Ever since news came out that Ajay Devgn would be working with Alok Nath in De De Pyaar De, Ajay has been facing a lot of backlash. Tanushree Dutta called him a ‘hypocrite’ for his decision, and even writer/producer Vinta Nanda blasted Devgn.
Ajay Devgn has finally responded to the allegations, saying that he has been singled out as being ‘insensitive.’ “When the entire #MeToo Movement happened, I along with many of my film industry colleagues categorically expressed that I respect every single woman at the work place and I would not stand for any unfairness or atrocity against them. Nothing about my stand has changed,” he said in a statement.
The actor adds that about the question of having worked with Mr Alok Nath in my upcoming film De De Pyar De, he wants to put certain things in perspective. “This film was supposed to be an October 2018 release. The shoot of the film got over by last September. 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 over 10 actors. By the time the allegations came out (in October 2018) 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”, Ajay Devgn said.
He adds that the decision to replace Mr Alok Nath could not have been his alone. “In this case, 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,” he says in the statement.
“I reiterate I am extremely sensitive to the #MeToo movement. But 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.’’Ajay Devgn
“Had circumstances played out even slightly differently, I would have pushed for a different combination of actors. Unfortunately, this was not to be,” Ajay says.
Ajay Devgn will star opposite Tabu and Rakul Preet in De De Pyaar De.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)