Days after announcing his exit from Laxmmi Bomb, director Raghava on how producers sidestepped him
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 21, 2019)

Hours after the first look of Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi Bomb was unveiled on Saturday, director Raghava Lawrence sent shockwaves in the industry by announcing his exit from the project. The filmmaker — who has written, produced and directed the original Tamil film, Muni 2: Kanchana (2011) on which the remake is based — hinted at creative differences with producers Tusshar Kapoor and Shabina Khan as he announced his decision on Twitter.

Speaking to mid-day, Lawrence, who was to foray into Bollywood with the horror comedy featuring Kiara Advani, expressed his disappointment at the turn of events. “How could they release the first look of my film without discussing it with me? As a director, that hurt me the most. There was no communication from their end. It made me feel like a fool, as if I [deserve] no respect and am not important at all. All I wanted was that they keep me updated rather than keep me in a blindspot.” The team is reportedly scouting for a new director. When quizzed if the makers reached out to him to make amends, he refused to comment on the matter.

However, the director asserted that, his bitter fall-out with the makers notwithstanding, he has the highest regard for his leading man. “My lawyer will sort the matter out with the production house. But I have no issues with Akshay sir. I don’t want him to feel bad as he has been preparing intensely for the character. That is the reason I am willing to give my script to them.”