Salman Khan rudely asked Om Puri to leave Dabangg set, alleges Abhinav Kashyap

Did Salman Khan tell Om Puri to leave Dabangg set?

Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, who helmed the 2010 blockbuster Dabangg, has made some serious allegations against Salman Khan. In a recent interview with Bollywood Thikana, the director claimed that tensions between Salman and late veteran actor Om Puri disrupted filming and that the superstar’s influence extended into post-production. He alleged this also affected the careers of co-stars like Mahie Gill.

Abhinav Kashyap recalled a particular scene that led to conflict between the two actors. He claimed that Salman was required to touch Om Puri’s feet in a sequence, portraying his character Chulbul Pandey’s respect toward Om Puri’s character. However, Salman reportedly refused. “He said he wouldn’t bow to Om Puri, no matter what,” he alleged. He stated the scene had to be rewritten multiple times to accommodate Salman’s demand.

According to Abhinav Kashyap, the constant changes frustrated Om Puri, who eventually confronted Salman. “Om Puri told him, ‘Why do you act this way? Allah has given you everything, why do you eat up everyone else’s role?’” Kashyap claimed. He further alleged that Salman responded rudely, saying, “If you don’t want to do it, then leave the film.”

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Despite the confrontation, Om Puri continued working on Dabangg, reportedly out of respect for Abhinav Kashyap, who was making his directorial debut.

Abhinav Kashyap also accused Salman Khan of interfering in the final cut of the film. He claimed that Mahie Gill, who played Arbaaz Khan’s love interest Nirmala, had her role significantly reduced in editing. “They treated her unfairly and ruined her career,” Kashyap alleged, expressing regret over how certain creative decisions impacted his cast members.

He further revealed that Dabangg was originally two hours and 45 minutes long but was shortened to two hours and 20 minutes for release — cuts that, he claimed, disproportionately reduced the screen time of other actors while preserving Salman’s portions. “The edits hurt the balance of the story,” the filmmaker said.

Abhinav also revealed that Mahie Gill was initially considered for the lead role of Rajjo, which eventually went to Sonakshi Sinha, who made her debut with the film. According to him, Mahie accepted a smaller role without objection, but the later edits sidelined her further.

Abhinav Kashyap also alleged that even Arbaaz Khan’s role was trimmed during post-production, although, he claimed, the matter was “settled privately” within the Khan family.

Salman Khan is currently shooting for his upcoming action film Battle of Galwan, which is expected to release in 2026.