''Karan Arjun'' is a 1995 Indian
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
-language
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
action film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...
directed and produced by
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films thr ...
, starring
Raakhee
Raakhee Gulzar (born Rakhee Majumdar on 15 August 1947 and known as Raakhee) is an Indian actress who has appeared in many Hindi films and Bengali films as well. In four decades of acting, she has won three Filmfare Awards and one National Fil ...
,
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
,
Shah Rukh Khan,
Kajol and
Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni is a former Indian actress and model known for her work in Hindi cinema. She has appeared in commercial successful Hindi films such as ''Aashiq Awara'' (1993), ''Waqt Hamara Hai'' (1993), '' Krantiveer'' (1994), ''Karan Arjun'' (1 ...
in lead roles.
Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actor ...
portrays the main antagonist, while
Johnny Lever
Johnny Lever (born John Prakash Rao Janumala; 14 August 1957) is an Indian actor and popular comedian who is known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the first stand-up comedians in India. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, in ...
,
Arjun,
Jack Gaud
Jack Gaud (1958 8 June 2000) was an Indian actor, film producer & military personnel known mostly for portrayal of negative roles in Hindi cinema. He died of a heart attack at the age of 42 in 2000. He entered cinema after leaving the Indian ...
,
Ranjeet
Ranjeet Bedi (born 13 September 1942 as Gopal Bedi) popularly known as Ranjeet, is an Indian actor and film director born in Jandiala Guru near Amritsar (Punjab), best known for his work in Bollywood.Singh, Nonika (1999)Ranjeet's triple love", ...
and
Aasif Sheikh appear in supporting roles. The film revolves around the story of the two titular brothers who seek revenge from their greedy uncle for murdering their father, but are killed by him and are reincarnated to complete the revenge.
''Karan Arjun'' theatrically released in India on 13 January 1995. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed
(),
emerging as an "all time blockbuster" and the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1995 ''
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''. It was 6th highest-grossing film of the decade.
At the
41st Filmfare Awards
The 41st Filmfare Awards were held in 1996.
'' Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'', considered one of the most successful films of Bollywood, and '' Rangeela'' led the ceremony with 14 nominations each, followed by ''Karan Arjun'' with 10 nominations ...
, ''Karan Arjun'' received 10 nominations, including
Best Film
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* BA ...
(Roshan),
Best Actor (Salman) and
Best Supporting Actress (Raakhee), and won 2 awards –
Best Editing and
Best Action.
Plot
In a village in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
, Durga Singh is a poor woman raising her two beloved sons Karan and Arjun. When Munshiji of Thakur Sangram Singh, comes to talk to Durga, she tells her husband was the Thakur's son who married her against his father's wishes. Durjan Singh, a relative of Thakur killed Durga's husband to prevent him or his family from inheriting the Thakur's estate.
After learning that Thakur plans to sign over the estate to Karan and Arjun, Durjan kills Thakur, before brutally murdering Karan and Arjun with his brothers-in-law Nahar and Shamsher. Durga worships Goddess Kali to bring her sons back. Miraculously, her prayers are heard and the two are reincarnated, but are separated and grown into different families unaware of their past lives. Durga is unaware of this miracle, but she still believes that her sons will return one day.
20 years later
Arjun is reincarnated as Vijay and falls in love with the wealthy Sonia Saxena; she also loves him but her wedding is fixed to Durjan's son Suraj. Meanwhile, Karan is reborn as Ajay. He is chased upon by tomboy Bindiya who loves him, and soon works for Govind—Sonia's father and Durjan's partner in his illegal arms trading business. Knowing that Sonia loves Vijay, Suraj attempts to kill him.
Vijay attacks him. Ajay is sent to kill Vijay; they start to fight, that is suddenly interrupted after a bolt of lightning strikes in between them. Govind tries to shoot Vijay; Ajay stops him whilst shouting for Vijay to run. This is something that Ajay said to Vijay in their past when he was attacked. Ajay is prisoned; Vijay escapes. Sonia is forcibly taken to Durjan's house to marry Suraj.
Vijay and his friend Linghaiyya travel to save Sonia. Everybody is stunned and calls him Arjun. He finally remembers his past life and reunites with Durga, where he gets to know about his brother Karan who is now Ajay. Vijay saves Ajay and explains the whole situation that they were brothers named Karan and Arjun. Meanwhile, Bindiya joins them.
Durjan hears about Karan and Arjun's return but refuses to believe it. Nahar and Shamsher attempt to bring them before him but instead get killed by Ajay and Vijay in a similar way as they killed the two brothers. Karan (Ajay) and Arjun (Vijay) frighten Durjan by convincing that they're back. Govind and Durjan have a falling out, in which Govind tells Sonia to run away with Vijay, but it's actually a trap.
Ajay succeeds in creating chaos, letting Vijay and Sonia escape from the trap. Vijay shoots Suraj to death, and Durjan kills Govind in a fit of rage. He attempts to shoot Ajay and Vijay but instead they beat him up. He begs forgiveness from Durga, but Ajay and Vijay take their revenge by killing him on her order. Later, Vijay marries Sonia, Ajay marries Bindiya, and the whole family is united.
Cast
*
*
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
as Karan Singh / Ajay (dual role)
*
Shah Rukh Khan as Arjun Singh / Vijay (dual role)
*
Kajol as Sonia Saxena
*
Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni is a former Indian actress and model known for her work in Hindi cinema. She has appeared in commercial successful Hindi films such as ''Aashiq Awara'' (1993), ''Waqt Hamara Hai'' (1993), '' Krantiveer'' (1994), ''Karan Arjun'' (1 ...
as Bindiya
*
Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actor ...
as Thakur Durjan Singh, the main antagonist
*
Johnny Lever
Johnny Lever (born John Prakash Rao Janumala; 14 August 1957) is an Indian actor and popular comedian who is known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is one of the first stand-up comedians in India. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, in ...
as Linghaiyya Tripuri, Vijay's best friend
*
Ranjeet
Ranjeet Bedi (born 13 September 1942 as Gopal Bedi) popularly known as Ranjeet, is an Indian actor and film director born in Jandiala Guru near Amritsar (Punjab), best known for his work in Bollywood.Singh, Nonika (1999)Ranjeet's triple love", ...
as Mr. Govind Saxena, Sonia's father and Durjan's crime partner
*
Aasif Sheikh as Suraj Singh, Sonia's former fiancé and Durjan's son
*
Ashok Saraf
Ashok Saraf (Hindii pronunciation: ʃoːk səɾaːf born 4 June 1947) is an Indian film and stage actor and comedian. He has appeared in many Marathi language films and stage plays in lead roles and in Hindi language films and TV serials in ...
as Badal Munshi a.k.a. Munshiji
*
Jack Gaud
Jack Gaud (1958 8 June 2000) was an Indian actor, film producer & military personnel known mostly for portrayal of negative roles in Hindi cinema. He died of a heart attack at the age of 42 in 2000. He entered cinema after leaving the Indian ...
as Shamsher Singh, Durjan's brother-in-law
*
Arjun as Nahar Singh, Durjan's brother-in-law
*
Gavin Packard
Gavin Packard (9 June 1964 – 18 May 2012) was an Indian actor of Irish American descent, noted for the villainous roles he portrayed in many Bollywood films of the 1990s like Sadak, ''Mohra'', ''Tadipaar'' and '' Chamatkar''. He had also act ...
as Surakwal Rishmore, the fighter with red pants
*
Ila Arun
Ila Arun is an Indian actress, TV personality and Rajasthani folk and folk-pop singer. She has appeared in many prominent Bollywood movies such as ''Lamhe'', ''Jodhaa Akbar'', ''Shaadi Ke Side Effects'' and ''Begum Jaan''.
Personal life
Arun ...
in "Gup Chup" song as Sunehrika Kalwani, Rajasthani Dancer
*
Kishore Bhanushali
Kishore Bhanushali is an Indian actor and stand-up comedian notable for his works in Hindi films and television serials. He has a likeness to late Bollywood actor Dev Anand. He had the main lead in many films like '' Hum Hain Khalnayak'', ''Ja ...
as Zakir Sahmed, Bindiya's lover
*
Suresh Chatwal
Suresh Chatwal was an Indian film actor who has performed in films as well as television serials. He has acted in Hindi films. mainly as supporting actor. He has worked in movies like '' Mili'', ''Phool Aur Kaante'', ''Kaya Palat'','' Uphaar' ...
as Girdhari Singhania, Ajay's alcoholic father
*
Salim Khan
Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 24 November 1935) is an Indian actor, film producer and screenwriter. As a screenwriter, he wrote the screenplays, stories and scripts for numerous Bollywood films. Khan is one half of the prolific screenwriting d ...
Ding-Dong as Fight Organiser
*
John Gabriel as Peter
*
Dinesh Hingoo
Dinesh Hingoo (born 13 April 1940) is an Indian actor who plays comic & supporting roles in Hindi films. He had appeared in over 300 films, from ''Taqdeer (1967)'' to ''Be Careful (2011)'', and is known for his laughter and impersonations inclu ...
as Peston
*
Raj Kishore
Raj Kishore (1933 - 7 April 2018) was an Indian actor who played roles in the Indian films such as '' Sholay'' (1975), '' Padosan'' (1968), '' Deewaar'' (1975), '' Ram Aur Shyam'' (1967), '' Hare Rama Hare Krishna'' (1971), ''Karishma Kudrat Ka ...
as Jugal
* Anil Nagrath as Fight Organiser
* Ghanshyam Rohera as Ashu Bakshi
* Babbanlal Yadav as Deepak Shukla
* Vasanthi (special appearance)
Production
Casting
Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter, and actor who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Indian music director Roshan and Indian Bengali singer Ira Roshan. He had appeared in 84 films thr ...
originally wanted to make the film with
Shah Rukh Khan and
Ajay Devgn
Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema. Devgn has appeared in over a hundred films and has won numerous accolades, including four ...
as the titular characters. However, both wanted to play different roles to the ones offered to them; Khan wanted to play Karan, while Devgn wanted to play Arjun. Roshan did not agree, and, as a result, both backed out of the film. Roshan's next choices for the leads were
Aamir Khan
Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
and
Salman Khan
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. In a film career spanning over thirty years, Khan has received numerous awards, including two Nation ...
. While Salman agreed to do the film, Aamir could not do it. Shah Rukh then told Roshan that he wanted to do the film. Thus, the casting of the film brought together Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan for the first time onscreen, two prominent actors of that time.
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including six ...
assisted his father during this film, having assisted him in his previous movies.
Filming
The whole film was shot in
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. More specifically, the village which is portrayed in the film is one of the villages of
Alwar
Alwar (Pronunciation: lʋəɾ is a city located in India's National Capital Region and the administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan. It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 150 km north of Jaipur. ...
District of Rajasthan, named
Bhangarh.
The Durga temple where Karan Arjun pray in the song is located at
Pushkar
Pushkar is a city and headquarters of Pushkar tehsil in the Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated about northwest of Ajmer and about southwest of Jaipur.[Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...]
.
Sariska Palace was used as Thakur Durjan Singh's house.
Box office
''Karan Arjun'' was the
second-highest-grossing Indian film of 1995, only surpassed by ''
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'', which also starred
Shah Rukh Khan,
Kajol and
Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actor ...
.
Worldwide, ''Karan Arjun'' grossed .
Overseas, the film grossed $500,000 ().
Home Media
The film has also been released on VHD, VCD and DVD formats for home media. It has not seen a release on Blu-ray Disc or subsequent media formats, apart from YouTube.
Awards
41st Filmfare Awards
The 41st Filmfare Awards were held in 1996.
'' Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'', considered one of the most successful films of Bollywood, and '' Rangeela'' led the ceremony with 14 nominations each, followed by ''Karan Arjun'' with 10 nominations ...
:
1996
Screen Awards
The Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony held in India honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced by t ...
:
Music
The music and background score were composed by
Rajesh Roshan
Rajesh Roshan Lal Nagrath (born 24 May 1955) is an Indian Hindi cinema music director and composer. He is the son of music director Roshan and singer Ira Roshan.
Personal life
Rajesh Roshan has a Punjabi Hindu father and Bengali Brahmin m ...
and lyrics for all the songs were penned by
Indeevar
Shyamalal Babu Rai, known professionally as Indeevar, (also credited as Indiwar and Indeewar) (1 January 1924 – 27 February 1997) was one of the leading Hindi film lyricists in the 1960s.
Early life
He was born in Barua Sagar of Jhansi di ...
. The music rights were originally bought by Time Magnetics (now
Tips Music
Tips Industries Limited is an Indian music record label and film production, film promotion, and film distribution company in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by Kumar S. Taurani and Ramesh S. Taurani in 1975. Its distributors ...
). The song "Bhangra Paale" was remade for the 2020 film''
Bhangra Paa Le''.
Additionally, the themes from ''
The Terminator 2'' and ''
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the ''Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder ...
'' were featured throughout the film, especially during fight & jail scenes.
References
External links
*
{{Rakesh Roshan
1990s fantasy action films
1990s Hindi-language films
1995 action films
1995 fantasy films
1995 films
Films about reincarnation
Films directed by Rakesh Roshan
Films scored by Rajesh Roshan
Films with screenplays by Sachin Bhowmick
Indian fantasy action films
1990s masala films