Ajay Devgn: Decision to replace Alok Nath couldn't have been mine alone

Ajay Devgn

In an exclusive interview to mid-day on Thursday, Tara writer Vinta Nanda expressed her disappointment with Ajay Devgn for retaining Alok Nath's portions in De De Pyaar De, despite her accusing the senior actor of rape, last year. Now, Devgn - who has faced backlash for Nath's inclusion since the trailer launched online earlier this month - has opened up on how circumstances played a role in the makers' decision to not replace the senior actor.

Pledging his allegiance to the ongoing #MeToo movement, Devgn said, "When the #MeToo movement happened, I, along with many of my film industry colleagues, categorically expressed that I respect every single woman at the workplace and I would not stand for any unfairness or atrocity against them. Nothing about my stand has changed."

The actor further added that the Akiv Ali-directed comedy had wrapped up by last September, since it was slated to release in October 2018. "The portions with Mr Alok Nath were canned by August in Manali. The said portions were shot over 40 days across various sets and an outdoor location with a combination of over 10 actors. By the time the allegations came out, the actors in the film, including me, had already started work on other films.

It would be near impossible to get all the dates and combinations of the several actors in the film and attempt a re-shoot with some other actor replacing Mr Nath. It would also have been a huge monetary loss for the producers. Everyone is aware that filmmaking is a collaborative process. The decision to replace Mr Nath could never have been mine alone. I would have to go with the joint decision of the entire unit. Not to forget, I could not have brought the entire combination of actors back or put up sets again for a 40-day re-shoot because this would mean doubling the budget, which again wasn't my call to make. It would have to be the call of the makers.

Had circumstances played out even slightly differently, I would have pushed for a different combination of actors. Unfortunately, this was not to be.'' Reiterating his support for the #MeToo movement, he added, "When circumstances are beyond me, I don't see why an attempt is being made to single me out as being insensitive. This is untrue."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates