When Kangana Ranaut revealed why she REJECTED Salman Khan’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and ‘Sultan’

Kangana Ranaut has always been someone who speaks her mind. Over the years, she’s given Bollywood many powerful performances, but what’s also interesting is the number of big films she’s turned down. During the promotions of her film ‘Emergency’, the actress opened up about rejecting two major roles offered by Salman Khan — in ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and ‘Sultan’.

“Yeh kya role diya hai?”
In a chat with Siddharth Kannan in 2024, Kangana revealed that Salman Khan had offered her a role in the blockbuster ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, which she refused.

The ‘Queen’ actress shared, “Salman offered me a role in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, I was like ‘Yeh kya role diya hai?’ (what is this role?). He then approached me for Sultan. I didn’t take that up. He was like ‘What more do I offer to you now?’”

The roles she turned down eventually went to Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and Anushka Sharma in ‘Sultan’. Both films turned out to be massive box office hits and are considered some of Salman Khan’s best works.


Still good friends with Salman
Despite rejecting not one but two big projects from Bollywood’s Bhaijaan, the 'Manikarnika’ actress said that he’s always been kind to her. She even shared how he encouraged her during the making of ‘Emergency’.

The 'Fashion' actress revealed, "Salman is so kind. He keeps talking to me. He is even excited to watch Emergency. We have a common friend, he sent him and was like ‘you go see what film she has made’. He called me and said, ‘It’s a nice film’. I was like, ‘So you have the news, but you haven’t watched it yourself.’ This is the kind of bonding we share.”
Kangana and Salman's latest projects
On the work front, Kangana’s last film ‘Emergency’ saw her in the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She not only acted in it but also directed the project. The film was released in January 2025. Though it got praised from the audience for its storytelling and bold direction, it didn’t do well at the box office. Meanwhile, Salman Khan’s latest release, ‘Sikandar’, also didn’t live up to the buzz. Directed by A.R. Murugadoss, the film had a big cast including Rashmika Mandanna and Kajal Aggarwal.