creative people and treats everyone with respect. The story that he was thrown out for not greeting Ajay Devgn is false. We have lost at least two crores by throwing out Vijay Raaz from the film and we would not take such a step over petty issues.”

Mangat insists that the decision was based on Raaz’s unprofessional behaviour and increasing demands. “Even other actors and I stayed in the same room category as him, which costs Rs 45,000 per night and is located in one of the best hotels. Unprofessional behaviour has no place here. It is fortunate that we got him out before the shoot began because his presence would have caused a lot of problems on the set.”

Vijay Raaz defended his actions by asking, “After 26 years in the industry, can’t I just ask for a bigger hall?” Despite his defense, the producers stuck to their decision.