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There is a big change in the casting of Bollywood’s much talked about comedy sequel *No Entry 2*. According to reports, just a few weeks after Diljit Dosanjh’s exit, Varun Dhawan has also walked out of the film. Directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Boney Kapoor, the film was considered a spiritual successor to the 2005 blockbuster starring Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. Now the search is on for a new lead male trio, while Arjun Kapoor is still attached to the film.

Dhawan, who was initially quite excited about the multi-starrer, has reportedly backed out of the film due to a mismatch of dates with *Bhediya 2*. This horror-comedy sequel is scheduled to release in mid-2026. “Varun was all set, but after Dosanjh backed out, there were a lot of conflicts due to schedule changes,” a source from the production told Mid-Day, noting that tireless efforts to save his participation failed. Neither Dhawan nor his team has issued any official comment, but sources say that the separation is amicable and his franchise commitments are being given priority.

Dosanjh’s exit in August was due to conflicts with busy global tours like the ‘Aura Tour’ and the shooting of *Border 2* and *Sardaarji 3*, and not due to creative differences as was earlier speculated—although some reports had hinted at a change in the story. Boney Kapoor candidly spoke to NDTV: “We had a good relationship; the dates were not matching. Diljit and I are thinking of working on a Punjabi project soon.” He lamented the absence of the original trio, and hinted at the addition of 10 lead actresses to bring new chaos to the script’s tangled love triangle.

Arjun Kapoor, undeterred by the turmoil, remains in the lead role, and the producers are discussing new cast members. “We are reworking the line-ups to keep the laughs intact,” the source added, “and are keeping an eye on artists who blend humor and accessibility.” Reminiscent of Bipasha Basu’s bubbly acts, rumors continue to cast Tamannaah Bhatia in an important role.

Dhawan, who recently came out of the romantic comedy *Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari* with Janhvi Kapoor, Rohit Saraf and Sanya Malhotra, is moving on to *Bhediya 2* and *Border 2* with Sunny Deol and Ahan Shetty – ironically, there he will be sharing screen space with Dosanjh. Shocked by this double shock, fans are flooded with appeals for the return of the old cast on social media, but Kapoor is looking to start shooting in June 2025.

As *No Entry 2* heads into this phase, the stakes are rising: will the new cast be able to recreate the Rs 135 crore magic of the original? Updates about new faces may come soon, which will restart the discussion for Bazmee’s film.