Sonali Kulkarni on why Salman Khan's mother role didn't scare her: ‘I've played a girl who could become a flowering tree’
Sonali Kulkarni explains her initial doubts about accepting Bharat role
Most actors want to get cast. When Sonali Kulkarni was offered Bharat, she tried to cast someone else.
The actor, who is nine years younger than Salman Khan, played his mother in Ali Abbas Zafar's 2019 drama. She has now revealed that her first instinct was to point the filmmakers elsewhere. In the end she stayed for an unexpected reason: she simply wanted the chance to work with the star.
Why are you offering it to me?"
In an interview with Galatta India, Sonali said she was so sure the part wasn't for her that she started suggesting replacements herself.
"When Bharat was offered to me, I thought the role didn't suit me. So, I gave director Ali and casting director Mukesh Chhabra a long list of potential actors who would look nice in the role, asking, 'Why are you offering it to me?'"
It wasn't about playing a mother
Her hesitation, she made clear, had nothing to do with being cast as a mother. That's a label many actors in the industry go out of their way to avoid. Sonali pointed to a career full of unusual roles to show it doesn't scare her.
"I don't have any complex about how I would play a character. I am super open about portraying any role. In my first film, Cheluvi (1992), I played a girl who can become a flowering tree. In Daayraa (1996), I played a boy with a moustache. People get scared easily when they hear that they have to play a mother's role. But one has to keep in mind that the said mother would also be someone's friend, sister-in-law, or wife. People remember me from Mission Kashmir (2000) as Sanjay Dutt's wife, not simply as Hrithik Roshan's surrogate mother."
Her concern with Bharat was more practical. Playing the mother of an actor nearly a decade older raised a believability problem.
"So, I am not usually scared. But when it came to Bharat, I was hesitant because one should at least look the part."
What changed her mind
Two things won her over. The script leaned heavily on flashbacks to Bharat's childhood, which made the casting more plausible. And there was the man himself.
"Then when I heard the story, I realised it emphasised more on the flashback of him as a young child. Plus, I had never worked with Salman Khan before. I met him once during the music launch of one of my films; that's it. So, I felt this was the best way to connect with him."
She also spoke warmly about the set, singling out co-star Katrina Kaif's work ethic: "I saw her rehearse so sincerely for her dance numbers. It was so lovely working with them."
The bigger picture
Sonali's story points to a casting habit Bollywood still hasn't let go of. Older male stars are routinely paired with much younger heroines, and actresses are often cast as mothers to men older than themselves. Audiences and critics have called out the pattern for years, but Bharat shows it's far from over.
None of that hurt the film at the box office. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Bharat was made for Rs 165 crore and earned Rs 321 crore worldwide, landing it firmly in blockbuster territory. The cast also included Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Jackie Shroff.
