**Bhansali ‘Upset’ Salman Khan by Casting Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Devdas’?**
*By Apoorva Rastogi | Oct 08, 2025*
In a recent interview, composer Ismail Darbar shared his thoughts on why he believes director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s relationship with Salman Khan deteriorated. Darbar suggested that the rift may have started when Bhansali chose Shah Rukh Khan to play the lead role in *Devdas* instead of Salman, despite Bhansali and Salman’s close bond at the time.
Darbar explained, “My heart tells me that his equation with Salman soured because he hired Shah Rukh for *Devdas*. Isn’t it obvious? If I help you out twice, and the third time, you go and hire my competitor, I would be upset.” He recalled that Salman had worked with Bhansali on *Khamoshi*, and even though the film flopped, Salman collaborated with him again.
*Devdas* ultimately became one of Shah Rukh Khan’s defining films, adding more weight to the decision.
When asked whether Bhansali’s decision to cast Shah Rukh instead of Salman was influenced by Salman’s rumored ex, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan — who starred in *Devdas* — Darbar commented, “The news of their fights were all over the media. We used to feel bad; they were so close, they shouldn’t have been fighting. But these are all things of the past; even Salman is smart enough to never speak about it.”
In the same interview, Darbar also opened up about his own strained relationship with Bhansali, describing the director as “egoistic.”
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https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/bhansali-betrayed-salman-by-signing-srk-for-devdas/story
