Here is the complete breakdown of the legal mess that currently has movie sets sitting empty in Lucknow.
The Lawsuit: The Missing "Third Film" ⚖️
The Contract: Raaj Shaandilyaa had signed a lucrative three-film deal with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms.
The Dispute: After delivering two massive hits for the banner (Dream Girl and Dream Girl 2), Raaj was contractually obligated to helm a third project. However, Ekta's legal team alleges he bypassed this commitment and jumped ship to direct an outside project—Bhagam Bhag 2.
The Allegations: The petition claims Raaj failed to obtain a mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Balaji before taking on the new film, and allegedly refused to refund the advance payment he had already received for his pending third movie.
The Casualty: 'Bhagam Bhag 2' Derailed 🎬
Ekta didn't just sue the director; her legal team also sent a firm notice to the producers of Bhagam Bhag 2 (Ashwin Varde and Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films), demanding an immediate halt to the production.
The Halted Schedule: The film was all set to go on floors this past Monday (March 2, 2026) for a major 25-day schedule in Lucknow. Due to the legal threat of an injunction, the makers were forced to hit the pause button.
The Financial Hit: Industry insiders suggest that proceeding with the shoot under an active legal notice could lead to wasting crores of rupees in production costs if the court officially stalls it mid-shoot.
What We Know About 'Bhagam Bhag 2' So Far 🎭
The Cast: Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal are reprising their iconic roles from the 2006 Priyadarshan classic. Interestingly, Manoj Bajpayee has stepped in to replace Govinda for this installment.
The Leading Ladies: The new film features Meenakshi Chaudhary and Dhurandhar fame Ayesha Khan.
The Future: Until Raaj Shaandilyaa returns his advance and negotiates a clean exit from the Balaji deal—or Balaji negotiates a co-production credit—the film remains stuck. If the dispute drags on, the makers might have to look for a completely new director to save the actors' allocated dates.
SantaBanta Verdict:
It is a classic case of Bollywood boardroom battles spilling onto the film sets! Ironically, while Akshay Kumar and Ekta Kapoor are happily collaborating right now to promote their upcoming horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla (releasing April 10), their banners are clashing heavily over this sequel. With Hera Pheri 3 already stuck in legal limbo over rights issues, it seems Akshay's legendary comedy franchises just can't catch a break from the courtrooms!
