In a striking revelation, actor-turned-writer Parmeet Sethi shared how his dream project—a biopic on legendary Indian wrestler The Great Gama starring John Abraham—was shelved due to the release of Salman Khan’s Sultan. Sethi, who turned to writing after his stint in acting, had developed a powerful script around the life of Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt, widely revered as The Great Gama. The film was initially pitched to Aditya Chopra at Yash Raj Films, who, despite being impressed, declined due to the studio’s ongoing plans to produce Sultan, a wrestling drama with a similar theme.
Undeterred, Parmeet approached John Abraham, who enthusiastically agreed to both star in and co-produce the biopic. The team had begun early planning stages when, unexpectedly, Salman Khan publicly announced his film on a related subject. The announcement significantly affected the momentum of Parmeet’s project, as studios grew wary of backing two films with overlapping wrestling-based narratives, particularly with Salman Khan’s stardom commanding major box office pull.
This turn of events led to the studio pulling out, forcing Parmeet and John to abandon what could have been a landmark film. Parmeet described the experience as heartbreaking and shared that John Abraham was equally disappointed. He added that despite the project’s shelving, he still believes the script has the potential to make a powerful and meaningful film even today.
The setback marked a major pause in Parmeet Sethi’s filmmaking journey. Between 2010 and 2015, his struggle to bring The Great Gama biopic to life led him to step back from writing and return to acting. “You have to do something to keep the kitchen running,” he said candidly, reflecting on that difficult chapter of his career.