Abhinav Kashyap alleges Salman Khan rudely asked Om Puri to leave Dabangg set and also 'ruined' a co-star's career

Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, best known for directing the 2010 blockbuster Dabangg, has sparked fresh debate by speaking about alleged conflicts on the film’s set. Recently, Bollywood's bhaijaan, Salman Khan, also subtly reacted to the claims, and now the director has made claims in a recent interview. He alleged that tensions arose between Salman Khan and co-stars, particularly the late veteran actor Om Puri, which impacted the production and even influenced the film’s final edit.

Salman Khan refused to touch Om Puri's feet, says Kashyap

While talking to a media portal, Abhinav Kashyap recalled that one specific scene, in which Salman’s character Chulbul Pandey was required to touch Om Puri’s feet, became a major point of contention. According to the director, Salman refused to perform the sequence and insisted that he would not bow to Puri. This reportedly forced him to rewrite the scene multiple times to accommodate the superstar’s demands, creating a tense environment on set.


The filmmaker further alleged that Om Puri became frustrated with the repeated changes and confronted Salman about consuming too much screen time at the expense of other actors. Kashyap told Bollywood Thikana that the veteran actor reportedly told Salman, "Why do you act this way? Allah has given you so much, why do you eat up everyone else’s role?" According to Kashyap, Om Puri refused to perform the scene, to which Salman allegedly replied harshly, "If you don’t want to do it, then leave the film."

Despite the confrontation, Om Puri eventually agreed to continue with the project, reportedly out of respect for Kashyap, who was making his directorial debut.

Abhinav Kashyap also claimed that Salman’s influence extended beyond the set, affecting the film’s final cut. The director said that Mahie Gill’s role, originally planned to be substantial, was significantly reduced during editing. He expressed concern that these changes negatively impacted her career. He said, "They treated her unfairly and ruined her career."

Similarly, he alleged that Arbaaz Khan’s role was also curtailed, though this was reportedly settled privately within the Khan family.

Abhinav Kashyap on final editing of Dabangg

According to Kashyap, Dabangg was originally around 2 hours and 45 minutes long, but was shortened to 2 hours and 20 minutes for release. However, he insisted that the edits disproportionately affected co-stars’ screen time, rather than Salman’s sequences.

He also revealed that Mahie Gill was initially offered the lead role of Rajjo, which eventually went to Sonakshi Sinha, and was later cast as Arbaaz Khan’s love interest. She reportedly accepted the role without objection, despite receiving a reduced portion of the story.


Looking back at the experience, the director said he regretted how decisions made during the production and post-production stages affected his co-stars. He expressed that Mahie Gill and others were unfairly treated, and he believes these choices had lasting consequences on their careers.

This revelation has once again reignited discussions around on-set dynamics in Bollywood. Now, netizens are looking forward to watch Salman Khan has to say. He is currently shooting for his next Battle Of Galwan.