Sonali Kulkarni on Bharat: Sonali Kulkarni has opened up about one of the most talked-about casting choices of her career—playing Salman Khan's mother in the 2019 film Bharat. What made the casting particularly unusual was the age difference between the two actors. Sonali, now 51, is nine years younger than Salman, yet she portrayed his mother, Janki Devi, in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed period drama.

The actress has now explained why she eventually agreed to take up the role despite initially having reservations. From the importance of the film's flashback portions to the opportunity to work with Salman Khan, several factors ultimately convinced her to accept the challenge.

Sonali Kulkarni Initially Did Not Want to Play the Role

Speaking on Screen Spotlight, Sonali revealed that she was initially hesitant when she was approached to play Salman Khan's mother.

According to the actress, she made it clear during the casting process that she did not think she could play the character. However, director Ali Abbas Zafar and casting director Mukesh Chhabra were reportedly determined to cast her.

Their reasoning was connected to the structure of the story, particularly the flashback sequences, which played an important role in establishing the journey of the central character.

Sonali explained that she eventually tried to understand the filmmakers' perspective. She felt that a director or casting director would not deliberately choose an actor who was completely unsuitable for a character, as an inappropriate casting decision would also affect the film.

Once she looked at the role from that perspective, she decided to treat it as an acting challenge rather than focusing only on the age difference.

Why the Flashback Portion Was Important in Bharat

Sonali's character, Janki Devi, was closely linked to the younger years of Bharat, the protagonist whose adult version was played by Salman Khan.

According to Sonali, the flashback portion was crucial to the movie because it helped establish Bharat's identity and explained how his past shaped the way he responded to different situations later in his life.

That narrative structure also meant Sonali did not spend the majority of her screen time playing opposite Salman Khan's older version of Bharat.

She revealed that most of her scenes were actually with the child actor portraying young Bharat, while she had relatively few scenes with Salman Khan as the older character.

Sonali Kulkarni Enjoyed Working With Salman Khan

Another factor that helped Sonali embrace the project was her curiosity about meeting Salman Khan.

She had heard a lot about the superstar before working with him and wanted to meet him personally. Her experience on the set apparently turned out to be a memorable one.

Sonali said she and Salman got along extremely well while shooting Bharat. She particularly appreciated the way he interacted with people around him and said there was something to learn from how warmly he treated others.

One memorable moment came when Salman allowed her to ride his bicycle, an incident Sonali recalled fondly while discussing her experience of working with him.

Sonali Says She Has No Regrets About Bharat

Despite her initial hesitation, Sonali said she ultimately had no complaints about accepting the movie.

Apart from working with Salman, the actress also enjoyed watching Katrina Kaif perform on the set.

Sonali praised Katrina's dancing and described her as graceful and beautiful. She recalled that the cast had plenty of fun during filming, making the overall experience enjoyable for her.

The source report's headline also highlights another practical reason associated with her decision: Sonali said she was very well paid for Bharat.

Taken together, the role gave her the opportunity to tackle an unconventional acting challenge while being part of a large-scale mainstream Hindi film.

Bharat Had a Star-Studded Cast

Released in 2019, Bharat was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and featured Salman Khan in the title role.

Alongside Salman Khan, Sonali Kulkarni and Katrina Kaif, the movie featured several well-known actors, including Disha Patani, Sunil Grover, Tabu, Jackie Shroff and Nora Fatehi.

The period drama followed Bharat's life across different phases, using his personal journey against a changing historical and social backdrop.

According to the supplied report, Bharat went on to earn more than ₹325 crore at the worldwide box office.

An Unconventional Casting Choice That Became a Challenge

Sonali Kulkarni playing the mother of an actor nine years older than her naturally attracted attention. However, her latest comments provide more context about why she accepted the unconventional part.

She was initially reluctant, but the filmmakers' confidence in her, the importance of the flashback sequences and her decision to approach the character as an acting challenge eventually changed her mind.

Her experience on set also turned out to be positive. From bonding with Salman Khan to watching Katrina Kaif perform, Sonali has indicated that she has no regrets about being part of Bharat.

What initially appeared to be an unusual casting decision therefore became, for Sonali, an opportunity to step outside conventional expectations and take on a different kind of role.