Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, who directed Dabangg (2010), has lamented how actor Salman Khan‘s family didn’t share credit with him for the film but pushed him out of the project. Speaking with Screen, Abhinav talked about how things unfolded during Dabangg and its sequel, Dabangg 2. He added that Dabangg was “a landmark film in their career and they felt the need to take entire credit.”

Abhinav Kashyap talks about Salman Khan family, Dabangg row

Abhinav Kashyap spoke at length about how the Khan family sidelined him “during the marketing of the film.” “What happened to me after Dabangg, exactly the opposite happened to me after Besharam. I was pushed out of Dabangg, the credit wasn’t shared. I think it was a deliberate attempt by the Khan family to set up Arbaaz. Once I put the film together, they realised that they have a winning product on their hands. Then, everyone wanted the credit and I was pushed out during the marketing of the film,” he said.

The film’s sequel Dabangg 2, which was released in 2012, was directed by Arbaaz. Abhinav said that he was happy to leave Dabangg 2, but “differences happened when they came after me, they harassed me, that’s why I stepped away”. He added that the Khan family “wanted a slave kind of a director” and wanted him “to do what I was told to do.”

Abhinav further said that they “would leverage my creativity, steal credit and make money. I noticed that in part one only, so I know the same thing will happen with the sequel – no respect, no fame, no money, no credit.”

Abhinav opens up on Ranbir Kapoor, his film Besharam

He talked about his 2013 film Besharam starring Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Pallavi Sharda, and Javed Jaffrey. Unlike Dabangg, Besharam received poor reviews and tanked at the box office.

Talking about the reaction he received, he said, “Besharam didn’t work, so the entire blame was put on me. Dabangg worked so they took all the credit. Dono film mein, jhaapadd mujhe hi pada (I got slapped in both the films). I found a willing partner in Ranbir and Kapoor family. It didn’t work for whatever reasons. I was fighting with all the blame by Kapoors, and everyone ditched. Ranbir said he regrets doing Besharam. I see, I have fun and laughter about all these things now.”