Raaj Shaandilyaa, poised to begin work on “Bhagam Bhag 2” alongside Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, has recently faced legal turmoil involving producer Ektaa Kapoor. Originally, Shaandilyaa had entered a three-film contract with Ektaa in 2019, but opted out of the project, prompting Kapoor to send a legal notice. In a recent statement to Variety India, the director expressed feelings of mistrust and intimidation following these developments.
In his statement, Shaandilyaa asserts that he terminated his deal with Balaji Telefilms within his contractual rights over two weeks ago. He indicated that if the production company believed they had grounds to dispute the termination, they could have pursued legal action in a civil court, which they have not done. Instead, he claims that exaggerated and unfounded criminal allegations have emerged, suggesting an attempt to intimidate him due to the lack of a viable case.
Shaandilyaa remains confident in his legal standing and is prepared to address any accusations through the appropriate channels. He reassured stakeholders that “Bhagam Bhag 2” is progressing as planned and urged the film industry to recognize the pressure tactics at play, which could influence their future professional engagements.
The director has expressed discomfort with recent communications from the production house, feeling them to be intrusive. Although he has completed the script for his third film, “Sonam Bewafa Hai,” the exchanges with Balaji Telefilms have left him feeling uneasy about the relationship.
In other developments concerning the film, actor Paresh Rawal recently confirmed that Govinda would no longer be participating in “Bhagam Bhag 2,” with Manoj Bajpayee stepping in as one of the lead roles. The original “Bhagam Bhag,” released in 2006 and directed by Priyadarshan, remains a beloved Bollywood comedy featuring the misadventures of a theater group caught up in a series of crimes during their travels abroad.