FILM · 2005 · INDIA
Bunty Aur Babli
24 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
- #001
The film serves as an extensive tribute to Amitabh Bachchan's filmography, with him appearing in the role of DCP Dashrath Singh. His son, Abhishek Bachchan, reenacts several scenes that directly reference his father's iconic characters. During the hotel con in Mussoorie, Abhishek Bachchan adopts the distinctive gravelly voice and mannerisms Amitabh Bachchan used in Agneepath (1990). In the Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) musical number Parda Hai Parda, in which Amitabh Bachchan also appeared, Abhishek Bachchan wears an outfit mirroring the costume worn by Rishi Kapoor.
- #002
The song "Kajra Re" marks the first time Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan came together in a single frame of a film. Although Rai appears only as a special guest, the sequence, which brought future family members together before her 2007 marriage to Abhishek Bachchan, became a significant cultural milestone.
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During the mujra sequence, the song Salaam-E-Ishq from Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) plays. Amitabh Bachchan appears in both films. The song's title was later used for the film Salaam-E-Ishq (2007), whose music was composed by the trio Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, who were responsible for the music of Bunty Aur Babli (2005).
- #006
In the mujra hall scene, the song Dil Cheez Kya Hai from Umrao Jaan (1981) plays. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who appears in the special musical number Kajra Re, later played the title character in the 2006 remake Umrao Jaan (2006). The film's lead actor, Abhishek Bachchan, also appeared in that remake.
- #007
Aditya Chopra initially designed the lead roles with different actors in mind during the early stages of scriptwriting. The production team considered Saif Ali Khan and Aftab Shivdasani for the role of Bunty, but neither actor received a formal offer. The role ultimately went to Abhishek Bachchan.
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A Hindu religious group known as Kranti Shiv Sena protested against the film over a scene in which actress Rani Mukerji wears a saffron-coloured dress. The organisation's president, Varun Singh, argued that the costume was offensive and insulted religious sentiments. Director Shaad Ali responded by stating that the film contained no religious activity that would warrant political backlash or provoke communal tension.
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Alisha Chinai won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 2006 for "Kajra Re." Vaibhavi Merchant's choreography for the song was widely praised and won at the IIFA and Zee Cine Awards, but it did not win the Filmfare Award for Best Choreography; that year the honor went to Howard Rosemeyer for Parineeta.
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At the end of the Kajra Re song, Amitabh Bachchan says to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: "Madam, I am your only Adam." The dialogue is a direct reference to a scene in Kaalia (1981) in which the character played by Jagdeep begs Amitabh Bachchan for his life: "Main apni madam ka only Adam hoon." The same line was later used by Kamal Haasan in Thug Life (2024).
- #019
Amitabh Bachchan recorded the first scratch vocal for the Kajra Re song. When composer Shankar Mahadevan later asked him during the mixing stage to record the final studio version, the actor refused. He argued that the original guide track belonged to Mahadevan and joked that his own singing might hurt the track's professional quality.
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The film sparked a major fashion trend in India known as the "Bunty Babli suit." Aki Narula created Rani Mukerji's signature look, which consisted of short, vivid kurtis paired with wide patiala salwars and a shoulder bag, and was widely copied by tailors across the country after the film's release.
- #022
The vocals at the start of the Kajra Re song were suggested by Amitabh Bachchan. Music director Shankar Mahadevan had sung the song in his own voice and told Amitabh Bachchan during the recording that a singer would come and record it. Amitabh Bachchan asked him which singer would sing the song, and Shankar Mahadevan said it would be whoever the music company chose. Amitabh Bachchan then told Shankar Mahadevan that this song was for him and that if anyone else sang it, he would kill him.
- #023
This production marks the time when Amitabh Bachchan and Raj Babbar first appeared together on the big screen in a feature film. Although Raj Babbar was initially considered for the role of Raja in Shakti (1982), in which Amitabh Bachchan played the lead, he did not join the final cast, delaying their professional pairing by more than twenty years.
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