Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, who made his Bollywood debut with the blockbuster Dabangg, has revealed surprising details about how the iconic project came together. In a recent interview with Bollywood Thikana, he shared that Randeep Hooda was his first choice for the role of Chulbul Pandey, but the idea was dismissed by Sohail Khan. Abhinav recalled narrating the story to Arbaaz Khan in a brief 15-minute session.
Arbaaz initially wanted to play the lead himself, but Kashyap suggested he was better suited for a supporting role. Eventually, Arbaaz agreed to produce the film under his banner. When Sohail Khan asked who Abhinav envisioned as the lead, the director suggested Randeep Hooda, explaining he wanted someone with a rough and tough presence. However, Sohail reportedly rejected the idea, questioning Randeep’s market value and pushing for a bigger star.
Abhinav said he also considered Sanjay Dutt and Sunny Deol, before mentioning Salman Khan as a possibility despite his then “rowdy image.” Sohail and Arbaaz quickly latched onto the idea and arranged for Abhinav to narrate the story to Salman on the set of Veer. Soon after, the Khan family signed him for the film with an advance cheque of ₹10 lakh.
The director also revealed Sonu Sood was his own suggestion for the villain, though Salman initially felt insecure about Sonu’s strong physique. According to Abhinav, Katrina Kaif convinced Salman to agree, and the rest became history as Dabangg went on to become a massive success.