Salman Khan, Bollywood's bad boy, has dropped plans to play the role of the
Hindu god Lord Rama after receiving threats allegedly from Hindu hardliners,
according to his personal friend Bunty Walia.
Khan, 37, who has been in the news for beating girlfriends and a fatal
hit-and-run controversy, announced earlier this year that he was to star as
Lord Rama in the big-budget Ramayana.
"He (Khan) as well as I have received a number of threats from certain
people, following which we have decided not to make the movie, at least for
now," said Walia.
The Asian Age newspaper reported that Khan, a Muslim, had received threats from
the Hindu right-wing group Bajrang Dal for taking the role.
"We had started pre-production work on the film, but there are some people who think
that I should not play Rama because I am a Muslim," the report quoted Khan
as saying.
"How can people forget that my mother is a Hindu?
And if my mother had not been there, how would I be here today? It is
frustrating and sad, but what can I do?"
Walia said the project was being kept in abeyance and
might be revived later.
Ramayana was to be produced by Khan and Walia's
production company, GS Entertainment, with a budget of more than 1,0 billion
rupees (R167-million).