One of the most-loved films by Salman Khan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, has clocked 10 years, and on the occasion, director Kabir Khan revealed how he was asked to remove some controversial lines and scenes from the film back in 2015, and how he fought to keep them.
In the film, Om Puri played a maulvi in Pakistan who gives shelter to Salman, Harshali Malhotra and Nawazuddin Siddiqui's characters at a time when they are being chased by the Pakistani police. While bidding farewell to them, Om Puri, as the maulvi, can be seen saying "Jai Shri Ram" to Salman, and Kabir revealed that the Censor Board had demanded the removal of that scene, fearing it might upset India's Muslim population.
"But I fought for it. I remember watching the film at Gaiety Galaxy, one of the most quintessential single-screen experiences in Mumbai. The theatre, packed with Muslim blue-collar workers from Bandra, erupted in cheers when that line came. It was the clearest sign that everyone who doubted it was wrong. You could see how deeply the moment landed with them," Kabir recalled.
Kabir also revealed that he had first approached Naseeruddin Shah for the maulavi's role, but the small yet impactful scene eventually landed in Om Puri's lap.
Bajrangi Bhaijaan told the story of a staunch Hindu, Pawan (played by Salman), who goes out of his way and enters Pakistan illegally, only to reunite the little Pakistani Munni (Harshali), with her family. Nawazuddin played the role of journalist Chand Nawab in the film. Bajrangi Bhaijaan also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan, and it is one of Salman's biggest hits till date.
