Dubai: Sonali Kulkarni is nine years younger than Salman Khan. In Ali Abbas Zafar's 2019 film Bharat, she played his mother.The casting drew comment at the time and has resurfaced in a new interview with Screen, in which Kulkarni described her initial reluctance and what changed her mind. Kulkarni is 51. Khan turns 61 in December.'I can't be playing this role'Her first instinct during casting was that the part was not hers to take. Zafar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra disagreed, and pushed.Their argument rested on the film's structure. The flashback sequences, in which Kulkarni appears, carry the origin of the title character's name and explain how he behaves for the rest of the film. Take those out and the film loses its spine.Kulkarni came round to that reading. She told Screen that no director or casting director wants the wrong person in a role, since that failure lands on them too, and that she eventually approached it as a challenge.It still took what she called a lot of convincing on both sides.Meeting SalmanShe was honest about a second motivation. The chance to work with Khan was, in her word, a temptation.The experience appears to have justified it. Kulkarni said the two bonded on set and that Khan was consistently gracious, adding that there is something to learn from the way he treats people. One detail stuck with her: he lent her his cycle to ride.She also said the role paid her really well, and noted that most of her scenes were opposite the child actor playing the young Bharat rather than Khan himself.This is familiar ground for Kulkarni. In Mission Kashmir in 2000, she played mother to Hrithik Roshan's character. Roshan was born the same year she was.About BharatDirected and co-written by Ali Abbas Zafar, Bharat starred Khan alongside Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover, Jackie Shroff, Disha Patani and Tabu. It drew broadly positive reviews and finished its theatrical run on Rs325.58 crore, among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2019.Salman Khan has Maatrubhumi: May War Rest in Peace in the pipeline, previously titled Battle of Galwan. Directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Salman Khan Films, it also stars Chitrangda Singh. A poster released in July kept it on a 2026 release, though no theatrical date has been confirmed.He is also attached to the untitled SVC63, directed by Vamshi Paidipally, alongside Nayanthara and Anil Kapoor. The action drama is currently expected for Eid 2027.I’m a passionate journalist and creative writer graduate specialising in arts, culture, and storytelling. My work aims to engage readers with stories that inspire, inform, and celebrate the richness of human experience. From arts and entertainment to technology, lifestyle, and human interest features, I aim to bring a fresh perspective and thoughtful voice to every story I tell.