Bollywood filmmakers seem to have caught the “sequel bug”, with over half a dozen sequels already in various stages of development. Joining this ever-expanding roster now is Desi Boyz 2, a sequel to Akshay Kumar and John Abraham’s 2011 romantic comedy, revolving around two cash-strapped, UK-based Indians turning to male escorting amid an economic downturn. The second part, however, is happening with a fresh cast and a new director.

PeepingMoon.com has exclusively learned that Akshay and John, who mesmerized audiences with their sizzling on-screen camaraderie in Desi Boyz, will not be returning for the sequel. “The makers intend to cast younger actors to cater to a new generation of viewers. The new film, however, has nothing to do with the original cast and plot. It follows a completely distinct storyline, with only similarity lying in the title, akin to the approach taken by Akshay and Tiger Shroff’s Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, where the title holds familiarity but the narrative bears no connection to the original Amitabh Bachchan-Govinda 1998 action-comedy,” a source said.

Apart from the casting changes, the directorial reins have also shifted for Desi Boyz 2. Lakshya Raj Anand, who directed John’s action thriller Attack, has been brought on board to helm it, replacing the previous film’s director, Rohit Dhawan. Anand has started working on the script with his writing team, aiming to have it ready for production by the end of this year. The makers will apparently start approaching actors once the script is in shape. Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, Eros International, and Parag Sanghvi jointly produce it.