FILM · 1990 · INDIA
Awwal Number
33 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (33)
- #001
The role of Ronny (Ranvir Singh), played by Aditya Pancholi, was first offered to Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, who turned it down.
- #002
In an interview after Dev Anand's death, Aamir Khan said: "He was an icon for generations and entertained us all his life. Awwal Number is the only film I signed without reading the script."
- #003
Aftab Shivdasani plays a young Aamir Khan.
- #004
It is the only film in which Dev Anand and Aamir Khan appeared together.
- #005
One day Dev Anand was watching a one-day international cricket match. He noticed that all the shops were closed, that everyone he knew was watching the match, that no one went to work, no one cleaned their house or cooked. He noticed that even students did not go to school. He saw that everyone dropped everything to watch the match. Men, women, the old and the young, rich and middle-class people; everyone in general was interested in the same game. Thus the idea for Awwal Number was born. Dev thought of combining suspense, excitement, drama and sport in one film, then wrote the script and shooting began.
- #006
When Dev Saab started this film, he said he would appear in a small role and that the focus would be on Aamir, Aditya and Ektaa. He therefore first shot all the scenes featuring the stars and the others. After finishing shooting with them, he got back to work, shooting by himself. He was only going to play the team captain, but he later changed and expanded his role and also played a policeman. That was Dev.
- #007
Although Aamir Khan was the film's lead actor, he did not attend the film's premiere.
- #008
Just as Kishore Kumar always sang for Navketan Productions, his son Amit Kumar sang the songs in Awwal Number in his place.
- #009
As in all the films he directed, Dev Anand dominated the screen in this film and wore various hats.
- #010
Kulbhushan Kharbanda appeared in 2 Navketan films, Swami Dada and Awwal Number.
- #011
Awwal Number was the first film Aamir Khan signed after the release of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
- #012
During the shooting of Lashkar (1989), Dev Anand was inspired by Neeta Puri's appearance and gave her a negative role in this film.
- #013
Aamir Khan copied the cricket subject and made Lagaan.
- #014
The film was average at the box office.
- #015
Dev Anand had no scene with the film's lead, Aamir Khan, or with Ektaa. He never shot with them. Dev Anand met Ektaa on the sets of Sacche Ka Bol Bala.
- #016
Little Ektaa was actually Ektaa's younger sister.
- #017
Dev Anand said Ektaa's eyes resembled Rakhee's. When Dev wanted to start the film, he considered the idea of casting Rakhee Gulzar as Ektaa's mother, then changed his mind, thinking the role was too small for Rakhee.
- #018
Dev Anand began shooting Awwal Number before the premiere of Sachche Ka Bol Bala. By the time Sachche Ka Bol Bala was released, Awwal Number was almost complete. Dev Anand then started Say Crore before the premiere of Awwal Number.
- #019
Suneil Anand was very upset that he could not sign on to the film. He wanted Aamir's role.
- #020
Before the film's premiere, Aditya Pancholi said that his role had more screen time than Dev Anand's.
- #021
The film was shot over 6 months in 1988.
- #022
Cindy Crawford was shown as the deceased stepmother of Dev Anand and Aditya Pancholi. In fact, she never appears in the film apart from a framed photograph.
- #023
Dev Anand had worked with Balraj Sahni, and in this film he worked for the first time with his son Parikshat Sahni. Dev Anand had signed Parikshat Sahni for 3 films together: Awwal Number, Say Crore and Pyar Ka Taraana. In the past Parikshat Sahni had no work, and Dev Anand told him that he should not sit idle. He should accept every film, series, small or big job offered to him. So Parikshat Sahni signed many series and was very busy at that time and had no time, becoming one of the series actors.
- #024
Actress Neeta Puri worked with Dev Anand twice, in Lashkar and Awwal Number, and played an important and strong role.
- #025
Years later, cricketer Imran Khan admitted that his favourite actor, Dev Anand, had offered him a film. He did not mention the film, but it is known to be Awwal Number. He said he thought he could not be a good actor. In fact, Dev Anand had met Imran Khan in London and had offered him the film.
- #026
There was a shelved film titled "Avval Numbry" (1982) starring Vijayendra Ghatge, Tariq Shah and Zarina Wahab, with music by Sapan Jagmohan and directed by Radhakrishan.
- #027
Dev Anand changed Aarti Sohoni's name to Ekta. Ekta is actually the real name of Aarti's younger sister.
- #028
Baby Ekta, who played young Ekta in Poocho Na Yeh Kya, is her real sister.
- #029
When veteran actress Mumtaz wanted to make a comeback to Bollywood, Dev Anand considered casting Mumtaz as Ektaa's mother in Awwal Number because their eyes looked the same. However, Dev thought that for an actress like Mumtaz to take part in the film, the mother's role was not a very important or special role. Meanwhile, Mumtaz was making her comeback by taking an important role in Pehlaaj Nihalani-David Dhawan's Aandhiyan.
- #030
Amit Khanna wrote the songs of Awwal Number after writing the songs of Sachche Ka Bol Bala. Amit Khanna was last in Main Solah Baras Ki in 1998.
- #031
Before the premiere of the completed Sachche Ka Bol Bala, Dev Anand announced 2 films in 1989 on page 1 and the following pages of Screen Magazine. The films were Purana Paapi and Awwal Number. Purana Paapi was not made.
- #032
A man named Narendra Kumar Kochar claimed that he had signed a contract with Ektaa. She would work only 5 years in his productions. If she wanted to work in outside films, the producers had to talk to him and make a deal. He would take 35 percent of her salary. Dev Anand was shocked when he saw the contract. Ektaa's mother stated that she had signed the contract years earlier when she was still a minor. Dev was in a very bad situation. He asked him to take some money from Narendra and get Ektaa out of her contract. Narendra informed Dev Anand that Ektaa had also shot for a film called Jawani Ki Laharen with Sanil Khosla. Sanil had a relationship with Ektaa and was going to marry her, so he removed her from the film. Since Dev Anand's Awwal Number was almost complete, he could not remove Ektaa from the film. Many people said that Narendra could legally stop the film's premiere with the contract he had made with Ektaa. Dev Anand may have had to pay Narendra a large amount of money for the film to be released.
- #033
Film producer Tahir Husain (Aamir Khan's father) was a good friend of Dev Anand. In May 1988, Tahir Husain heard Dev and wanted to cast Aamir in his next film. Husain then told his son Aamir that Dev Anand would come, sit quietly, thank him for the project and sign his film without any questions being asked. This is why Awwal Number remains the only film Aamir Khan signed without reading the script!
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