Fans eagerly waiting for the sequel to Son of Sardaar were in for a surprise as Ajay Devgn took to social media on Thursday to announce the release date of his upcoming action comedy, Son of Sardaar 2.

“Sardaar is back!” the actor declared, sharing the poster on his X account. “The Return of the Sardaar  #SOS2 in cinemas near you on 25th July,” he wrote. The poster shows Ajay sporting a turban, standing atop two army tanks, confidently twirling his moustache.

Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, Son of Sardaar 2 features Mrunal Thakur in the lead alongside Ajay. Unlike the original 2012 film which starred Sonakshi Sinha, the sequel is reportedly starting afresh rather than continuing the earlier storyline, according to HT.

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The film has been surrounded by controversy from the outset. According to Pinkvilla, actor Vijay Raaz was removed from the project due to unprofessional behaviour.

Additionally, Sanjay Dutt, who was originally cast to play Jassi opposite Ajay’s Billu, was reportedly dropped over visa issues. He has been replaced by actor Ravi Kishan.

Meanwhile, Ajay is also gearing up for the release of Maa, a film he has co-produced, starring his wife Kajol.

Directed by Vishal Furia, the film sees Kajol as a fiercely protective mother defending her daughter from mysterious forces. Maa is set to hit theatres on June 27.

Ajay was last seen in Raid 2, reprising his role as IRS officer Amay Patnaik.