In a shocking turn of events, Saif Ali Khan’s replacement by Salman Khan in Race 3 (2018) left fans reeling, especially since Saif had been the lead star in the first two films of the franchise, with Race 2 (2013) being his highest-grosser at the time. Producer Ramesh S. Taurani confirmed that Saif was indeed upset about being replaced, citing it as a business decision due to the actor’s recent box office disappointments.
But Saif is not the only star to have been replaced in a sequel of a hit film. Take, for example, Akshay Kumar in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), whose iconic performance led to the success of the film. However, in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 (2022), Kartik Aaryan stepped into his shoes, claiming that the story demanded a younger actor. Similarly, Abhishek Bachchan was replaced by Saif Ali Khan in Bunty Aur Babli 2 (2021) after alleged differences with producer Aditya Chopra.
Dream Girl (2019) introduced audiences to the fresh chemistry between Ayushmann Khurrana and Nushrratt Bharuccha, but the latter was replaced by Ananya Panday in the sequel, Dream Girl 2 (2023), leading to disappointment on Nushrrat’s part. And let’s not forget Sharman Joshi, whose role as Laxman in Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006) was a fan favorite, only to be replaced by Shreyas Talpade due to scheduling conflicts in Golmaal Returns (2008).
The list goes on, with Arshad Warsi being replaced by Akshay Kumar in Jolly LLB 2 (2017), much to the disappointment of fans, only to reunite with him in Jolly LLB 3. The question now remains – which actor from this list do you believe should not have been replaced in the sequel of their film? Let us know your thoughts!
