In 2010, Arbaaz turned producer, and his career story took a massive turn with Dabangg, starring his brother Salman Khan.
Despite coming from a film family of Bollywood A-listers, Arbaaz Khan has always underplayed it, and has made no mistake. He has juggled between being an actor, producer, director, and now a digital host. Now Arbaaz turns a year older on August 4, it cannot be unsaid that he has had often underappreciated contributions to Indian cinema, both on and off the screen.
Arbaaz made his acting debut in 1996 with Daraar, and bagged a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. And it was clear he wasn’t keen on the mass hero stardom, but wanted to do roles that were character-driven. During the late ‘90s and early 2000s, he appeared in several films, including Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998), Hello Brother (1999), Garv (2004) and Fashion (2008). Albeit, often in supporting roles, he did manage to hold his fort in ensemble casts.
In 2010, Arbaaz turned producer, and his career story took a massive turn. His home production, Dabangg, starring his brother Salman Khan, not just emerged to be a blockbuster, but became a pop-culture phenomenon. The film developed into a franchise, and introduced Chulbul Pandey, one of Bollywood’s most iconic characters.
Dabangg 2 (2012), which Arbaaz also helmed, further cemented his place as a force behind the camera. He then returned to produce Dabangg 3 (2019), and the trilogy remains one of Indian cinema’s most commercially successful franchises.
In 2021, Arbaaz launched The Invincibles, a YouTube talk show to interview Bollywood veterans and rising stars. With his insider knowledge, he managed to offer a refreshing alternative to the otherwise glamour-heavy Bollywood chatter. In fact, several guests including Zeenat Aman, Mahesh Bhatt, and Shatrughan Sinha opened up to Arbaaz as he created a space for legacy, and respect.
Nonetheless, what makes Arbaaz Khan unique is that he’s never been hungry for the spotlight. He has worked across genres, from thrillers to romance, drama to comedy, and over the years, has turned into a dependable producer.
At 58, he is still evolving. He made his OTT debut with Poison as Antonio Verghese. The ZEE5 series will be released in 2019. He followed it up with SonyLIV series Tanaav, which has two seasons, and starred him as Vikrant Rathore.
So today, on his birthday, here’s to Arbaaz, who has been an underrated force with his consistency, and courage.
