Some songs change Bollywood forever. And, ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ from the 2010 hit film ‘Dabangg’ is definitely one of them. But behind the catchy tunes and signature dance moves, there was a story of hesitation, persuasion, and bold choices that not everyone knows.
In a recent interview with ‘Screen’, director Abhinav Kashyap opened up about the drama behind casting Malaika Arora for the iconic item number. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an easy yes.
Both Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan were hesitant about the idea.
“Arbaaz didn’t like the fact that his wife would be labelled as an ‘item girl’. Salman and Arbaaz, no matter what they say publicly, are actually very conservative,” Abhinav revealed.
“Malaika had her own differences with Salman over her outfits. They want their women covered up,” he explained.
But Malaika, known for her confidence and independence, wasn’t going to back down. “She said yes when she was offered the song,” Abhinav said, “and it took some persuasion for Arbaaz to agree. She told him, ‘It’s nothing vulgar, just dancing. The song is fun, all family is around, what are you scared of?’”
And the rest, as they say, is history. The song went on to break records and became a cultural phenomenon.
Also Read: Who is Abhinav Kashyap? ‘Dabangg’ director who called Salman Khan a ‘gunda’
Interestingly, Salman Khan wasn’t initially part of the song either. The director shared that Salman joined in only after realizing the song’s massive potential. The sequence was then reworked to feature Salman alongside Sonu Sood and Malaika.
‘Dabangg’, directed by Abhinav Singh Kashyap, produced by Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora under Arbaaz Khan Productions with Dhilin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, was notable for several reasons.
The film starred Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, and Sonu Sood in lead roles. Supporting performances came from seasoned actors like Om Puri, Dimple Kapadia, Vinod Khanna, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Manjrekar, and Mahie Gill.