In a conversation with Bollywood Thikana, Abhinav Kashyap revealed that Sonu Sood was his only suggestion for the role of Chhedi Singh in Dabangg. He shared that Salman Khan was initially hesitant to approve Sonu because of his powerful personality and strong physique. Kashyap claimed that Katrina Kaif, who was close to Salman at that time, convinced him to finalize Sonu Sood for the role.

Abhinav Kashyap said, “Only one name was recommended from my side, that was Sonu Sood. I thought he looked exactly like a young Amitabh Bachchan. For the villain, I wanted someone more powerful than Salman. But Salman wasn’t keen; he was insecure because Sonu had a good body. It was Katrina who helped convince him to agree.”

Abhinav Kashyap Calls Salman Khan "Rowdy and Goofy"

This is not the first time the Dabangg director has spoken against Salman Khan. In another interview with The Screen, Kashyap labeled the superstar as a “goon” and accused him of not being serious about acting. He alleged that Salman enjoys the power of being a celebrity more than the craft of cinema.

Abhinav said, “Salman never gets involved. He has no interest in acting and hasn’t for the past 25 years. He just shows up like he’s doing everyone a favor. He likes the power of being a star but has no interest in acting. I didn’t know this before Dabangg. Salman is rude, rowdy, and a bad person.”

Dabangg: Salman Khan’s Career-Defining Film

Released in 2010, Dabangg marked Abhinav Kashyap’s directorial debut. The film went on to become one of Salman Khan’s biggest blockbusters and gave Bollywood the iconic character of Chulbul Pandey. The movie not only revived Salman’s career but also cemented Sonu Sood as a popular antagonist in Hindi cinema.

Despite its massive success and cult following, the filmmaker’s consistent attacks on Salman Khan have reignited old controversies surrounding the making of Dabangg.