"I don’t really have an issue with that"
Saif Ali Khan has broken his silence on replacing Abhishek Bachchan in Bunty Aur Babli 2(2021).
The rom-com, also starring Rani Mukerji, was released on November 19.
While Mukerji appeared in the Bunty Aur Babli (2005), her original co-star Abhishek Bachchan did not appear in the sequel.
Now, for the first time, Khan has opened up about why this could be the case.
He said: “I got a call from Aditya Chopra saying that would I have any qualms stepping in to play a role that another actor has played.
“And he said for some reason, they were not able to take the conversation forward.
“And do I have issues with it? I said that Hum Tum came to me like that as well and that happens.
“As long as everyone is clear and there’s no bad blood or no controversies around and you have gone about it the right way which of course they would, then I don’t really have an issue with that.
“It is a very different role, different than the usual.”
Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji also worked together in the hit rom-com Hum Tum (2004) which was directed by Kunal Kohli.
Mukerji has also spoken about the comparisons between both the original Bunty Aur Babli film and the sequel with SpotboyE.
She said: “I think comparisons are something that people would like to do.
“So, there is no point in saying that people should not compare both films.
“I think that’s something they will do because now on social media, there is so much that people can do on daily basis to start a conversation and comparing would be something that they would love to do.
“But, honestly, we can’t help that but at the same time what is important to understand is that Bunty Aur Babli 2 is a different film on its own.
“It’s not the same movie that was released in 2005.”
Bunty Aur Babli follows the titular partners-in-crime trying to escape JCP Dashrath, played by Amitabh Bachchan.
The movie marked the first motion picture in which both Bachchan senior and Bachchan junior worked together.
Meanwhile, in Bunty Aur Babli 2, the pair are forced out of retirement following a spate of robberies using their trademark.
While Amitabh Bachchan does not appear in the sequel, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvari Wagh do.