Ever since Kartik Aaryan's exit from Janhvi Kapoor starrer Dostana 2 was confirmed by filmmaker Karan Johar, there have been unending speculations and reports as to who would replace the Pyaar Ka Punchnama actor. While there have been rumors that Bollywood's very own Khiladi Akshay Kumar has been requested to be part of the film, and now, SpotboyE has exclusively learnt from sources that the actor has indeed said yes to the project and expected to start shooting in 2022.
We all know Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar share an extremely close bond with each other and their friendship is quite evident. The actor has earlier worked with Dharma Productions in Kesari and Good Newwz (both 2019). Confirming the news a source close to the project informs, "Akshay has said yes to the project and plans to shoot the film next year, as he has other film commitments to fulfill currently." Dostana 2 is a romantic comedy that also stars Janhvi Kapoor and debutant Laksh Lalwani, the story is about a brother and sister duo falling for the same guy. It is a sequel to the 2008 hit film Dostana that starred Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, and Priyanka Chopra.
However, there is no confirmation or official statement from the production house or the actor yet at the time of publishing this story.
This is the first time a big production house has taken such a decision to replace its leading actor mid-shoot. Kartik had already completed 20 days of shoot for the film, however, since his exit; the film is expected to be reshot again. There are also possibilities of the film's script being changed.
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar recently began shooting for his next film Raksha Bandhan with Aanand L Rai. He also awaits the release of Bell Bottom which is slated to release on 27th July in theaters. The other projects in the actor's kitty are Ram Setu, Bachchan Pandey, Prithiviraj, Atrangi Re.
Image source: SpotboyE archives, Instagram/akshaykumar