Abhinav Kashyap, the director of the 2010 blockbuster "Dabangg," has recently reignited a long-standing feud with Salman Khan, making several serious allegations against the actor. In a series of interviews and public statements, Kashyap has accused Khan of sabotaging his career, displaying unprofessional behavior, and harboring deep-seated insecurities.
Kashyap's accusations paint a picture of a strained relationship that began during the making of "Dabangg" and has since devolved into open hostility. He claims that Khan and his family, including brothers Arbaaz and Sohail, and father Salim, have actively worked to undermine his opportunities in the film industry. According to Kashyap, the Khan family's actions stemmed from disagreements over the creative direction of "Dabangg" and its sequel, "Dabangg 2," from which he was ultimately pushed out.
One of the most startling claims made by Kashyap is that Salman Khan felt insecure about his "Dabangg" co-star, Sonu Sood's physique. He further alleges that Khan and his family often overruled casting decisions and sidelined him from marketing and receiving due credit for the film.
In a recent interview on the Bollywood Thikana podcast, Kashyap went as far as to call Salman Khan a "gunda" (goon), "badtameez" (ill-mannered), and "ganda insaan" (bad person). He accused Khan of lacking interest in acting and relying solely on his star power to succeed. Kashyap also criticized Khan for "stealing other people's work," claiming that he, as one of the writers of "Dabangg," should have been paid ₹200 crore. He likened the Khan family's alleged takeover of "Dabangg" to "chain-snatching," suggesting that his intellectual property was unfairly taken from him.
Kashyap also recounted an incident during the filming of "Dabangg" where he fainted after a heated argument with Salman Khan, who allegedly accused him of "siphoning money" and called him a "thief". He claims he was on the verge of quitting the project but was convinced to stay by a friend who warned him of suffering a similar fate to Amole Gupte, who was allegedly removed from the film "Taare Zameen Par".
The director alleges that the Khan family harassed him to the point of a breakdown during the filming of Dabangg. He alleges they wanted him to quit so Arbaaz could take over as director.
The feud between Kashyap and the Khan family first became public in 2020, following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Kashyap released a statement on social media, appealing to the Maharashtra government to launch a detailed investigation into Rajput's death and accusing the Khan family of sabotaging his career. Arbaaz Khan responded by stating that the family had initiated legal action against Kashyap. Salim Khan, when asked to react to the allegations, sarcastically said that they had indeed ruined Kashyap's career and told him to watch Kashyap's films before making such accusations.
Abhinav Kashyap is the younger brother of acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap. Before making his directorial debut with "Dabangg," he worked as a writer on films like "Jung" and "Yuva," and penned dialogues for "Manorama Six Feet Under" and "13B". "Dabangg" was a major commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2010. However, Kashyap's second directorial venture, "Besharam," starring Ranbir Kapoor, was a critical and commercial failure.
While Abhinav Kashyap levels serious accusations against Salman Khan, it's important to note that these are allegations, and the actor has not directly responded to most of the recent claims. The dispute highlights the power dynamics and potential conflicts that can arise within the Hindi film industry.
