Sonali Kulkarni on playing Salman Khan’s mother in ‘Bharat’; ‘I thought the role didn’t suit me’; reveals why she accepted it; praises Katrina Kaif | Hindi Movie News

Sonali Kulkarni has recalled her initial hesitation about playing Salman Khan‘s mother in ‘Bharat’. The actress revealed that she even suggested other performers for the role before eventually accepting it.The character required Sonali Kulkarni to play the mother of Salman Khan’s character. She said she initially questioned whether she looked right for the part. In a conversation with Galatta India, Sonali Kulkarni explained how she responded when Ali Abbas Zafar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra approached her. She said her first reaction was to suggest other names for the character.

Sonali Kulkarni questioned the casting

Sonali Kulkarni said she did not immediately see herself in the role. Instead, she prepared a list of actresses whom she believed could be more suitable for the character. “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?’”The actress stressed that she has never been particularly reluctant about taking on unconventional characters. Her filmography includes roles that required her to move far away from conventional portrayals.“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.”

Why Sonali Kulkarni eventually agreed

Sonali Kulkarni explained that the hesitation was not because she was uncomfortable portraying a mother. Her concern was whether she would physically suit the character.“So, I am not usually scared. But when it came to Bharat, I was hesitant because one should at least look the part. 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.” The story eventually changed her perspective on the offer. The focus on Salman Khan’s character during his childhood helped her understand why the casting could work.Working with Salman Khan also gave Sonali Kulkarni another reason to accept the project. She had previously met the actor only once at a film music launch.

Sonali Kulkarni recalls working with Katrina Kaif

Sonali Kulkarni also remembered her experience of working alongside Katrina Kaif in ‘Bharat’. The actress specifically praised Katrina Kaif’s preparation for her dance sequences. “I saw her rehearse so sincerely for her dance numbers. It was so lovely working with them.” The film marked another collaboration between Salman Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar. ‘Bharat’ was directed and co-written by Ali Abbas Zafar and released in 2019.

‘Bharat’ spans several decades

The Hindi drama follows its central character through different stages of his life. The story begins when he is eight years old and moves across several decades of India’s post-Independence history. Salman Khan plays the central character, whose journey unfolds against changing social and historical circumstances. Sonali Kulkarni appears as his mother during one part of that journey.The cast also includes Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani and Tabu. The film was adapted from the 2014 South Korean movie ‘Ode to My Father’.