Mahabharat: 'Arjun' Actor Firoz Khan Recounts Why He Took His Character's Name IRL After Replacing Jackie Shroff as the First Choice for the Role
While there is a lot of trivia that one can access about B.R.Chopra's Mahabharat online, another piece of trivia that has come to light is that B.R.Chopra had considered Bollywood's 'bhidu' Jackie Shroff to play Arjun in his Mahabharat.
Back when the news of Mahabharat returning to the television screens had come out, we had also listed down some interesting trivia about the show. Like how actress Juhi Chawla was offered the role of Draupadi, but she chose Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. And now, another piece of trivia that has come to light is that B.R.Chopra had considered Bollywood's 'bhidu' Jackie Shroff to play Arjun in his Mahabharat. Yes, you read that right. And this piece of information was divulged by actor Firoz Khan, who not only played Arjun in the show but also changed his name in real life to avoid confusion with Fardeen Khan's father Firoz Khan. Mahabharat Trivia: Did You Know That Juhi Chawla Was Roped In To Play Draupadi, But She Chose This Movie Instead?.
In a conversation with HT, Firoz Khan aka Arjun revealed, "After a week of the audition when I did not get a call, I went to BR Chopra's office. There, I was asked to wear a costume and a moustache. I went up to Chopra Saab's cabin to meet him. He had a chat with the writers, Dr Rahi Masoom Raza and Pandit Narendra Sharma. It is that time, that they told me that I've been locked to play Arjun." Mahabharat's Draupadi, Roopa Ganguly, Recalls Being Beaten up on Road, While Reacting to the Character's Cheer Haran Scene (View Tweet).
Opening up on the name change, Firoz revealed, "Whenever I used to call a producer, they would think that I'm Feroz Khan. When I clarified and told them who I am, they asked me to call later. I felt insulted. So, Chopra Ji and Dr Raza suggested that I should keep Arjun as my new name. The name and character gave me everything that I ever dreamed of. Also, my mother began to address me as Arjun eventually." Well, now that's one way of paying homage to the show and role that got him immense recognition.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2020 03:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).