Sonali Kulkarni, nine years younger than Salman Khan, takes on his mother role in ‘Bharat’ after initial doubts

Sonali Kulkarni, who is nine years younger than Salman Khan, accepted the role of his mother in Ali Abbas Zafar’s 2019 drama Bharat after initially hesitating. She was offered the part, felt it didn’t suit her, and gave director Ali Abbas Zafar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra a long list of alternatives, asking why she was chosen. She later said she wanted to connect with Salman Khan, whom she had met only once at a music launch. Kulkarni said she has no complex about playing any character, citing early roles such as a girl who turns into a flowering tree in Cheluvi (1992) and a moustached boy in Daayraa (1996). She noted audiences remember her as Sanjay Dutt’s wife in Mission Kashmir (2000) rather than as Hrithik Roshan’s surrogate mother. She admitted she was hesitant for Bharat because the mother should look the part, but the story’s focus on Salman’s childhood flashback eased her concerns. She praised co‑star Katrina Kaif for her dedication during dance rehearsals. Bharat was made on a budget of Rs 165 crore and earned Rs 321 crore worldwide, according to tracker Sacnilk, classifying it as a blockbuster. The film also featured Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Jackie Shroff in supporting roles.

Context

Casting older male stars with much younger actresses as mothers is a recurring practice in Bollywood, and Sonali’s comments highlight industry attitudes toward age‑gap roles while the film’s box‑office success shows audience acceptance of such choices.