Long before modern big-budget adaptations of the Ramayana reached the screen, a 1990s Bollywood version had already begun taking shape. Actor-director Sohail Khan planned an ambitious cinematic retelling of the epic with his brother Salman Khan in the role of Lord Ram and Sonali Bendre as Sita. The project advanced far enough for substantial filming and early promotions, only to be abandoned after off-screen developments involving Pooja Bhatt brought production to a halt. The unreleased film remains one of the more intriguing “what if” chapters in Hindi cinema.
The Ambitious Project
In the mid-1990s, Sohail Khan was establishing himself as a director. After early work that included his debut feature, he turned his attention to a mythological subject of significant cultural weight. The Ramayana offered both artistic scope and commercial potential. Sohail cast Salman Khan, then already a major star, as Ram. Sonali Bendre, known for her screen presence and rising popularity, was chosen to play Sita. Pooja Bhatt was also associated with the project in a key capacity.
Reports indicate that roughly 40 percent of the film was completed. Salman Khan participated in promotional activity while dressed in full costume as Ram, complete with bow and arrow, generating early interest. The combination of a familiar epic, a leading star in a divine role, and a relatively fresh directorial voice suggested a film that could have stood out in the landscape of 1990s Hindi cinema.
Casting and Creative Intent
Salman Khan’s casting as Ram carried symbolic weight. At the time, he was primarily associated with romantic and action roles. Portraying a figure of such moral and cultural significance would have marked a departure and potentially expanded his range in the public eye. Sonali Bendre’s selection as Sita aligned with the graceful, idealised image often required for the character. The presence of other known names, including family members in supporting capacities according to some accounts, added to the sense of a close-knit production.
Mythological films occupied a distinct space in Indian cinema. They demanded careful handling of reverence, spectacle and narrative clarity. Sohail’s decision to tackle the Ramayana early in his directing career signalled confidence and ambition. The fact that cameras had rolled and promotional images existed shows the project was more than a casual announcement.
The Off-Screen Developments
During the course of filming, a personal relationship developed between Sohail Khan and Pooja Bhatt. The association grew serious enough that Bhatt spoke publicly about the possibility of marriage in a 1995 interview. What began as an on-set closeness became a matter of family discussion.
When Salim Khan, the patriarch of the family and a respected writer, learned of the relationship, he reportedly advised Sohail to end it. Concerns about potential complications appear to have driven the counsel. The resulting tension affected the working environment. Pooja Bhatt eventually left the project. Her exit, combined with the underlying personal strain, removed a key participant and disrupted the production’s momentum.
Salman Khan is said to have attempted to keep the film on track. Despite those efforts, the combination of a departed cast member, unresolved personal issues and the practical difficulties of continuing under such circumstances proved insurmountable. The project was shelved. No completed version was ever released.
Why the Film Mattered
An unreleased Ramayana starring Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre occupies a curious place in film history. It represents a missed opportunity to see a major star of that era in one of the most iconic roles in Indian storytelling. It also illustrates how personal dynamics can override creative and commercial plans, even when substantial resources and shooting have already been invested.
In the years that followed, both Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre continued successful careers in other genres. Sohail Khan directed further films. Pooja Bhatt pursued acting and later filmmaking. The Ramayana project itself faded from active discussion until newer adaptations revived public interest in cinematic versions of the epic. Each time a fresh Ramayana is announced, the earlier, unfinished attempt occasionally resurfaces in retrospectives.
Lessons from a Shelved Production
Film industries everywhere contain examples of projects stopped by factors beyond scripts and budgets. In this case, the central obstacle was interpersonal. A relationship that developed during production, family intervention, and the subsequent departure of a principal participant combined to end the film. The episode serves as a reminder that large collaborative enterprises remain vulnerable to human variables that no amount of planning can fully control.
It also highlights the particular sensitivities that can surround mythological subjects. Casting choices, promotional imagery and the personal conduct of those involved often attract closer scrutiny when sacred narratives are being adapted. Whether those considerations played any additional role in the decision to abandon the film is less clearly documented; the primary reported cause remains the off-screen complications involving the director and Pooja Bhatt.
A Footnote in a Larger Tradition
Indian cinema has returned to the Ramayana repeatedly across decades, in varying styles and scales. The 1990s attempt by Sohail Khan stands as an incomplete entry in that tradition. Audiences never saw Salman Khan’s full performance as Ram or Sonali Bendre’s interpretation of Sita in that particular production. What survives are accounts of the casting, the extent of filming, the promotional images, and the personal events that brought the venture to an end.
The story of the shelved film continues to surface whenever new Ramayana projects enter public conversation. It offers a concise illustration of how close a major production can come to realisation and how quickly circumstances outside the frame can change its fate. For those interested in the unmade films of Hindi cinema, the Salman Khan–Sonali Bendre Ramayana remains a notable example of ambition interrupted by real-life drama.
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