Bollywood superstar Salman Khan recently resurfaced in the news due to candid revelations from an old interview, where he opened up about his deliberate decision to turn down iconic roles. The actor shared his reasons for not being cast in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Devdas' and why he refused the lead in the blockbuster 'Baazigar'.
The 'Devdas' Decision: A Matter of Principle
In a past conversation with journalist Subhash K. Jha, Salman Khan was directly questioned about any potential disappointment over missing out on the titular role in 'Devdas'. The film, which eventually starred Shah Rukh Khan, was directed by Bhansali, with whom Salman had previously collaborated on successful projects like 'Khamoshi' and 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'.
The actor's response was unequivocal: he harbored no ill feelings. He explained that his choice of roles has always been heavily influenced by the potential impact on his audience, particularly the youth. "I don’t want to play any character which can influence the young generation wrongly," Salman stated, highlighting a core principle guiding his career choices at the time.
Learning from 'Radhe' and Avoiding Negative Influence
Elaborating on his philosophy, Salman Khan cited his own character Radhe from the film 'Tere Naam' as an example. He revealed that he consciously warned his fans against emulating the character's destructive actions. "My warning about Radhe to the audience is, do not follow his wrong actions in life, but learn from his mistakes," he said. This mindset extended to his rejection of roles that glorified tragic or self-destructive behavior in the name of love.
The actor expressed a clear preference for portraying characters with "a clean heart." He argued that while older cinematic narratives often romanticized heroes sacrificing their lives for love, such actions in reality are impulsive and irreversible. "So yes, I won’t do roles that set the wrong example," he firmly declared, leading to his most notable refusal.
The 'Baazigar' Refusal and Looking Ahead
This principled stand is what led Salman Khan to turn down the groundbreaking role in Abbas-Mustan's 1993 thriller 'Baazigar'. The role, which involved the protagonist committing murder for revenge, was a major risk that eventually catapulted Shah Rukh Khan to new heights. Salman's refusal was a conscious career choice aligned with his values at that juncture.
Looking at his current projects, Salman Khan is set to star in the upcoming film 'Battle of Galwan', directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The movie features Chitrangda Singh as the female lead and is scheduled for a theatrical release in April this year. This project follows his last appearance in A.R. Murugadoss's 'Sikander', which unfortunately did not perform well at the box office.
This throwback insight offers a fascinating glimpse into the moral compass that has guided one of Bollywood's biggest stars, proving that for Salman Khan, the message behind the character has sometimes been as important as the role itself.
