Parmeet Sethi, who made a memorable debut in 1995 with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, has worn many hats over the years—actor, writer, and director. By 2010, after a steady run in films and television, he ventured into screenwriting and began work on a love story rooted in India-Pakistan relations. However, despite his efforts, that particular project never made it to production. His fortunes changed when he wrote Badmaash Company, a script that clicked with Aditya Chopra and went on to become a major hit.
Reflecting on the rollercoaster of his creative journey in a recent interview, Parmeet revealed that career breaks weren’t always by choice. One of his most significant setbacks came when he tried to bring a biopic on legendary wrestler The Great Gama to life. “The problem was the film I had written was on The Great Gama. I wanted to make that film and I went to Aditya Chopra with the script. Just a week before, Aditya had approved a similar script, called Sultan, which they eventually made with Salman Khan. Aditya was like, ‘I can’t make two films about wrestlers,’” Parmeet recalled.
Though disheartened, he took Aditya’s advice and began exploring options beyond Yash Raj Films. He pitched the story to John Abraham, who embraced the vision wholeheartedly. “I stepped out of Yash Raj and I approached John Abraham. He loved the script. He was ready to both star and produce the film. We were both happy and started to work on it,” Parmeet shared.
But just as things were moving forward, another unexpected twist derailed the project once again. “Unfortunately, a month later, Salman Khan announced a project on the same subject. So our studio said there are two films coming on the same subject, Salman Khan has announced the film, we cannot take this forward,” he explained.
Adding to the confusion were reports that Salman Khan was planning to produce a show on The Great Gama, with his brother Sohail Khan in the lead. Yet, no official updates on the series have surfaced since.
Parmeet Sethi’s journey serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the film industry—where timing, market dynamics, and sheer luck can make or break a story, no matter how passionately it’s told.
