**Bhansali ‘Upset’ Salman by Casting SRK for ‘Devdas’?**
*By Apoorva Rastogi | Oct 08, 2025, 05:19 pm*
In a recent interview, composer Ismail Darbar revealed his thoughts on why director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s relationship with Salman Khan may have deteriorated. Darbar suggested that the rift began when Bhansali cast Shah Rukh Khan as the lead in *Devdas* instead of Salman, despite Bhansali and Salman’s close bond at the time.
According to Darbar, *Devdas* became a landmark film in Shah Rukh Khan’s career, but this casting choice might have upset Salman. “My heart tells me that his equation with Salman soured because he hired Shah Rukh for *Devdas*. Isn’t it obvious? If I help you out twice, and the third time, you go and hire my competitor, I would be upset,” Darbar explained.
Salman had previously collaborated with Bhansali on *Khamoshi* and continued to work with him despite the film’s lackluster performance. When asked if Bhansali’s decision to cast Shah Rukh was influenced by Salman’s rumored ex, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, starring in *Devdas*, Darbar commented, “The news of their fights were all over the media. We used to feel bad; they were so close, they shouldn’t have been fighting. But these are all things of the past; even Salman is smart enough to never speak about it.”
In the same interview, Darbar also opened up about his own fallout with Bhansali, describing the director as “egoistic,” adding another layer to the complex dynamics within their creative circle.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/bhansali-betrayed-salman-by-signing-srk-for-devdas/story