Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn’s Tom & Jerry game in Rascals : Bollywood News

Oops, David did it again. Partner 2 has been hijacked by Rascals. Govinda's Partner 2 with Salman Khan will not happen any more, and for a very good reason. The theme of two sparring buddy-dushmans is already being done with Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt by David Dhawan in Rascals. And to have the same theme return in another avatar with Govinda and Salman seems not only repetitive but also self-defeating.

Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn’s Tom & Jerry game in Rascals

In fact the buddies-on-the-warpath theme has haunted David Dhawan's cinema forever.

Now it can be told. David Dhawan has modelled Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn's characters in Rascals on his favourite cartoon characters Tom & Jerry.

Apparently, the 3Ds... David, Dutt and Devgan are big Tom & Jerry fans. Says a source, "When Sanjay Dutt turned producer for the first time he was keen on David as director because David specializes in turning Tom & Jerry cartoons into desi movie experiences. Sanjay Dutt first asked David to write a screen-and-shout version of Tom & Jerry with Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor as the two warring parties. When that didn't work out, David was asked to write the two most famous cartoon combatants with Dutt and Devgn in mind. That's how Rascals was born."

When asked David Dhawan admits the source of inspiration is Tom & Jerry. "If you look at my films, they are all inspired by the same spirit of one-upmanship...Govinda and Chunky Pandey in Aankhen, Anil Kapoor and Govinda in Deewana Mastana, Amitji and Govinda in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Govinda and Sanju (Dutt) in Haseena Maan Jayegi, Salman and Akshay Kumar in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Salman and Sohail in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya...Sanju and Ajay in Rascals follow the same route."

David feels Salman is best suited to such tu-tu-main-main films. Now that Partner 2 is not working out, David plans another film with Salman. "We will do something together very soon. If not Partner then something else."