Did you know? Salman Khan had shot 40% of a Ramayana film that was later shelvedThe reason was growing bond between Sohail Khan and Pooja BhattHere’s everything you need to know.
Published: August 6, 2026, 12:17 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/entertainment/salman-khan-played-lord-ram-before-ranbir-kapoor-film-shelved-after-40-shoot-heres-what-happened-8494465/
Salman Khan played Lord Ram before Ranbir Kapoor PC- (Twitter)
With Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana creating massive excitement ahead of its 2026 release, an interesting chapter from Bollywood’s past has once again grabbed attentionYears before Ranbir Kapoor was cast as Lord Ram, Salman Khan was set to play the iconic role in a big-screen adaptation of the epicHowever, despite shooting a significant portion of the film, the project was never completed.
Why was Salman Khan’s film on Ramayan shelved?
The ambitious film was reportedly planned in the mid-1990s and was to be directed by Sohail KhanAccording to multiple reports, Salman Khan had been cast as Lord Ram, while Sonali Bendre was chosen to play SitaPooja Bhatt was also signed for a key roleUnlike many films that are shelved before shooting begins, this project had already completed nearly 40 per cent of its filming before production came to an abrupt halt.
Read more:
Ramayana controversy: Who is Nikita Rawal? Actress who has launched #BoycottRanbirKapoor campaign
Salman had reportedly filmed several scenes and even posed for promotional photographs dressed as Lord Ram, carrying the traditional bow and arrowThe film was expected to be one of the biggest mythological projects of its time.
However, reports suggest the film was shelved due to personal issues rather than financial or creative reasons.
During the shoot, Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhatt reportedly grew close to each other, with Pooja even speaking publicly about the possibility of marriage in a 1995 interviewIt is believed that Salim Khan advised Sohail against the relationship, leading to disagreements that eventually affected the film’s production.
Despite Salman’s reported efforts to resolve the situation and keep the project on track, Pooja Bhatt is said to have exited the filmHer departure reportedly brought the production to a standstill, and the ambitious adaptation was eventually shelved.
Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana
Nearly three decades later, Ramayana is once again at the centre of Indian cinemaNitesh Tiwari’s two-part adaptation, produced by Namit Malhotra and co-produced by Yash, stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as RavanaThe first part is scheduled to release during Diwali 2026, followed by the second instalment in 2027.
Apart from Ramayana, several mythological films are currently in the works, including Prasanth Varma’s Jai Hanuman starring Rishab ShettyEven so, Salman Khan’s unfinished Ramayana remains one of Bollywood’s biggest unreleased projects and a fascinating “what could have been” story in Indian cinema.
