First it was Sanjay Leela Bhansali, then came Manoj Kumar, and now it’s the turn of … each day another twist happens in the tale of and his adversaries.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali wasn’t happy when Shah Rukh Khan threatened to destroy the 150 people working on Saawariya, Manoj Kumar was ready to sue Shah Rukh for depicting him comicly in Om Shanti Om, and now Salman Khan has said that it is only because of him that Shah Rukh Khan is so popular.

In a recent interview given to Screen India, Salman Khan states that he was first offered the role in Abbas-Mustan’s Baazigar. He was interested, and showed the script to his father Salim. Salim said that the movie would be appreciated better if the character had a mother… Abbas-Mustan refused to include this angle in the story and Salman refused the role. The role was then offered to Shah Rukh Khan, who accepted it, and because of it’s popularity, became a super success story.

Talking about this incident, Salman says, “I had refused Baazigar. When Abbas-Mustan came to me with the script, I asked my dad for his inputs. He felt that since it’s a story of a negative character they should add an angle of the mother in it. They didn’t agree. When I turned down the film, they went to Shah Rukh and then they added the mother angle! But I don’t regret it at all.” Finsihing of this comment, Salman added, “If I had done Baazigar then there would be no Mannat standing in Bandstand today,” referring to Shah Rukh Khan’s house.

Salman also disclosed that he was offered Chak De! India also, and the reason why he turned it down was the title of the film, he says, “I had a problem with the title. I wish they hadn’t added India to the title. I felt our fans in Pakistan and Bangladesh might feel bad.” This indeed was the case as the film, which was hugely popular in India, failed to make much money overseas.

Finally, talking about the stiff competition between Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om and his own Saawariya… Salman laughed of the threat by saying, “There is no competition between Shah Rukh and me.”

What are your thoughts on this latest development in the Shah Rukh Khan story… do you believe that the industry has now become jealous of a his immense popularity… and are looking of ways to take ‘digs’ at him? Or do you believe that Sanjay, Manoj, and Salman are right to say these things and that Shah Rukh Khan has indeed become a little too big for his boots? Do you also agree with Salman’s comment of Shah Rukh Khan not being as popular as he is today had Salman not refused Baazigar? And what about Chak De! India… would Salman Khan have performed better as Kabir Khan… and do you agree with Salman Khan’s views that the ‘India’ in the title should not have been included, as not to offend non-Indian fans? Leave your thoughts below in the comments section.

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