By Nitesh Pratap
After Dostana 2 and Goodbye Freddie, has Kartik Aaryan lost out on yet another big opportunity? The untitled gangster film will be directed by Aanand L Rai’s assistant and according to a report in Hindustan Times, Kartik Aaryan was in “advanced level talks” with him. “Kartik was in advanced-level talks with Aanand, and had read the script and heard the narration, too. But, before he could sign on the dotted line, things fell apart,” a source told Hindustan Times. The report that Kartik and Aanand are teaming up for a film surfaced on social media earlier this year when he was photographed outside the latter’s office premises.
Aanand L Rai is reportedly considering Ayushmann Khurrana for the role. The two have earlier collaborated Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), so it’s not a surprise if he may have readily come on board,” he added.
The reason why Kartik Aaryan is no longer part of the Aanand L Rai-produced film is not known yet. However, according to the source, after Karan Johar dropped Kartik from his film Dostana 2, the decision seems to have influenced others. “The fact that Karan dropped Kartik seems to have influenced others. So, this could be the third instance where Kartik maybe losing out on getting to work with an established filmmaker like Aanand,” according to the source.
When the filmmaker was approached by the news portal for a comment, he said, “As a production house, we work on several scripts and pitch it to actors — that’s the process. Actors keep meeting you, you keep telling them what you are working on, they express their desire to collaborate. And then, depending upon the subject, you decide if you should approach them. But that doesn’t mean you have signed them.”
Last month, Karan Johar issued a statement confirming that Kartik Aaryan is not part of the film and that they will be recasting for Dostana 2. The makers are yet to confirm the new cast of the film. A few days ago, it was reported that Kartik has made a voluntary exit from Shah Rukh Khan’s production film Goodbye Freddy.