Dabangg director Abhinav Kashyap reveals why Sohail Khan rejected Randeep Hooda: 'He doesn’t have a big enough reach...'

Salman Khan starrer Dabangg director Abhinav Kashyap has been making some shocking and severe allegations against the actor and his family. In a recent interview, the filmmaker claimed that for him, Randeep Hooda was the first choice for Dabangg and not Salman Khan, but Sohail Khan rejected the idea.

Abhinav revealed that Arbaaz and Sohail Khan arranged his meeting with Salman Khan and even the casting of Sonakshi Sinha was done without his knowledge. “I wasn’t involved in the decision-making, I was told that decisions had been made,” Abhinav told Bollywood Thikana.

He later revealed Sohail Khan’s reaction when he pitched Randeep Hooda’s name and said, “No, yaar, Randeep Hooda ka kya market hai, kaun paise lagayega, koi bada hero soch" (He doesn’t have a big enough reach, who would invest in him, think of a big hero). I then said that Sanjay Dutt and Sunny Deol are also good, and Salman also has a good body if he can carry a tough role, because Salman had a ‘chichora image’, uski image mawali waali thi (he had a rowdy image)."

“Salman’s image at the time was that of a chhichhora, someone who would harass women on the streets. This was around 2008, when I’d signed the film. He’d done Tere Naam then. He had a very unflattering image, that of a crazed lover or a roadside Romeo. He also had that towel dance,” Kashyap shared.

“My opinion on Salman Khan and his family stands. They are not normal human beings. They are proven criminals. He’s out on bail. He’s a convicted criminal, out on bail. A criminal is a criminal. There are things that even I know,” the Besharam movie helmer said.

Earlier talking to Indian Express’ Screen, Abhinav had shared, “Salman has never involved. He is not even interested in acting, and he hasn’t been since the last 25 years. He does a favour by turning up to work. He is more into the power of being a celebrity, but he is not interested in acting. He is a gunda (goon). I was not aware of this before Dabangg. Salman badtameez hai, ganda insaan hai (Salman is ill-mannered, he is a bad person).”