In a surprising turn of Bollywood history, Salman Khan was once considered for the role of Lord Ram in a film adaptation of the Ramayana, directed and produced by his brother, Sohail Khan.
Sonali Bendre, playing Sita, and Sohail himself, portraying Lakshman, had shot around 40% of the film. The promotion had already begun with Salman in full Ram costume—bow and quiver in hand.
Casting and Early Production.
Sohail Khan, who transitioned from earlier ventures to become a producer-director, launched the project. He envisioned a Ramayana featuring himself and Salman in central roles.
The casting was straightforward—Salman as Ram, Sohail as Lakshman, Sonali Bendre as Sita, and Pooja Bhat in a key supporting role.
It was around three years in advance of today’s discussions about a Ranbir Kapoor Ramayana, and the shoot had officially begun.
Media reports indicate that almost half of the film had been shot, promotions had rolled out, and the momentum seemed unstoppable.
The Misstep: Sohail and Pooja Bhat’s Rumours
The turning point came when the media began reporting a romantic link between Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhat during the shoot.
Rumors claimed they were increasingly close, with some suggesting that Pooja had even mentioned considering marriage to Sohail in public statements.
When the news reached their father, Salim Khan, he reportedly disapproved of the relationship and wanted Sohail to step back.
Despite there being no official statement, the Khan family’s resistance reportedly led to behind-the-scenes tension.
Fallout: Film Abandoned Amid Family Pressure
Shortly thereafter, Pooja Bhat reportedly stepped away from the project. The director’s position wasn’t finalized, and without stable lead casting or creative cohesion, the film came to a halt even before it was completed.
Promotional efforts that featured Salman dressed as Ram, as well as trailers featuring Bhojpuri-style teasers, were all scrapped.
The entire production collapsed—not due to financial mismanagement, but because of family discord and personal controversy.
Ranbir Kapoor and Ramayana: A Later Revival
Years later, director Nitesh Tiwari revived the idea of a Ramayana film, casting Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, thereby sidelining plans made decades earlier.
Had Sohail’s film completed, it might have preempted Tiwari’s version and posed a direct rival.
Media outlets and film historians now often refer to the earlier Salman-Sohail version as a “lost project” that could have changed Bollywood’s mythological filmmaking landscape.
NLP & Named Entity Analysis
From a natural language processing standpoint, this story is rich in named entities (“Salman Khan,” “Sohail Khan,” “Pooja Bhat,” “Ramayana”), sentiment keywords (“ruined,” “abandoned,” “lost opportunity”), and contextual terms like “family controversy,” “film promotion,” “Ram costume,” and “casting change.”
These terms help news aggregators and search engines track the saga and trace how audience interest shifted from Salman’s involvement to the later Ranbir-Kapoor-led project.
Personal Insight: Why This Story Resonates
As a longtime observer of Bollywood, this episode is notable for what might have been. Pictures of Salman in Ram attire circulated briefly, and fans were excited to see a mainstream superstar portray a divine prince.
What struck me most was how a personal—albeit unverified—rumor about a relationship between Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhat became the fatal flaw for the entire production.
It highlighted how Bollywood projects, especially mythological ones, are susceptible to questions of image and family reputation.
Quick TL;DR Summary.
- Salman Khan was once cast as Lord Ram in Sohail Khan’s unfinished Ramayana film.
- Forty percent of the shoot was completed, with promotions already underway.
- The project fell apart when rumors of a Sohail–Pooja Bhat link-up emerged.
- Salim Khan reportedly intervened, leading to Pooja’s exit and eventual shelving of the film.
- Ranbir Kapoor’s version came years later, replacing Salman’s unrealized portrayal.
Keywords & Entities Used:
Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Pooja Bhat, Ramayana, Ram, Lakshman, Sonali Bendre, film promotion, film shoot halted, Bollywood mythological film, lost project, casting change, family controversy, media rumors, named entity recognition, sentiment keywords, NLP analysis, Bollywood history.
If you’d like a deeper breakdown—like interviews with Pooja Bhat, production stills, or a side-by-side comparison with the Nitesh Tiwari–Ranbir Kapoor project—just let me know!