Sonu Sood Reveals Salman Khan Took Iconic Munni Badnaam Song from Him in Dabangg

Sonu Sood recently shared an intriguing behind-the-scenes story about the superhit track Munni Badnaam from the 2010 blockbuster Dabangg. The actor revealed that the song, which became iconic over the years, was initially meant for him but was eventually performed by Salman Khan.

In a candid conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Sonu recalled being offered the lead role of Chulbul Pandey, which ultimately went to Salman. He shared that he was close friends with director Abhinav Kashyap, who had approached him with the script while assisting Mani Ratnam. “Abhinav assured me that we would work on the project together, and I was thrilled about the opportunity,” Sonu said.

However, things took a turn when Arbaaz Khan informed Sonu that Salman was interested in the role and had agreed to take it. Sonu was instead offered the negative role of Chhedi Singh, which he initially declined. “I couldn’t understand the character,” he admitted. Despite this, Sonu had a strong belief that no one else could portray Chhedi Singh as convincingly as he could.

Sonu eventually agreed to play Chhedi Singh under a few conditions, including changes to the character and an item song for himself in Dabangg. He recounted working with choreographer Farah Khan on the song’s choreography, aiming to make it a hit.

However, Sonu was soon informed by Abhinav Kashyap that Salman would be taking over the song during a raid scene. “I said, ‘It is my song; how will he come in between like that?’” Sonu shared. Despite his disappointment, Sonu acknowledged that the decision worked out in the end. “People still remember the song,” he concluded.

Dabangg went on to become a massive success, with Munni Badnaam cementing its place as one of Bollywood’s most memorable tracks.