Salman, Arbaaz Khan Initially Opposed Malaika Arora in ‘Munni Badnam Hui’, Reveals Director Abhinav Kashyap

Dabangg may have launched Bollywood’s cop universe and given audiences the chartbuster Munni Badnam Hui, but director Abhinav Kashyap has revealed that Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan were initially against Malaika Arora featuring in the now-iconic song.

In a recent interview, Kashyap said Arbaaz—then married to Malaika—was uncomfortable with her being labelled an “item girl,” while both brothers had conservative reservations about her outfits. “They didn’t want her to do the item song,” he said.

Malaika, however, stood firm. “She’s a strong, independent woman. She convinced Arbaaz by saying it’s just dance, nothing vulgar, and it’s all family in the song,” Kashyap added.

The director also revealed that Salman was not part of the original sequence but later insisted on being included once he saw its potential. The track went on to break records and remains one of Bollywood’s most memorable dance numbers.

Dabangg (2010), produced by Arbaaz and Malaika, starred Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan and Sonu Sood, grossing over ₹215 crore worldwide.