# Shoaib Akhtar reveals he was offered Gangster role, Salman Khan film 2026-08-26T17:22:40+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has disclosed that he was approached for a role in the Bollywood film Gangster and was also offered a film by Salman Khan. He shared the details during an appearance on Tabish Hashmi's show, recalling the time when India-Pakistan relations were more cordial. Akhtar clarified that the Gangster offer was not for the role played by Emraan Hashmi but for another character. He added that several directors told him he could easily play a villain. However, he decided against a film career, saying he could not manage the demands of both cricket and acting. "I couldn't survive in two parallel worlds," he said, citing the months needed for training and shoots. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The revelation adds to a long list of crossover attempts between cricket and Bollywood that never materialised. Unlike many retired cricketers who have taken to acting, Akhtar's peak coincided with a period when Indo-Pak sporting ties were active, making such offers plausible. The decision to stay with cricket reflects the reality that international cricketers in the subcontinent typically have little off-season, with domestic leagues and national duties filling the calendar. Akhtar's comment about being typecast as a villain also hints at how public perception shaped his career options. The next interesting signal would be if any current cricketer from Pakistan accepts a Bollywood role, given the current political constraints on cultural exchanges. ## Coverage - ndtv.com Straightforward celebrity news with no political framing This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bollywood, gangster, Salman Khan, Shoaib Akhtar Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shoaib-akhtar-reveals-he-was-offered-gangster-role-salman-khan-film/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shoaib-akhtar-reveals-he-was-offered-gangster-role-salman-khan-film/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/