Sanjay Dutt dropped from Son of Sardaar 2 over UK visa rejection: Report

After more than a decade of its release, Son of Sardaar (2012) is now looking forward to setting the ball rolling on its sequel, titled Son of Sardaar 2.

The sequel was to show Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt battling it out again. However, as per a report by Mid-day, Sanjay has been replaced by Ravi Kishan.

Reason for Sanjay Dutt being dropped
Sanjay lost out on the movie, which is being shot in Scotland and also stars Mrunal Thakur, after his UK visa application was rejected due to his incarceration in the past. A source told the portal, “Ever since his arrest in 1993, while Sanju has travelled to the US, he has applied for a UK visa multiple times, but never got one. The Son of Sardaar 2 shoot would have been his first trip to the UK. However, after Ajay’s team found out that the senior actor’s visa request had been rejected, they replaced him with Ravi Kishan.”

The source also revealed if Sanjay’s visa troubles could impact the shoot of Housefull 5 as the Akshay Kumar-starrer comedy is reportedly slated to be shot in September in London. Asked if producer Sajid Nadiadwala will also have to look for a replacement for Sanjay, the source said, “Sajid has chosen a wiser route. While the shooting with the cast begins in London, all of Sanju’s portions will be filmed in Mumbai. So, there are no issues on that front.”

Sanjay’s arrest
In April 1993, Sanjay was arrested under TADA and the Arms Act and convicted later for violation of Arms Act for possession of illegal weapons procured from the other accused in the 1993 Bombay bombings. He was sentenced to five years in prison. In March 2013, the Supreme Court upheld his five-year sentence, and after multiple bails, he finally completed his jail term in 2016.

More about Son of Sardaar 2
Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt were to be seen as Billu and Jassi respectively in Son of Sardaar 2, with the film reportedly picking up on a fresh note and not from where the first movie ended. The makers were expected to introduce an antagonistic shade to the character played by Sanjay, which will now reportedly be essayed by actor-politician Ravi Kishan.