Abhishek Bachchan died in Sarkar 2 and Aishwarya’s character took over the reins for a while. The movie ended on an open note with Amitabh Bachchan’s character, Subhash Nagre, demanding that he wanted to see Kay Kay Menon’s son Chikoo, so that he could train him to take over the empire. Ranbir Kapoor was offered the role of the grown-up Chikoo.

An insider says, ‘Ranbir has great respect for RGV and his films, but he is a professional. He is on a roll right now, and all his films have been very different from each other. He played a romantic loser in Saawariya, and then, in Bachna Ae Haseeno, he was a playboy. In Wake Up, Sid!,  he was the confused and immature titular character who grows up, and in Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani, he played Prem, a happy-go-lucky simpleton. In his forthcoming film, Rajneeti, he is playing the heir to a political empire. His role in Sarkar 3 is very similar to Rajneeti, which is why he refused it. He wants to do something new and different in each film. Even Anjana-Anjani is a love story, but the twist is that there are only two primary characters in the movie.’

Ranbir’s refusal to do the film has not gone down very well with RGV, and he has scrapped plans of making the film altogether. He knows that Ranbir Kapoor is an actor who can convince the audience, no matter what he is doing, which is why he wanted to cast the talented actor. He cannot think of anyone else who can fill in Ranbir’s shoes.

RGV has denied plans of making Sarkar 3 and approaching Ranbir or anybody else for any role. Ranbir Kapoor was unavailable for comment.