By multiple press accounts the part Danny honoured his commitment to — Zangoora in Dharmatma — was cut down during production, leaving him with limited screen time in the film he had chosen over Sholay.
Dharmatma (1975) was Feroz Khan's Afghanistan-shot production, and Danny's Zangoora was written as a significant presence: in early drafts the character helps the hero avenge his father.
According to widely repeated accounts, the role was trimmed during the making of the film — reportedly out of a concern that the character could overshadow the leads — and what reached the screen was closer to a cameo. Dharmatma was a commercial success, but Danny's part in it was not the role he had turned Sholay down to play.
These accounts come from film press and retrospectives rather than from production records, and are presented here as reported rather than established. The irony is what has kept the story alive: he honoured a commitment, and the commitment shrank.
Sources
This page is an informational summary drawn from public reporting. Sensitive or disputed incidents are described as alleged; legal matters reflect the outcomes reported at the time, and the canonical account always rests with the linked sources.