This TV-actor was replaced by Ajay Devgn's nephew in 'Azaad'
What's the story
Getting replaced in a film can be tough, especially when it happens because of star power. Siddharth Nigam, a well-known television actor, was replaced by Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman in the movie Azaad.
Nigam's mother made this revelation during an interview with Instant Bollywood. She expressed her disappointment over the decision, saying it hurt as a mother to see her son being replaced by star kids.
The film also starred Rasha Thadani, Raveena Tandon's daughter.
Details
'We waited for a year...': Nigam's mother on 'Azaad' casting
Nigam's mother said, "I took him along for the meeting. The entire script was narrated, and we waited for a year."
"I was happy because the film was good, and Siddharth would have had a strong launch in Bollywood. I really loved the script."
"But suddenly, after two years, Siddharth showed me the poster of Azaad and...Then we saw that the film starred Ajay Devgn's nephew and Rasha."
Nigam's response
'Get your hopes up...': Nigam on being replaced
Nigam added, "There's no one to blame. This is the business industry, so there's no point in asking why they did it - they must have had their own reasons."
"It's more of a personal realization and pain. You get your hopes up thinking something might work out. We wait for an entire year, and then we see the teaser."
"So after watching it, we just thought, 'Oh okay, let's move on.'"
Film's background
'Azaad' marked the debuts of Devgan and Thadani
Azaad, a historical action drama, marked the Bollywood debuts of Devgan and Thadani. The film was directed by Abhishek Kapoor and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. It also starred Devgn and Diana Penty in lead roles.
Despite its star-studded cast, Azaad received mixed reviews from critics and failed to perform well at the box office, earning only ₹8 crore worldwide.