Singaporean content creator Kiki Darling has stepped down from Jack Neo’s upcoming film Ah Boys To Firefighters after his previous sexual assault conviction resurfaced online, prompting the production team to recast his role and remove his filmed scenes.
Kiki, 24, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, had been introduced on Aug. 31 as one of the four new leading men in the highly anticipated movie. The production had selected the newcomers following an open casting call that attracted more than 1,000 hopefuls.
The development came just days after the cast was publicly unveiled, turning what had been promoted as the launch of a new generation of Ah Boys actors into an unexpected casting crisis.
What happened to Kiki Darling?
The controversy centers on a 2020 sexual assault case that was previously reported by CNA.
According to CNA’s 2021 court report, Hari was 20 when he sexually assaulted a 23-year-old male friend who was almost unconscious after drinking alcohol at a friend’s apartment. The court heard that Hari sexually assaulted the victim in a bedroom and recorded seven video clips of the incident. Police later recovered the recordings during their investigation after Hari had deleted them.
Hari pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of making an obscene film. A separate molestation charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.
Because he was under 21 at the time of sentencing, he was sentenced to at least six months of reformative training, a rehabilitation programme for young offenders who commit serious crimes. The prosecution had noted that an adult offender could have faced at least six years’ imprisonment and caning for the sexual assault offence.
How the film production responded
The production team said it only verified the previous conviction on Sept. 8, after information about Hari’s past began circulating online.
A spokesperson for the film said the team had been surprised by the revelation and that none of the production crew had been aware of his previous conviction. After discussions with Hari, he agreed to step down from the project.
His role as Ramesh Menon, one of the young National Servicemen assigned to the same fire station, will now be recast.
The production will also remove his existing scenes and conduct reshoots with a replacement actor. The team indicated that the changes are not expected to significantly affect the planned theatrical release.
From major casting reveal to sudden exit
The timing has made the controversy particularly striking.
Just days before the revelation, Kiki had appeared alongside Jack Neo and the other new leads during a set visit at Punggol Fire Station on Aug. 31. He was being positioned as one of the fresh faces of the next Ah Boys instalment.
The movie is expected to continue the franchise’s focus on young Singaporean National Servicemen, this time following four recruits posted to the same fire station.
Reports from AsiaOne, Mothership and The Straits Times all confirm that Kiki has left the production and that his role will be recast.
A production now facing a difficult reset
The production team has indicated that future casting processes will be tightened following the incident, including stronger checks and clearer expectations for actors to disclose relevant past convictions.
For the film itself, however, the immediate priority is clear: find a replacement actor, remove Kiki’s existing footage and complete the necessary reshoots ahead of its planned 2027 Chinese New Year release.
The case has also renewed public discussion about rehabilitation, disclosure of previous convictions and the responsibilities of entertainment productions when casting performers with criminal histories.
Importantly, the underlying conviction is not a new allegation: it dates back to the 2020 incident and the 2021 court proceedings. What is new is its connection to Kiki Darling’s high-profile casting in Ah Boys To Firefighters and the production’s decision to remove him after verifying the conviction.
Leave a Reply