On October 28, producer-director Rakesh Roshan gave an early Diwali gift to Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan fans by announcing the re-release of his 1995 blockbuster, Karan Arjun. He unveiled a remastered teaser of the film, informing fans that it will return to cinemas worldwide on November 22, 2024. ‘Karan Arjun’ Teaser: Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan’s Epic 1995 Movie To Re-Release in Theatres Globally on November 22 (Watch Video).

Karan Arjun was Rakesh Roshan's seventh directorial venture, with music composed by his brother Rajesh Roshan. An action drama centred on a reincarnation saga, the film marked the first time Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starred together. While this was Salman Khan's first film under Rakesh Roshan’s direction, Shah Rukh had previously worked with him on King Uncle (1993).

The cast of Karan Arjun also included Raakhee Gulzar, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Ashok Saraf, Johnny Lever, Aasif Sheikh, and the late Amrish Puri. Notably, the movie is set to complete 30 years in 2025, having originally released on January 13, 1995.

Rakesh Roshan Sharing Teaser of 'Karan Arjun' Re-Release

As we await Karan Arjun’s re-release, here are some intriguing facts about the film that every SRK and Salman fan should know.

1. Ajay Devgn Was Originally Cast in Salman Khan's Role

Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan have only appeared on screen together in pan masala advertisements (apart from SRK’s dance cameo in Ajay Devgn’s film Kaal). This might not have been the case as they were initially cast as the sibling duo in Karan Arjun and even participated in a photo shoot for the film.

However, Ajay Devgn later dropped out, and Salman Khan stepped in. The rest, as they say, is Bollywood history. Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan's Karan Arjun Pairing Almost Did Not Happen Because of This Reason.

2. Sunny Deol Was Also Considered for the Lead Role

Before Shah Rukh Khan joined the project, Sunny Deol and Ajay Devgn were planned to be the leads. Though this didn’t materialise, Deol and Devgn later worked together in the 2001 film Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke.

3. The Movie’s Original Title Was 'Kaynaat'

The film was initially titled Kaynaat before being renamed Karan Arjun.

4. Hrithik Roshan Was an Assistant Director on 'Karan Arjun'

Before Hrithik Roshan’s breakout lead debut in the 2000 film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, directed by his father, he worked as an assistant director on Rakesh Roshan’s movies, including Karan Arjun and Koyla.

Check out a couple of pics of Hrithik Roshan from Karan Arjun shoot...

Here's another one...

 

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A post shared by Insta Hrithik Fan Club (@ihrithikfc)

5. Salman and Shah Rukh Played a Prank That Scared Everyone

During an appearance on Aap Ki Adaalat, Salman Khan shared a prank he and Shah Rukh played on the set, nearly causing a scare. He recounted, “I got a blank gun from action director Bhiku Verma. I told Shah Rukh, ‘I’ll call you to dance, you refuse, and we’ll have a scuffle. Here’s a blank gun; I’ll fire at you, and you fall down.’ Shah Rukh Khan was tired but eventually agreed.

Salman recounted, “I took out the gun and fired at him, and Shahrukh did a somersault and fell. When he didn’t respond, everyone started to worry, even I did. Suddenly, he began snoring, and we all burst out laughing. Shahrukh’s performance was better than anything I’ve seen on screen!”

6. Mamta Kulkarni’s Backless Scene Sparked Controversy

Some of Rakesh Roshan's earlier movies weren't bereft of titillation. Case in point: Mamta Kulkarni's backless scene in Karan Arjun, where her character goes topless to check herself in the mirror and then ditches her tomboy appearance to look more womanly and appealing to her crush, played by Salman Khan. It's the '90s; please stop rolling your eyes!

Going by some reports, this scene had caused quite the kerfuffle among the family audiences, leaving them scandalised. Interestingly, Karisma Kapoor was initially considered for Kulkarni’s role.

7. Not Salman’s First Shirtless Scene, But His First Bare-Chested One

Contrary to some claims, Karan Arjun did not feature Salman’s first shirtless scene, as he has been going shirtless since his debut, Biwi Ho Toh Aisi.

A Poster of Karan Arjun

However, Karan Arjun featured his first bare-chested scene, for which he shaved his chest hair, setting a trend he would continue.

8. Karan Arjun - The Second-Highest Grosser of 1995

Karan Arjun became the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1995. The top-grossing film? A lesser-known film called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

In 1995, SRK had six releases, including DDLJ, Karan Arjun, Trimurti, Guddu, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!, and Zamaana Deewana.

Of these, DDLJ and Karan Arjun were major blockbusters, Trimurti was an average grosser, while the rest were flops. Salman had only two releases in comparison, the other being Veergati, which was also an average grosser. SRK's heroine in DDLJ and Karan Arjun - Kajol - had three other releases in Gundaraj, Taaqat and Hulchul, with her future husband, Ajay Devgn being her pair in Gundaraj and Hulchul.

9. Filmfare Nominations

Karan Arjun received 10 nominations at the Filmfare Awards, winning Best Action and Best Editing. Salman was nominated for Best Actor but lost to... guess who... Shah Rukh Khan, who won for DDLJ. That same year, Aamir Khan was also nominated for Rangeela, and his loss reportedly led to his indefinite boycott of Bollywood award ceremonies.

10. Ripping Music Off 'Terminator 2'

Karan Arjun's soundtrack is very popular, with songs like "Yeh Bandhan Toh," "Bhangra Paale," and "Jaati Hoon Main." Those who have followed Rajesh Roshan's body of work know that he isn't exactly a stickler for originality. I mean, the man had the audacity to even rip off Titanic's iconic song! Similarly, he was seemingly 'inspired' by the theme music of Terminator 2 while providing music for Salman Khan's ringside fight scene.

Don't believe us?

Listen to this...

Also, the popular "Jai Maa Kaali" sounded suspiciously similar to East 17's "It's All Right"

'Jai Maa Kaali'

'It's All Right'

Rakesh Roshan followed up on Karan Arjun with Koyla, which also starred Shah Rukh Khan and Amrish Puri. Madhuri Dixit played the lead actress. The movie was, however, not a big hit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2024 04:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).