Has Kartik Aaryan lost out on yet another film?

After being ousted from filmmaker Karan Johar’s Dostana 2, and subsequently from Shah Rukh Khan’s production, Freddie, rumour mills are abuzz that actor Kartik Aaryan may have lost out on yet another potential project.

According to sources, Aaryan was roped in by filmmaker Aanand L Rai for his yetuntitled production — a gangster film — but he is no longer a part of it.

“Kartik was in advanced level talks with Aanand, and had read the script and heard the narration, too. But, before he could sign on the dotted line, things fell apart,” the source tells us, adding that Rai’s assistant was to direct this film.

The reports that Aaryan and Rai are teaming up for a film surfaced in February this year when the actor was snapped outside the filmmaker’s Mumbai office. While the actual reason for the project not working out is still unknown, the source adds, “The fact that Karan dropped Kartik seems to have influenced others. So, this could be the third instance where Kartik maybe losing out on getting to work with an established filmmaker like Aanand.”

That’s not it. Apparently, Aaryan is not even aware that the makers have already replaced him with another actor. “Aanand is now considering Ayushmann Khurrana for this film with who he had earlier collaborated on Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), so it’s not a surprise if he may have readily come on board,” the source reveals.

When we spoke to Rai, he said nothing was formalised with Aaryan and without getting into further details, he added, “As a production house, we work on several scripts and pitch it to actors — that’s the process. Actors keep meeting you, you keep telling them what you are working on, they express their desire to collaborate. And then, depending upon the subject, you decide if you should approach them. But that doesn’t mean you have signed them.”

When prodded further if Khurrana has come on board for the said project, the filmmaker said, “I have a story, which we would soon make with Ayushmann.”

We reached out to Aaryan for a comment but got no official response from him.

You keep telling actors what you are working on, they express desire to collaborate... But that doesn’t mean you have signed them.

AANAND L RAI, Filmmaker

PHOTO: PRABHAS ROY/HT NOTE TO READERS: Some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. No sponsored content does or shall appear in any part of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers.