Overview
- Speaking to SCREEN, Sonali Kulkarni said Monday that she initially felt she could not play the role but was persuaded by director Ali Abbas Zafar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra.
- Kulkarni said the film’s flashback scenes were central to Bharat’s story and that the filmmakers argued her portrayal was needed to shape the lead character’s past.
- She called the part a professional challenge and said the opportunity to meet and work with Salman Khan helped convince her to accept the role.
- Kulkarni said Salman treated cast members well, recalled that they bonded on set and that most of her scenes were with the child actor who played young Bharat rather than with the older Salman.
- Bharat was released in 2019, was directed and co-written by Ali Abbas Zafar, featured a large ensemble and earned about ₹325.58 crore, and the recent interview is a retrospective that adds no new production or legal developments.