FILM · 2003 · INDIA
Baghban
36 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (36)
- #001
When Amitabh Bachchan wanted a climactic speech that would leave everyone silent, he asked writer Javed Akhtar to write the lines for him. Javed was obliged to do so. Salman Khan also asked his father Salim Khan to write a few lines for Amitabh's speech. Minutes before the shoot, Salman called his father and asked him to write the script, saying he could write it in half an hour. Flattered by his son's praise, Salim wrote a script that Ravi Chopra could also accept.
- #002
Shah Rukh Khan was originally planned to play Alok Raj.
- #003
B. R. Chopra conceived the film's concept thirty years earlier during a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark. He came across an old-age home and met a woman there who sadly recounted how her own children had left her there and had not even visited her since.
- #004
Mohnish Behl was offered the role of Ajay Malhotra but turned it down because he did not want to be shown as the father of a 15-year-old girl.
- #005
Dilip Kumar was B. R. Chopra's first choice for the role of Raj Malhotra when the film was conceptualized. Unfortunately, the film could only be made thirty years later. At a retrospective of Chopra's films, Kumar said he regretted not being able to do the film.
- #006
The film drew heavily on the 1983 Rajesh Khanna and Shabana Azmi classic Avtaar.
- #007
Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini returned to the screen together 20 years after Nastik.
- #008
Many celebrities said that audiences in cinemas genuinely burst into tears during the song Main Yaha Tu Waha.
- #009
It was Ravi Chopra's final film.
- #010
The film received unexpected attention and moved audiences in cinemas to tears.
- #011
Amitabh Bachchan (Raj Malhotra) sang four of the songs himself.
- #012
Juhi Chawla was approached for the role of Arpita Raj but could not accept it because she was pregnant.
- #013
Divya Dutta said it was difficult for her to shoot the scenes in which she had to shout at Amitabh Bachchan.
- #014
After 10 years, B. R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra returned to cinema after making television series. B. R. Chopra had planned Baghban after Dastan with Dilip Kumar in 1973, but Dilip was busy with Bairaag. In 1990/91, B. R. Chopra was ready to start the film with Dilip Kumar, but Dilip was again busy with his directorial venture Kalinga. Finally, in the 2000s, B. R. Chopra's son Ravi Chopra made the film with Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, and B. R. Chopra was very pleased with it. Initially the music composer was to be Uttam Singh, but he was replaced by Adesh Srivastava. The coming together of B. R. Chopra, Ravi Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan was 30 years after Zameer (1973).
- #015
It was B. R. Films' comeback film after a 10-year gap.
- #016
Baghban draws considerably on Sanjeev Kumar's film Zindagi. Zindagi is a 1976 Indian film produced by Romu Sippy and directed by Ravi Tandon. The film stars Mala Sinha, Sanjeev Kumar, Vinod Mehra, Moushumi Chatterjee, Aruna Irani, Deven Verma, A. K. Hangal, Padmini Kolhapure, Keshto Mukherjee and Iftekhar. The music of Zindagi was by Rajesh Roshan.
- #017
The film put Amitabh Bachchan's career back on track after a poor run at the box office; in the new millennium, his films other than Mohabbatein, Aankhen and K3G (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) had not fared well.
- #018
The T-shirt Alok Raj (Salman Khan) wore in one scene belonged to Ravi Chopra's son Kapil.
- #019
The song composition of 'Holi khele raghubeera' is actually the interlude of the classic festive song "Rang Barse bheege chunar wali", in which Amitabh Bachchan also appeared.
- #020
Baghban was Ravi Chopra's return to directing after an 11-year gap.
- #021
The song "Hori Khele" sung by Amitabh has a cover version by Ravi B titled Holi Kare.
- #022
Sridevi and Madhuri were offered the role of the lead opposite Amitabh Bachchan, but both were too young to play a woman in her 50s, and the part went to the more suitable Hema Malini.
- #023
Shahrukh Khan was the first choice before Salman Khan.
- #024
Amitabh Bachchan wanted only Aadesh Shrivastava as the film's music director and recommended his name.
- #025
The film was released in cinemas in Canada.
- #026
There was a shelved film titled "Bagbaan" (1986) starring Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi and Moushmi Chatterji, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and direction by Suraj Prakash.
- #027
BR Chopra's idea took shape in 1973. While in Denmark he met a man who told him how his children had abandoned him. He adopted the idea and decided to make a film, choosing Dilip Kumar for the lead role. However, things did not work out at that time.
- #028
In the 6:10-minute audio version of Silsila's song "Rang Barse Chunarwali", the instrumental of the Bhojpuri folk song "Holi Khele Raghuveera" can be heard at 1:32 and 3:46. Years later the same song was recreated in Baghban.
- #029
Several scenes from Baghban had previously been seen in the old Pakistani film Insaaniyat.
- #030
Pehle Kabhi Na Mera Haal had a Pakistani version written by Naseebo Lal titled Mahiya Ve Tenu Ki Pata.
- #031
The film is trolled on social media as one that people cannot watch with the elderly, with many believing it portrays only the young in a bad light.
- #032
Salman has no scenes with Aman Verma and the other sons; he has only one scene, and it is away from them.
- #033
Tabu was offered the film but turned it down because she did not want to play the mother of four children.
- #034
The film was an unexpected success, but three years later the same team collaborated on Baabul (2006), which failed at the box office.
- #035
Sanjeeda Sheikh made her debut in the film, playing the character Nili opposite Nakul Vaid.
- #036
This film resembles the story of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, in which Amitabh Bachchan also starred.
Continue through the archive
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work