Sidharth Malhotra rejected Ek Villain 2?

Starring Shraddha Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh in lead roles, Ek Villain was one of the most successful films of 2014. Made on a moderate budget, the psychological thriller went on to net more than ₹ 100 crore domestically. Its music, composed by Ankit Tiwari and Mithoon, is popular among listeners even today.

When Ek Villain 2 was announced a couple of weeks ago, many people thought that Sidharth Malhotra might return to play the lead role in the sequel. But most of them were in for a surprise when the makers went on to announce a completely new star cast for the sequel. However, it appears that the actor might have turned down the offer to star in the second instalment of the franchise.

“Perhaps Sidharth Malhotra knew the villain would again walk away with all the praise. It happened with Riteish Deshmukh who played the villain in Ek Villain, a source informs an entertainment portal.

We hear that the actor wanted to play the antagonist this time around, but director Mohit Suri was not keen to have him in a villainous avatar. However, the duo is expected to collaborate again for the third instalment of the Aashiqui franchise. Suri is expected to begin work on Aashiqui 3 once Ek Villain 2 gets wrapped up.

Ek Villain 2 stars John Abraham, Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria in central characters. Ekta Kapoor and Bhushan Kumar have come together to bankroll the film under the banners of Balaji Motion Pictures and T-Series Films respectively. The team is looking at beginning production once the Coronavirus outbreak is curbed and the industry starts functioning again.

Ek Villain 2 is slated to release on 8^th January 2020.