Buzz is: Akshay Kumar to replace Kartik Aaryan in Karan Johar's Dostana 2?

Just a couple of weeks ago it was reported that Kartik Aaryan was ousted from Karan Johar’s much-anticipated sequel to Dostana. If rumour mills are to be believed, the decision was apparently taken due to the actor’s attitude. Confirming the news of his exit, Dharma Productions posted an official statement on Twitter, choosing to maintain a dignified silence on the matter and informing that the production house will be recasting for the film. As per reports, Kartik's exit cost Dharma Productions a loss of more than Rs 20 crore as the shooting for the project, which also stars Janhvi Kapoor and television actor Laksh Lalwani was already underway. Soon, reports of Karan Johar pursuing actor Akshay Kumar to replace Kartik started doing the rounds.

Now, if recent reports are anything to go by, then apparently Akshay has finally agreed to the project and has also allotted time for the shooting. According to a report by Spotboye, the actor has agreed to start the shooting next year as he has other commitments to fulfil presently. However, an official statement from the actor or the production house on whether the star has joined the cast is yet to come.

Dostana 2 is the much-awaited sequel to the 2008 blockbuster movie Dostana that starred Priyanka Chopra, John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan. TV actor Laksh Lalwani will be making his silver screen debut with the project, taking up the role of Jahnvi's brother in the movie. The sequel will reportedly revolve around the story of two actors who fall in love with the same person. It is also anticipated that Dostana's original cast members Abhishek and John will make a cameo in the sequel. However, there hasn’t been any update on whether Priyanka will be a part of the project.

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar has been busy working on multiple projects. The Kesari actor recently started shooting for Anand L Rai's RakshaBandhan alongside Bhumi Pednekar and Pankaj Tripathi. Kumar already has Atrangi Re, Ram Setu, Bell Bottom and Sooryavanshi in his kitty. He was last seen in the horror-comedy Laxmii which premiered exclusively on Disney+Hotstar.