Tollywood actor Jeet has finally broken his silence on Raihan Rafi’s much-discussed film Lion, confirming that he will no longer be part of the project.
The film was announced on Jeet’s birthday in 2024, but shooting never began despite plans for a large-scale, big-budget production. Indian producer Shyam Sundar Dey later confirmed the project. Rafi had previously said the shoot was delayed because of the scale of the production.
More than two years after the announcement, however, the project has made no visible progress.
Jeet discussed Lion during an interview with an Indian media outlet while promoting his new film Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat, which releases in West Bengal Friday.
“The film is not happening. There are several reasons behind it. The producer who was planning it and with whom we were moving forward is going through a difficult period. Relations between Bangladesh and India had also deteriorated,” Jeet said.
He added that the political situation in Bangladesh had also contributed to the delay. “When something stops midway, restarting it takes a lot of time,” he said.
According to Jeet, Rafi wanted to revive the project, but he declined the proposal. He said he had also clearly communicated his decision to the director.
Bangladeshi actor Sariful Razz was also expected to star alongside Jeet. Rafi had previously said Lion would be a Bangladesh-India joint production, with a Bangladeshi production company also set to join the project.
Rafi has yet to issue an official response to Jeet’s decision.
