Aarya Babbar was all set to shoot for director Aryeman Ramsay's upcoming film, 'Yeh Kaisa Khiladi' in which he was to essay the role of a police officer. However, the actor is no longer a part of the project. Reason? He refused to shave his beard.
"He was supposed to get rid of his beard for the film as he was playing a cop. Suddenly, I am told that he is not ready to do so because it will hamper his character Raavan's continuity on the TV show, Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman. We had no option but to drop him. I am trying to find a replacement now," informs Aryeman.
With the actor being dropped at the last minute, the shoot of the film has been delayed. "He was supposed to start shooting on March 12 and I was informed about his refusal to shave off his beard around March 9 or 10," adds the director.
However, Babbar has a different story to narrate. The actor insists that he wasn't ousted from the project but left it. He says, "The makers never gave it to me in writing that I will have to shave my beard. I was informed just a week before we were to start shooting."
"I think an actor is chosen because of his acting ability and not because of his facial hair. Raavan is a hit character; I would not trim a beard for a film whose future is uncertain," he adds.
The actor further claims that the makers have not signed a contract with him. "There is no legal document which states that Aarya Babbar is doing the film. Yes, they had given me a signing amount but the day it became clear that I wouldn't do the project, I was man enough to return the money."
