Sanjay Mishra says replacing Vijay Raaz in Son of Sardaar 2 wasn’t easy

Sanjay Mishra recently joined the cast of Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardaar 2. The actor was offered the role as a replacement for Vijay Raaz. In an interview with India Today, Sanjay said that replacing Vijay was not easy for him. (Also read: Son of Sardaar 2 controversies: Sanjay Dutt’s UK visa rejection over jail term, Vijay Raaz’s removal over misconduct)
When asked about stepping into Vijay’s shoes after his exit from Son of Sardaar 2, Sanjay said, “I am done filming for Son of Sardaar 2. All of this is a part of the business, to be very honest. I did the film because I got a call from Ajay Devgn. One call from him and that’s all it takes for me to say yes to him. He’s a close friend and has been there for me in tough times. Not just that, replacing Vijay wasn’t easy.”
He further said, “He’s a phenomenal actor, as we all know. At the back of my mind, it was surely playing that I needed to perform and deliver my best, especially because I replaced a fine actor like Vijay. We are also friends and will remain. I’m a fan of his work, and he’s amazing at what he does. This instead motivated me to better my performance, so I don’t disappoint my audience and Ajay, who always shows faith in me.”
Kumar Mangat Pathak, the film’s co-producer, alleged that Vijay was removed on the grounds of his behaviour, as reported by Pinkvilla. Kumar said, “Yes, it’s true that we have removed Vijay Raaz from the film because of his behaviour on the sets. He demanded bigger rooms and a vanity van and also overcharged us for the spot boys. In fact, his spot boy was paid ₹20,000 per night, which is more than any big actor. UK is an expensive place, and everyone got standard rooms during the shoot, but he demanded premium suites…Even other actors and I stayed in the same category of room as him, which costs ₹45,000 for a night, and in one of the best hotels, it was very sizable.” 
In the same report, Vijay denied the allegations and was quoted saying, “I reached the location before time for trial. I reached the van, and Ravi Kishan came to meet me. The EP, Ashish, and the producer Kumar Mangat came to meet me, followed by director Vijay Arora. I stepped out of the van, and spotted Ajay Devgn standing around 25 metres away. I didn’t go to greet him as he was busy, and I continued to speak to my friends around. 25 minutes later, Mr Kumar Mangat came to me and said, ‘Aap Film Se Nikal Jaaye, Hum Aapko Nikal Rahe Hai (Please leave the film, we are firing you)’. The only misconduct from my end is, I didn’t greet Mr. Ajay Devgn. I didn’t even meet the crew, and these are the only people I interacted with. I was removed from the film 30 minutes of reaching the sets, as I didn’t greet Ajay Devgn. These are powerful people, and the chatter of misconduct doesn’t arise at all.”
The shooting of the action comedy sequel to the 2012 film Son of Sardaar is going on in the UK. The film, helmed by Vijay Kumar Arora, also stars Mrunal Thakur. The film has an extensive shoot schedule in the UK, followed by India. Son of Sardaar, directed by Ashwani Dhir, featured Ajay alongside Sonakshi Sinha.