Salman Khan Snatched Dabangg Lead Role, Munni Badnaam Song From Sonu Sood: 'Arbaaz Khan Tried...'

“When it happened, Arbaaz said that Salman wants to do the film. He narrated the film to him in Filmistan and Salman really liked the word ‘Chulbul Pandey’. So one day, Abhinav got a message saying ‘Yes’. Then he got to know that it was Salman’s number and he said yes to the role," the actor added.

Although Sonu Sood did not play the lead in the film, he starred as the antagonist, Chhedi Singh. Sonu was reluctant at first as he didn’t connect with the character.  “Abhinav asked me if I wanted to do Chhedi Singh’s role and said it is a good one. I turned him down. Many people tried to convince me. Arbaaz Khan also tried but I refused because I wasn’t able to understand that character. They kept searching, but weren’t getting the conviction that anyone else would be able to pull it off except me," he shared.

Sonu continued, “They asked me, ‘What is the problem with the role, why aren’t you doing it?’ I asked Abhinav to twist the role a bit. I said, ‘Let’s write it more for the next 2-3 days and if I understand it, I’ll do it. And, I need a song in the film.’ I asked them to include an item number. When Farah (Khan) was making the song, I told her to include certain steps and how it should be a hit…"

However, Sonu’s aspiration to star in the song did not see fruition. “Abhinav came with one good and one bad news. Good news about one of the scenes and the bad one was about Salman taking the song. I said, ‘It is my song, how will he come in between like that?’ He said that he would do it through a raid scene. I told them, ‘It’s wrong, I only had one song.’ But finally, whatever happened, happened for the good. People still remember the song," he concluded.