While audiences prepare for actor Ranbir Kapoor to lead director Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra’s upcoming Ramayana, a forgotten chapter of Hindi cinema history has resurfaced. Long before this Rs 4,000-crore cinematic spectacle was conceived, actor Salman Khan was quietly lined up to headline an ambitious adaptation of Sage Valmiki’s epic.
As anticipation builds for the two-part Ramayana retelling – with the first instalment slated to hit cinemas on November 6, two days before Diwali 2026 – interest has renewed in an unreleased 1990s venture. The shelved project was set to be directed by Sohail Khan, pairing Salman as Lord Ram with actor Sonali Bendre as Sita, whilst actor Pooja Bhatt was cast in a pivotal role, as per multiple reports.
Unlike most abandoned films that collapse in pre-production, this version had already shot nearly 40 per cent of its scenes before halting. Salman had actively filmed sequences and even posed for promotional stills adorned in Ram’s traditional attire, complete with a bow and arrow.
The sudden collapse was not triggered by financial strain or creative friction, but by complex personal dynamics on set. During filming, Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhatt developed a close relationship, with Pooja even speaking publicly about potential marriage plans in a 1995 interview.
When family patriarch Salim Khan stepped in and advised his son to step away from the romance, the project’s fate hung in the balance because of the fallout. Despite Salman’s attempts to mediate and preserve the film, an offended Pooja ultimately walked away, bringing the entire production to a dead stop.
Three decades later, the ancient narrative is driving an unprecedented wave of Indian cinematic spectacles. Beyond Tiwari’s Ramayana films, director SS Rajamouli’s upcoming Varanasi is set to weave elements of the epic into its massive canvas.
Meanwhile, mythological sagas centred on Lord Hanuman are also expanding, with National Award-winner Rishab Shetty set to lead director Prasanth Varma’s Jai Hanuman.
Yet, as filmmakers continue to reimagine these timeless figures for global audiences, the lost 1990s version starring Salman Khan remains one of Indian cinema’s most intriguing unreleased mysteries.
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