It had been earlier reported that Prateik lost out on Shoojit Sircar's Second Time Lucky because the production house, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, had apprehensions about casting the actor in a complex character.
Apparently, this decision was taken after watching his lackluster performance in Prakash Jha's Aarakshan. Now, however, the real reason seems to be something else. Buzz is that Prateik lost out on the film because he demanded an exorbitant fee, which the producers didn't feel he deserved.
A source close to actor says, "Prateik demanded rupees 1.5 crore for the film. Since some of his films have not worked in the past, the producers were apprehensive about paying him so much. The producers are not sure if they would be able to recover the money."
The source adds, "Prateik never gets into the financial details. It's basically his manager, who takes such calls. One and half crore is not a huge amount considering the pay packages of other stars but Prateik still has to prove himself. Things may turn in his favour overnight, if he gives a hit."
Reportedly, actor also lost out on Tigmanshu Dhulia's Milan Talkies because of the same reason. Prateik and the production house remained unavailable for comment.