Actor Ileana D’Cruz, who played Ajay Devgn‘s wife in Raid, was replaced by Vaani Kapoor in the sequel — a casting change that left many fans puzzled. Now, Ileana has finally revealed why she didn’t return for Raid 2, and her response is winning hearts on social media. (Also Read: Raid 2 trailer: Ajay Devgn creates chakravyuh for Riteish Deshmukh in thrilling story high on nostalgia)
Ileana D’Cruz breaks silence on absence from Raid 2
During an AMA session on Instagram, a fan asked, “Missed you in Raid 2 and missing you in Indian films. When are you making a comeback?” In response, Ileana revealed that she had been offered the role in Raid 2 but declined it due to scheduling issues. She wrote, “I miss working in movies too, and I would have loved to be a part of Raid 2. Raid was a special film, and Malini was such a special character to play. Working with my director, Raj Kumar Gupta, was a wonderful experience, as was working with Ajay again. The makers of Raid 2 did offer the movie to me, but unfortunately, we couldn’t work out the schedule, given that I had just had my baby and my priorities are very different at the moment.”
She also praised Vaani Kapoor, who replaced her in the film, and wrote, “That said, I think Vaani looked lovely in all the promos I’ve seen and I’m sure she brought her own lovely charm to her character. Hope that clears any confusion.”
A Reddit user shared Ileana’s reply on the platform, and fans couldn’t stop appreciating the actor for her grace and humility. One comment read: “Wow, what a lovely gracious reply. First time I’ve ever heard a heroine praise someone else so much. Ileana was always too classy for Bollywood.” Another added, “Just lifted her competitor up without any selfishness.”
Fans also defended Ileana when a Reddit user remarked that she should have clarified the situation earlier to avoid backlash for the makers. One user wrote: “She has a lot more to do in her life than post on social media about why she is or isn’t doing projects.” Another said, “Lol what? She declined and moved on in life. Why does she owe clarifications?”
About Raid 2
Helmed by Raj Kumar Gupta, the film is a sequel to Raid and stars Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles, along with Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Supriya Pathak and Amit Sial in key roles. In a month, the film has collected ₹228 crore worldwide.
