Fearing nepotism debate Karan Johar to cast outsider in Dostana 2?

Karan Johar's upcoming production venture Dostana 2 had hit a roadblock after the producer had to oust film's leading man Kartik Aaryan due to professional circumstances. For Kartik's replacement, KJo is reportedly insistent on bringing in an outsider to avoid nepotism debate.

Hyderabad: Bollywood producer Karan Johar is on the lookout for an outsider who can fill in Kartik Aaryan's shoes for Dostana 2. Karan is acting very cautious as far as Kartik's replacement is concerned as the Dharma Productions' head honcho is aiming for a smooth ride ahead after the Kartik Aaryan fiasco.

Kartik's exit from Dostana 2 created ripples across tinselville. After Karitk's ousting, several names are doing rounds but the makers are yet to bring an actor whose presence can wipe out all the negativity attached to the project. Rajkummar Rao, Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Akshay Kumar, the team at Dharma is brainstorming hard on Kartik's replacement.

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Karan, however, is more inclined to get Akshay on board for the film. According to reports, Karan's decision to bring Akshay in Kartik's replacement is a calculative move as he is one of the biggest and most bankable stars and his association with the project will take the Dostana franchise to the next level. Moreover, KJo is also shielding himself against the nepotism charges which can hound him if he signs any insider for the role.

Directed by Collin D'Cunha, Dostana 2 stars Janhvi Kapoor and TV actor Lakshya, who will be making his debut with the film.