Yug Devgn lends voice to Karate Kid: Legends in Hindi with Ajay Devgn; netizens cry nepotism

Bollywood actors Ajay Devgn and Kajol's son, Yug, is making his debut in films. The 14-year-old has lent his voice to the Hindi version of Karate Kid: Legends, where he stars alongside his father.

Yug has dubbed for the character Li Fong, originally played by Ben Wang, while Ajay Devgn has voiced the iconic character Mr. Han, portrayed by Jackie Chan. This marks the first time Ajay has lent his voice to any character in a film.

At the Hindi trailer launch held in Mumbai, Ajay and Yug made a joint appearance. The father-son duo shared candid moments on stage, with Yug calling Ajay his inspiration, and a proud Ajay expressing how "very proud" he was of his son.

Ajay said, "I didn't talk to him about any of the dubbing process; I just told him to be confident and go ahead. I feel very proud, and I remember that when he was rehearsing, the very first day I got a call from the studio that they wanted to keep a few of his recordings to use in the film because they were very good. He even called me up after taking the required permission and made me hear the dialogues he had recorded."

On the other hand, Yug said, "I actually got inspired by him (Ajay) because he has always done so well, and all of you know that. I love him, and he is the reason I am doing this."

Yug also revealed that Ajay trains him whenever they go to the gym together, and that he takes after his father when it comes to fitness.

Ajay went on to share that he is a huge fan of Jackie Chan, saying, "I've been following him since his first film, and I've loved all of them, even the series Cobra Kai."

Let's take a look at what netizens have to say about the dubbing and trailer

The Hindi trailer of the film has received mixed responses from fans. While some praised the young star's voice work in the Hindi version, others reignited the nepotism debate.

A user wrote, "Soon the industry is gonna be an echo chamber filled with all nepo artists it's the reason for Bollywood's downhill doesn't matter how ugly it gets these guys will not stop and force their kids into this industry and we will keep getting mediocre performances and one day the bar will be too low that we will praise this mediocrity.."

Another wrote, "Now nepos have started hijacking voice over as well. First Srk and his sons, now this. Sad how there's already limited opportunity for immensely talented voice over actors and now nepotism has affected them."

Ajay Devgn took to his Instagram Story to promote the Hindi version of the trailer. Sharing the video, he wrote, "Action. Karate. Legacy. Dekhna bhi aur dhyaan se sunna bhi!"

Directed by Jonathan Entwistle, Karate Kid: Legends features a stellar cast including Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen.

Set in New York City, the film follows kung fu prodigy Li Fong as he adjusts to life in a new school, forms unexpected friendships, and finds himself in an intense showdown with a local karate champion.

Sony Pictures Entertainment India's Karate Kid: Legends is slated to hit theatres on May 30. The film will be released in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.