Karan Arjun
File:Karan Arjun.jpg Karan Arjun poster
Directed by	Rakesh Roshan
Produced by	Rakesh Roshan
Written by	Sachin Bhowmick Ravi Kapoor Anwar Khan
Starring	Salman Khan Shahrukh Khan Raakhee Gulzar Mamta Kulkarni Kajol
Music by	Rajesh Roshan Indeevar (lyrics)
Cinematography	Kaka Thakur
Editing by	Sanjay Verma
Distributed by	Film Kraft Eros Entertainment
Release date(s)	13 January 1995
Running time	176 mins
Country	‹See Tfd› India
Language	Hindi
Budget	4 crore (US$798,000)[1]
Box office	53.61 crore (US$10.7 million)[2]

Karan Arjun (Hindi: करन अर्जुन) is an Indian Bollywood film starring Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Raakhee, Amrish Puri, Johnny Lever 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 released on 13 January 1995.

Plot[link]

Durga Singh (Raakhee Gulzar) is a poor woman raising her two sons Karan (Salman Khan) and Arjun (Shahrukh Khan). Her sons give her bangles, which she says she shall give to the woman they marry. Durjan Singh (Amrish Puri) is Durga's menacing brother-in-law who was responsible for killing Karan and Arjun's father. When Durjan learns that they are to inherit the money left by their deceased grandfather, he has them both killed. Durga cannot accept that her sons have died. She 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 often imitate her. He and his brothers-in-law, Shumshar and Nahar give her garlands to put on her picture of Karan and Arjun - Durga vows to place the garlands over their dead bodies.

Arjun has been reincarnated as Vijay. He works in a stable with his uncle after his parents die. He wins the heart of Sonia Saxena (Kajol). They spend a lot of time together but neither knows that Sonia is to marry Durjan Singh's son, Suraj (Aashif Sheikh). Karan has been reincarnated as Ajay and is a professional fighter. He soon works for Saxena (Ranjeet), Sonia's father and Durjan Singh's partner. He is in love with Bindiya (Mamta Kulkarni). Suraj is sent by Saxena to kill Vijay - he sets his stable on fire and believes Vijay has died. However, later 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. Vijay and Ajay are prevented from attacking one another from a bolt of lightning. Saxena tries to shoot Vijay but Ajay stops him whilst shouting "Run, Arjun, Run!" This is something that Ajay said to Vijay in their previous lives when they were being attacked by Durjan's men. Ajay is sent to prison whilst Vijay escapes. Vijay is confused about the incident, mostly because he had dreamt of somebody saying those exact words to him. Sonia is forcibly being taken to Durjan Singh's house to marry Suraj. She writes to Vijay begging him to come and rescue her.

Vijay and his friend (Johnny Lever) travel to save Sonia. She is being held in the village where Durga lives. Vijay keeps having unexplainable flashbacks and is often greeted as Arjun. He reunites with Durga and remembers his past life and that Ajay was his brother, Karan whilst Vijay was Arjun. Vijay and Bindiya rush to save Ajay. Ajay refuses to believe he has been reincarnated. However, when Durjan's brothers-in-law attack Durga, Ajay also remembers - he and Vijay fight them off. The two also re-assume their identities as Karan and Arjun. Durjan hears about Karan and Arjun returning but refuses to believe it so his brothers-in-law attempt to bring them before him. In the process they are killed and Durga places the garlands they gave her over their dead bodies. At the village temple, rituals are held for Sonia and Suraj's wedding. Karan and Arjun appear and frighten Durjan.

Durjan learns that the two have truly been reincarnated. Saxena agrees to let Sonia elope with Arjun. However, it turns out to be a trap. Durjan and his men along with Saxena and Suraj corner Arjun and Sonia. They escape when Karan creates a diversion. The villagers then help Karan and Arjun kill all the bandits until only Durjan himself is left. He attempts to kill Karan and Arjun but they take his guns. They beat him until he is weak at the knees. He runs to Durga and begs her for forgiveness and to stop her sons from killing him. However, she orders her sons to kill him for revenge. They do so and Durga places the garland he gave her over his dead body (as she promised). At the temple, Arjun marries Sonia and Karan marries Bindiya. All the villagers gather to witness this. Durga places the bangles her sons gave her on her daughters-in-law's wrists, as she promised Karan and Arjun 20 years ago.

Production[link]

The casting of film brought together Shahrukh Khan and Salman 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][4]

Cast[link]

• Salman Khan as Karan Singh/Ajay
• Shahrukh Khan as Arjun Singh/Vijay
• Raakhee Gulzar as Durga Singh
• Mamta Kulkarni as Bindiya
• Kajol as Sonia Saxena
• Johnny Lever as Linghaiyya
• Amrish Puri as Thakur Durjan Singh
• Aashif Sheikh as Suraj Singh (son of Thakur Durjan Singh)
• Ashok Saraf as Munshiji
• Ranjeet as Mr.Saxena
• Jack Gaud as Shamsher Singh
• Arjun as Nahar Singh

Box Office[link]

It was the second highest grossing film of the year, ranking as blockbuster.^[5]

Awards[link]

Wins

• Filmfare Award for Best Action - Bhiku Varma
• Filmfare Award for Best Editing - Sanjay Varma

Nominations

• Filmfare Award for Best Movie
• Filmfare Award for Best Director - Rakesh Roshan
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Salman Khan
• Filmfare Award for Best Music Director - Rajesh Roshan
• Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role - Johnny Lever
• Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role - Ashok Saraf
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Rakhee Gulzar
• Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role - Amrish Puri

Music[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Karan Arjun at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Bollywood (Hindi cinema) Directors · Actors · Playback singers · Music Directors · Songs · Bibliography Hindi films A–Z—Highest-grossing Films by year: 1930s · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012