Karan Arjun

Karan Arjun

Release poster
Directed by Rakesh Roshan
Produced by Rakesh Roshan
Written by Sachin Bhowmick
Ravi Kapoor
Anwar Khan
Starring Salman Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Raakhee
Mamta Kulkarni
Kajol
Amrish Puri
Music by Rajesh Roshan
Cinematography Kaka Thakur
Edited by Sanjay Verma
Distributed by Film Kraft
Eros Entertainment
Release dates
 13 January 1995
Running time
 176 minutes
Country India
Language Hindi
Budget INR40 million (US$630,000)[1]
Box office INR530 million (US$8.4 million)[2]

Karan Arjun is a 1995 Bollywood action thriller film starring Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Raakhee, Mamta Kulkarni, Kajol, Amrish Puri and Ranjeet. The film was directed by Rakesh Roshan and written by Ravi Kapoor and Sachin Bhowmick. Karan Arjun is a mix of an upbeat Bollywood musical, religious overtones and an action movie. The film was the second biggest hit of 1995 after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. At the end of the run, it was declared a "Blockbuster".

Plot

Durga Singh (Raakhee) is a poor woman raising her two beloved sons Karan (Salman Khan) and Arjun (Shahrukh Khan). Her sons give her bangles, which she says she shall give to the women they marry. Later, when the Munim of an aging Thakur comes to talk to Durga, Karan and Arjun learn that their father is dead. Durga reveals that their father was the Thakur's son, who had married her against his father's wishes. Durjan Singh, a servant of Thakur and their fathers cousin, killed Durga's husband to prevent him, Durga or their sons from inheriting the Thakur's estate. Karan and Arjun learn from her that the dying Thakur wants to give his estate to his grandchildren before dying as it is there birthright.

Durjan kills his master after revealing to him that he did kill his son all those years ago and when he learns of his plans to sign over the estate to Karan and Arjun . He then brutally murders both Karan and Arjun by ambushing them and Durga as they are returning home with the help of his brother in laws Nahar and Shamsher in front of Durga. Durga cannot accept that her sons have died and prays to Goddess Kali to bring them back. Miraculously, Durga's prayers are heard and her sons are reborn but into different families with no knowledge of their past lives - Durga is unaware of this miracle. For 20 years she keeps persuading the people of her village that Karan and Arjun will come back. Durjan and his family mockingly give her garlands to put on her picture of Karan and Arjun - Durga vows to place the garlands over their dead bodies.

Arjun is reincarnated as Vijay. He falls in love with the wealthy Sonia but neither knows that Sonia is to marry Durjan Singh's son, Suraj. Karan is reincarnated as Ajay. He soon works for Saxena, Sonia's father and Durjan's partner in his illegal arms trading business. Karan and Arjun still have nightmares about their deaths in previous lives, and don't know why. On learning about Vijay, Suraj attempts to kill him. However, at Sonia and Suraj's engagement party, Vijay arrives and attacks Suraj. Ajay is sent to kill Vijay and the two start fighting.

Durga is given a sign of this when her photo of her sons falls. She rushes to the temple and prays to Goddess Kaali. Vijay and Ajay suddenly stop fighting after a bolt of lightening strikes them. Saxena tries to shoot Vijay but Ajay stops him whilst shouting for Arjun to run. This is something that Ajay had said to Vijay in their previous births when he was being attacked by Durjan's brother in law Nahar. Ajay is sent to prison while Vijay escapes. Vijay is confused about the incident, mostly because he had dreamt of somebody saying those exact words to him. Sonia is forcibly taken to Durjan's house to marry Suraj. She writes to Vijay begging him to come and rescue her.

Vijay and his friend Linghaiyya (Johnny Lever) travel to save Sonia. Everybody who sees him is stunned and calls him Arjun. He finally remembers his past life and reunites with Durga. Vijay saves Ajay and explains the whole situation. Ajay refuses to believe it, but when Durjan's brothers-in-law attack Durga, Ajay remembers his previous life and death and is also convinced. Durjan hears about Karan and Arjun's return but refuses to believe it so his brothers-in-law attempt to bring them before him. In the process, they are killed by Ajay and Vijay in a similar way to how they killed Karan and Arjun in there previous life and Durga places the garlands they gave her over their dead bodies.

At the village temple of Goddess Kali, rituals are held for Sonia and Suraj's wedding. Karan and Arjun frighten Durjan by convincing him that they are back. Soon, Saxena and Durjan have a fallout, after which a fearful Saxena tells Sonia to run away with Vijay. Sonia meets Vijay, but just as everybody is helping them, Durjan and Saxena arrive, making them realize that it was a ruse. Ajay succeeds in creating a diversion, letting Vijay and Sonia escape. Vijay kills Suraj, upon which Durjan kills Saxena in a fit of rage.

After all his henchmen are killed, Durjan attempts to kill Karan and Arjun. They overpower him until he falls on his knees. He runs to Durga and begs her for forgiveness. However, she orders her sons to kill him for revenge after all the pain and suffering her caused her and her sons. They do so and Durga places the garland he gave her over his dead body, fulfilling the promises she made to him. Later, at Goddess Kali's temple, Arjun marries Sonia and Karan marries his love Bindiya, after which Durga places the bangles her sons gave her on her daughters-in-law's wrists, as she promised Karan and Arjun 20 years ago and the family is finally reunited and happy, with the blessings of happy marriage lives from Goddess Kali.

Cast

Production

The casting of film brought together Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, two prominent actors of that time. Hrithik Roshan became an assistant director assisting his father Rakesh Roshan in his first major contribution to Bollywood.[3]

The whole film was shot in Rajasthan. More specifically the village which is portrayed in film is one of villages of Alwar District of Rajasthan, named Bhangarh.[3]

The Durga temple where Karun Arjun pray in the song is located at Pushkar near Ajmer.[3]

Box Office

It was the second highest grossing film of the year, ranking as Blockbuster hit.[4]

Awards

Filmfare Awards
Won
Nominations
Screen Awards
Won
Nominations

Music

The music and background score was composed by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics for all the songs were penned by Indeevar. The most popular song was "Jaati Hoon Main", which remains as an evergreen song.

Title Singer(s) Picturized on... Length
"Yeh Bandhan" Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan & Alka Yagnik Rakhi Gulzar, Salman Khan & Shahrukh Khan 05:40
"Yeh Bandhan (Sad)" Udit Narayan Rakhi Gulzar, Salman Khan & Shahrukh Khan 01:38
"Bhangra Paale" Mohammed Aziz, Sudesh Bhosle & Sadhana Sargam Rakhi Gulzar, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan & Mamta Kulkarni 07:07
"Ek Munda Meri Umar Da" Lata Mangeshkar Salman Khan & Mamta Kulkarni 07:38
"Jai Maa Kali" Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Mamta Kulkarni & Kajol 07:07
"Gup Chup Gup Chup" Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun Mamta Kulkarni & Sheela R. 06:02
"Jaati Hoon Main" Kumar Sanu & Alka Yagnik Shahrukh Khan & Kajol 06:24

Additionally, the themes from The Terminator & The Last of the Mohicans were featured throughout the film, especially during fight & jail scenes .

References

  1. ↑ "Karan Arjun". Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Top Lifetime Grossers Worldwide". Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan & Hrithik Roshan on the sets of Karan Arjun in 1995". One Shot One Place.
  4. ↑ "Box Office 1995". Retrieved 29 September 2011.

External links