This Bobby Deol blockbuster made Dharamendra angry, film was offered to Kareena Kapoor, but her mom rejected because...

Bobby Deol roared in 2023 with his villainous performance in Animal, and he made a comeback that left moviegoers stunned.  Bobby made his Bollywood debut in 1995 with Barsaat. He entered the film industry with a boy-next-door image. However, he soon shed his image and took the risk of playing a grey-shade character. Bobby's gamble played off well and the movie became the second highest-grossing film of the year. 

Soldier: The movie that left Dharmendra angry 

In 1998, Bobby Deol and director-duo Abbas-Mustan collaborated for the first time with action-thriller Soldier. The film also marked Priety Zinta's Bollywood debut. Did you know that Soldier left Dharmendra angry? So much so that during the narration he said that Bobby won't be doing the film. 

In a recent interview, the director duo recalled the day when they were called by Dharmendra for a narration. He said, "Bobby signed the film with a lot of excitement. Dharmendra ji called us home and said, ‘Mera beta newcomer hai iske pehli film aachuke hai. Aap log Soldier direct kar rahe hai par iski kahani mein sunuga (My son is a newcomer in the film industry. He is just one-film-old. You guys are directing Soldier but I will hear the film’s story)'."

The director further added that when they revealed the scene of Bobby killing his on-screen father, Dharmendra got upset. "Marne vala role mera beta nahi karege (My son will not do this role where he kills people). Then we urged him to hear the whole story. We said, ‘Kahani mein abhi twist hai. (The story has a twist).’ After hearing the whole story, he said, ‘Kya superb film bane hai apne (You have made a superb film).’

Solider was offered to Kareena Kapoor

As per the reports, Preity Zinta was not the original choice for the film. The director-duo approached Kareena Kapoor for the film. Reportedly, Kareena Kapoor was 16, and her mother, Babita thought that she was too young for the film.

Box office collection of Soldier

The film was produced on a budget of Rs 8 crore, and it grossed Rs 37 crore worldwide. At the 44th Filmfare Awards, Soldier received 5 nominations, including Best Director (Abbas–Mustan) and Best Supporting Actress (Raakhee), and won 2 awards, including Best Female Debut (Zinta, also for Dil Se..).