Sonakshi Sinha got candid about her debut film Dabangg in which she was paired opposite Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.
Sonakshi Sinha entered the film industry in 2010 with Dabangg, playing Rajjo, soft-spoken yet strong-willed village belle opposite Salman Khan. Helmed by Abhinav Kashyap, the film not only marked her debut but also cemented her place in pop culture with the popular dialogue- “Thappad se darr nahi lagta sahab, pyaar se lagta hai.”
Despite hailing from a film industry, Sonakshi, who was pursuing a degree in fashion, wasn’t inclined to acting. Therefore, the actress admitted that she was taken aback when Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan approached her for the film.
In a recent chat with NDTV, Sonakshi recalled, “My first reaction was, are you guys crazy? Like, what are you thinking? I had that comfort with them because our families have known each other. And so I was very blunt about it. I asked, What do you see in me right now? I told them I have no interest in being a part of your movie.”
“But they said that the character requires somebody who looks exactly like you. We want an Indian face. We want an Indian beauty. And now that you’ve lost all the weight, you’re just perfect for the role. So they didn’t even ask me. I actually had no say,” she added.
Dabangg is also known for its memorable music album which includes chartbusters like ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’, ‘Tere Mast Mast Do Nain’, amongst others. Do you know that Sonakshi filmed the romantic ballad ‘Tere Mast Mast Do Nain’ with a stye?
Speaking about it, the Laal Kaptaan actress shared, “Can you imagine the first song of my life, which is literally based on my eyes and then I get this one stye popping up. So if you see all my shots when I come out of the curtain and all, they’re all sideways. So it’s all strategically done to hide it so you can’t see it.”
Further, Sonakshi revealed that her very first scene in this Salman Khan starrer was an emotionally intense one, where she had to walk into a hospital room and break down upon seeing her brother lying on the bed, nearly dying. She recalled joking with the team, asking if they truly had no other scene they could have started her off with.
Meanwhile, Dabangg marked its 15th anniversary on Wednesday (September 10, 2025).
