'We Used To Feel Bad': Ismail Darbar Reflects On Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai’s Turbulent Past, Says 'They Were So Close...'

Music director Ismail Darbar recently opened up his rift with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, clarifying that he will never work with the latter, "even if offered Rs 100 crore". The music director further revealed his strained working relationship with SLB while discussing their Netflix series Heeramandi. Darbar cited unresolved issues that led to his exit from the project after over a year of composition work. During the conversation with Vickey Lalwani, he even talked about SLB's rift with Salman Khan.

Ismail said that Bhansali's decision to cast Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas led to tensions in their relationship. He said, "When I needed work, he gave me Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and when he needed me, I gave up all the work I had for him. He was my godfather in the industry, after all… My heart tells me that his equation with Salman soured because he hired Shah Rukh for Devdas. Salman supported him even when Khamoshi flopped. Isn’t it obvious? If I help you out twice and the third time, you go and hire my competitor, I would be upset?"

ALSO READ: Ismail Darbar Admits He Isn’t Happy About Gauahar Khan Working Post Her Marriage To Zaid Darbar: ‘I Cant Tell Her…We Are From A Backward Family’

When questioned about Salman's non-inclusion possibly being linked to his rumored past with Aishwarya Rai, Darbar acknowledged the public narrative but highlighted the emotional complexities surrounding their tumultuous relationship. He said, "The news of their fights were all over the media. We used to feel bad; they were so close, they shouldn’t have been fighting. But these are all things of the past; even Salman is smart enough to never speak about it."

Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar shared an insider's perspective on the tumultuous Salman Khan-Aishwarya Rai relationship, revealing he had witnessed their heated arguments firsthand since he lived in the same building as Aishwarya. According to Kakkar, Aishwarya was deeply hurt by the industry's biased support for Salman post-breakup.

ALSO READ: Ismail Darbar Faces Backlash For Comment On Gauahar Khan Working Post-Marriage; Netizens Say ‘Nagma Has Time To Run’

"Her greatest hurt was being abandoned by the industry for Salman. That was her greatest hurt. She really felt bad. That’s where her commitment to the industry actually cracked… She felt very, very betrayed by the industry," said Kakkar.