FILM · 1983 · INDIA
Betaab
35 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (35)
- #001
Betaab was Sunny Deol's first film.
- #002
David Dhawan edited Betaab, before he had become a director.
- #003
Betaab was the first film Javed Akhtar worked on as an independent writer after the split. Dharmendra gave Javed Akhtar the writing opportunity.
- #004
During Betaab's launch ceremony, Raj Kapoor gave the mahurat clap for the film.
- #005
Mandakini auditioned for the film but was rejected by Rahul Rawail. According to Sunny Deol, she felt she looked too young.
- #006
Meenakshi Sheshadri auditioned for the film in 1981. She was rejected by Dharmendra.
- #007
Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam made his first on-screen appearance as a child actor in this film. He played the young Sunny Deol.
- #008
It is possibly the first Indian film to receive a U/A certificate from the censor board.
- #009
While filming was ongoing, a video camera was kept beside the camera, and the Deol family played the video tape on a VCR to see how Sunny Deol was performing.
- #010
According to a July 1984 report in Cineblitz magazine, when Dharmendra informed Krishan Mahal (Sunny's then father-in-law) that Sunny would now be entering films, Krishan ji began to get angry. Amid all the excitement, he feared his daughter Lynda would be forgotten by the Deols. Lynda had been engaged to Sunny Deol since she was 14 and was living with the Deols at the time. Krishan Mahal asked Lynda to return to England. She was sad but had to do what her father wanted. In London she told her father she would never leave Sunny. Thereupon Krishan Mahal called Dharmendra and told him it was time to set a wedding date. Dharmendra persuaded and convinced Krishan to set a date after Betaab's release. However, Krishan Mahal insisted it be done for Lynda's safety. Dharmendra then made Krishan Mahal promise that the marriage would be kept secret and that he would announce it shortly after Betaab's release. Kewal Deol (Dharmendra's father) agreed that announcing Sunny Deol's marriage would damage his image. Krishan had no choice but to agree. In 1981 Sunny and his grandfather flew to England and the marriage took place in Wolverhampton. It was performed according to Arya Samaj rites. Sunny Deol returned alone and Lynda later followed him with Sunny's grandfather. After Betaab was released, a Sikh ceremony was held for family and friends in 1984.
- #011
Brandy's song "Nodding Off" sampled the song "Jab Hum Jawan Honge".
- #012
Amjad Khan signed a contract for the film but later backed out of it.
- #013
It was remade in Telugu as "Samrat", starring Sonam and Ramesh Babu.
- #014
Betaab marked the debuts of Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh.
- #015
The Kashmir valley where the film was shot is called Betaab Valley.
- #016
The names of veteran actors Shammi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy and Prem Chopra appear ahead of the lead pair of newcomers Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh.
- #017
Sunny Deol's name is given as Sunny in his first two films, Betaab (1983) and Sunny (1984). Both films also starred Amrita Singh in the lead.
- #018
It was Anu Kapoor's second film, released the same year as Mandi (1983).
- #019
There were several stories in the media that actress Kim used her friendly relationship with Hema Malini to get into Dharmendra's good books. This was so that Kim could act opposite Sunny Deol in Betaab. Kim denied this and stated that she had only met Hema on the sets of Naseeb. She had heard about the role and was interested until she understood they wanted someone new for it.
- #020
Mandakini auditioned for the film in 1981 under the name "Yasmin." Rahul Rawail rejected her because he found her too young.
- #021
One of the earliest remixes of the song "Jab Hum Jawan Honge" appeared on Bally Sagoo's album Bollywood Flashback. This was in 1994.
- #022
Director Ravinder Peepat accused Dharmendra and Rahul Rawail of stealing his script and giving it to Javed Akhtar for Betaab.
- #023
Dharmendra was considering Raj N Sippy and Ramesh Talwar to direct the film.
- #024
There was an unreleased Abhinay Films Productions film titled "Betaab" (1980) starring Rakhee, Raj Babbar, Amjad Khan and Aruna Irani, with music by Rajesh Roshan, produced and directed by Vishwa Mitter.
- #025
Mandakini auditioned for the film but Rahul Rawail rejected her because he thought she looked too young for Sunny Deol. He also reckoned that a blue-eyed actress would look more like a vamp in the film.
- #026
When the film was first planned in 1981, Padmini Kolhapure was considered.
- #027
Rahul Rawail later stated that Betaab's story was based on his love story with the actress Madhu Kapoor.
- #028
There was a shelved Udayan Pictures film titled "Betaab" (1967) starring Sanjay Khan, Mumtaz, Manmohan Krishna, Tarun Bose, Abhi Bhattacharya and Bela Bose, written by Ajit Banerjee, with music by Rahul Dev Burman, produced by Ronen Sen and directed by Prakash Verma.
- #029
Young Huma Khan, who came from Pakistan to become an actress, was the first choice for the lead role. During a visit to Delhi to meet his friend Rukhsana Sultan, Dharmendra met her daughter Amrita Singh there and decided to cast her in the film.
- #030
The horses in the film were supplied by Tinnu Verma's father. In the scene where Sunny tames the wild horse, the horse's front legs were injured. Afterwards the horse's legs would not heal. Mr. Verma did not want to put the horse down since it had been with them for a long time.
- #031
Sonu Nigam played the young Sunny Deol. Years later, in 2002, he played his younger brother in Jaani Dushman.
- #032
In 1981, Sabita Dhanrajgir was in the running for the lead role.
- #033
Sunny Deol and Shammi Kapoor's only film together.
- #034
In 1982, Huma Khan went to meet Dharmendra to see whether she could act opposite Sunny Deol in Betaab. Dharmendra was pleased with her and wanted to sign her, but the problem was that she had already taken on 2 small roles. Dharmendra wanted a new actress for Sunny.
- #035
At that time, in 1977, Lynda Deol married Sunny Deol, and after the British civil marriage ceremony, she began living with her new family in Bombay following a wedding ceremony held in India in 1982.
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