FILM · 1990 · INDIA
Aaj Ka Arjun
41 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (41)
- #001
Jackie Shroff signed the film but later backed out because he felt he was being given too many special appearances. Anupam Kher replaced him.
- #002
Gori Hain Kalaiyan Hain was sampled from the Pakistani song Neendran Nahi Aundiyan from the film Gamma B. A. The Pakistani song was later recreated in the film Dakait (2001), sung by Shazia Manzoor. Babu Maan had a song titled "Neendran Nahi Aundiyaan", but its melody was based on the song "Saree Raat Mujhe" from the film Footpath (2003).
- #003
It was Amitabh Bachchan's only hit film during a period when he was experiencing a string of failures. Shortly afterwards, Hum and Khuda Gawah also became hits.
- #004
Bappi Lahiri remixed the song "Gori Hain Kalaiyan" for the album Bappi Magic - The Asli Baap Mix. The song was sung by Rema Lahiri.
- #005
Sridevi was offered the film but turned it down because the role was too weak compared to Amitabh's.
- #006
K. C. Bokadia once visited Amitabh Bachchan accompanied by a producer and said he wanted to sign him for a film. Amitabh Bachchan said he would only accept if he were paid 1 Cr. At the time, the market rate was between 70 Lakh and 80 Lakh. Amitabh Bachchan signed the film without even asking who wrote the script or who was directing it. This was the first time an actor signed a film for a fee in Crores.
- #007
The film's original title was "Kaun Sune Fariyaad".
- #008
Amitabh's hairstyle changes from long at the back to short.
- #009
The comedy scene in Aaj Ka Arjun in which Amitabh is chased by a dog had previously been shot by him in Kaalia.
- #010
Amitabh Bachchan worked with Kiran Kumar's father, Jeevan, in many films, including Amar Akbar Anthony, Ganga Ki Saugandh, Suhaag, Yaarana and Laawaris. In this film, he worked with his famous son Kiran Kumar for the first time.
- #011
Kiran Kumar is slightly taller than Amitabh Bachchan, but in some scenes that required the two to face each other, Kiran Kumar had to be made to appear shorter in order to keep Amitabh Bachchan's height looking tall.
- #012
Anupam Kher replaced Jackie Shroff, who dropped out because he felt his character was only a special appearance.
- #013
Rishabh Shukla's debut.
- #014
The melody of this song may have been inspired by the song from the Pakistani film "Neendran Nai Aundiyan" ("Gamma BA", 1976), composed by Wazir Afzal. The mukhda of the Hindi film songs "Hothon Pe Tera Naam Tu Hi To Hai Mera Shyam" ("Fashion", 1957), composed by Hemant Kumar, and "Gori Hain Kalaiyan Pehni Hain Maine" ("Gori", 1992), composed by Shankar - Jaikishan, also had similar melodies. It is likely that the melodies of all these songs came from folk music.
- #015
Sudesh Bhosle had recorded Gori Hain Kaliyan. Shabbir Kumar approached K. C. Bokadia to re-record the song in his own voice.
- #016
When Amitabh signed the film, there was no script or director.
- #017
Talks were ongoing for the actress Naghma to make her first film with this film, but in the end the role did not work out. Radhika was signed later.
- #018
P Vasu was to direct the film, but the offer did not work out.
- #019
This was K. C. Bokadia's first film as director, and before that he had said that when he became a director, the hero would be Amitabh Bachchan, which turned out to be true. Amitabh Bachchan broke his rule of not working with first-time directors, and in this film Anupam Kher replaced Jackie Shroff.
- #020
Amitabh Bachchan was reluctant to play Arjun from the Mahabharata, believing it to be a negative role in the epic, and was interested in playing Bhima instead.
- #021
This was the first film pairing Amitabh Bachchan and Kiran Kumar. They would appear together again in Khuda Gawah.
- #022
In the film, Amitabh Bachchan's nephew Kanhaiya Singh was played by a child artist named Baby Guddu, the daughter of assistant director and actor MM Baig, whose real name was Shahinda Baig.
- #023
Amarjit Sidhu's song Sonhie (from the album Kamlee Rave) sampled the song Gori Hain Kalaiyan. The song's intro recreated a portion of "Apna Bana Le Mujhe Balma."
- #024
Kiran Kumar performed a rape scene with Preeti Sapru even though their fathers (Jeevan and D. K. Sapru) were first cousins.
- #025
The film performed exceptionally well in the country's interior regions.
- #026
Aditya Pancholi signed the film in 1988, but was later replaced by Rishabh Shukla.
- #027
Instead of distributing the film himself as he always did, KC Bokadia sold it to Ram Swaroop Marwah of Jyoti Film Distributors. Bokadia received an unheard-of amount, which is why he agreed to do so.
- #028
The music was a major hit… it set the tone for the film's surprise success, given that Amitabh had not performed well at the box office for a long time… the film broke records in small towns and revived Amitabh's career.
- #029
Peter Pereira, Amitabh Bachchan's favourite cinematographer, was the cinematographer of Aaj Ka Arjun.
- #030
The film's plot is based on the Mahabharata perspective of Bhima and Arjun, a deviation from the epic's original version.
- #031
Amitabh had no scenes with Brahmachari.
- #032
This was the only time Amitabh Bachchan acted alongside Baby Guddu.
- #033
This is the only film of Amitabh's in which Rishabh Shukla acted.
- #034
The film's budget was very small compared to Amitabh's other films. It was even smaller than that of Amitabh's Indrajeet.
- #035
Baby Guddu's voice was dubbed by a dubbing artist.
- #036
The song "Chali Aana Tu Paan Ki Dukaan Pe" contains the line "Palat Tera Dhyan Kidar Hai Gauri." Amitabh sang the same line in the song "Har Chori Rani Yahan" in Mahaan, except he said "Palat Tera Dhyan Kidar Hai Bhai." Amitabh also said something similar to "Palat Tera Dhyan Kidhar Hain Birother" in the song "Ya Ali" in Ajooba.
- #037
Amitabh had also sung another song about "Paan Ki Dukaan" with Shashi Kapoor in the drunk scene in Silsila.
- #038
Amitabh had no scenes with Vikas Anand.
- #039
The same black jacket and black trousers worn by Amitabh were reused nine years later in Lal Badshah.
- #040
Radhika's voice was dubbed by a dubbing artist.
- #041
Brahmachari also played Amrish Puri's henchman in Ghayal, which was released the same year.
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