In a surprising turn of events, Saif Ali Khan has reportedly walked out of filmmaker Sneha Taurani’s upcoming project, days before the shooting of the film is to begin.
The actor, who was officially committed to the project and even attended its mahurat ceremony on October 27, 2025, has now opted out of it, leaving the makers and producers scrambling for a replacement.
A source close to the development revealed, “They didn’t feel it was the right film for them,” though the decision came much later than expected, creating last-minute challenges for the team.
The film is being produced by one of Bollywood’s most established producers, Ramesh Taurani, who has previously worked with Saif in blockbusters like Race, Race 2 and Bhootpolice (2021). He even did ‘Kya Kehna’ produced by Ramesh Taurani in 2000, both of which are very old. Reportedly, Ramesh Taurani has wasted no time and has now cast Sunny Kaushal in the role that was originally meant for Saif. Kaushal reunited with director Sneha Taurani after their 2020 film Bhangra Pa Le.
Industry insiders say that Taurani is “extremely upset” with Saif pulling out at the last minute and is unlikely to work with the actor again, raising doubts over Saif’s participation in Race 4 and Bhoot Police 2.
At a time when the industry is grappling with mounting losses, actors backing out of confirmed projects has become a worrying trend, putting additional pressure on producers and release schedules.
IHNS contacted Saif Ali Khan and Ramesh Taurani at the time of publication, but both did not comment.
