After the great success of Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety, when filmmaker Luv Ranjan announced his next directorial (untitled) starring Ajay Devgn and Ranbir Kapoor, everybody was excited about the two powerhouse actors/stars coming together on screen again, after eight years (they were last seen together in Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti (2010). Both the stars have loved the script with Ranbir calling it a no-holds-barred, bold entertainer in media interviews and the release date, December 25, 2020 was announced recently. It’s been reported that the film is a hard-hitting father-son drama and will go on floors next year.
However a trade source says that since the announcement, buzz is that Luv Ranjan’s Ajay-Ranbir starrer has apparently run into some roadblocks. “The blockbuster success of Raj Kumar Hirani’s Sanju created problems for two people – Luv Ranjan and Sajid Khan, the director of Housefull 4. Sanjay Dutt left Housefull 4 as his brand value has increased tremendously after Sanju, which has cross Rs. 316 crore already. Nobody, including Ranbir, thought it would be such a huge hit so apparently the issue for Luv Ranjan’s film is now about profit-sharing as everything changed after Sanju. Sanju has taken a bigger opening than Race 3 on a non-holiday and from that time there’s talk that Ranbir wants a bigger share of the profits. He wants to re-structure the pay package. The movie doesn’t have a producer/ studio right now but it’s a hot cake proposal and anybody will produce it.”
There were even reports that Ranbir said no because it’s a father-son story and he is insecure about playing a son to Ajay’s father. The source refutes the rumour. “Why would Ranbir do that when he’s always said he loved the script in his pre-release interviews? Both Ranbir and Ajay are secure actors who know what they bring to the table. Before Sanju release, Ranbir was definitely interested in the emotional drama but after the film he apparently wants a change in the profit-sharing ratio, which before Sanju’s release was approximately 40 per cent for Ajay and Ranbir each and 20 per cent for Luv, as he’s known as a super hit director, when the project started. But today among the three, Ranbir is the biggest star so buzz is that Luv may ask Ranbir to take 60 per cent, Ajay to take 30 per cent and keep the rest himself. But finally Ranbir may agree and walk away with the lion’s share if he’s given 70 per cent and do the film – something which Ajay may not like.
While Ranbir may be doing Shamshera for Aditya Chopra and Raj Kumar Hirani’s next, both don’t pay their actors big fees so the negotiations with Ranbir are still on. He is doing the film for sure but the financial transactions have to be worked out. Apparently Luv is trying his best now to work out a deal with both his actors so that they both come aboard.”
As far as Ajay is concerned while Luv Ranjan’s film has been pushed to next year, the star himself too is neck-deep in his new projects from Luv’s production De De Pyar De, to Tanaaji, Chanakya, Boney Kapoor’s sports biopic and Son Of Sardar 2. Buzz is that he may do a special appearance in Rohit Shetty’s Simmba too so will he be able to do Luv’s directorial or will he opt out citing date problems?” Luv Ranjan who is currently in London for De De Pyar De remained unavailable for comment.
