Mumbai, June 27 (AHN) Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, who starred opposite Ajay Devgn in the 2012 hit ‘Son of Sardaar,’ addressed her absence from the upcoming sequel, “Son of Sardaar 2.”

Speaking to AHN, the Akira actress explained that such casting decisions are a normal part of the industry and nothing to dwell on. Talking about not being part of the next installment, Sonakshi said that the story is likely to take a different direction, with new characters, and she completely respects that. “It's understandable that the story would be something else. The characters would not be the same. And that's completely fair,” she remarked.

Sinha shared that she has grown to understand the dynamics of filmmaking. “I think as a professional. We’ve worked in the industry for so many years. We understand all these things. It’s a small thing, not a big deal. It doesn’t affect me at all.”

“Son of Sardaar,” directed by Ashwni Dhir, starred Sonakshi in the lead role alongside Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Juhi Chawla. The romantic comedy, a remake of 2010 Telugu film Maryada Ramanna, it was released on 13 November 2012.

The upcoming sequel stars Ajay and Mrunal Thakur in the lead roles. Helmed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the upcoming installment comes almost 12 years after the original Son of Sardaar. The sequel is set for a box-office clash with “Param Sundari”, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor.

On June 19, Ajay Devgn took to Instagram to announce the release date of Son of Sardaar 2,’ officially titled ‘The Return of the Sardaar.’ Sharing a new poster featuring him wearing a turban, he wrote “The Return of the Sardaar #SOS2 in cinemas near you on 25th July. #SardaarIsBack #SonOfSardaar2” @mrunalthakur @officialjiostudios @devgnfilms @tseries.official.”

In the upcoming sequel, backed by Jio Studios, Devgn Films, and T-Series, Sanjay Dutt is set to reprise his role as Don, while Sanjay Mishra will step into a role that was initially planned for Vijay Raaz, originally played by Ravi Kishan in the first film.