Arjun (Firoz Khan)

Arjun Firoz Khan (born 9 January 1962) is an Indian actor, best known for playing the supporting character of Arjuna in B.R. Chopra's epic television series "Mahabharat (1988 TV series)". After finding success with this role, Firoz Khan changed his name to Arjun professionally. He has also acted in a number of Hindi language movies.
He was nominated for the Arjuna Award for playing the role of Arjuna in Mahabharata(1988 Television series).
Personal life.
Firoz Khan was born on 9 January 1962 into a Muslim family. He was a student of Smt. MMK College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. Later he went to Oxford University, England from where he completed his studies.
He is married to Kashmira. The couple has three children – a son and two daughters. His son, Jibran Khan is also an actor who played the role of Dhruva in Vishnu Puran and played the role of Krishna in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...
Casting as Arjuna.
Firoz Khan said about casting in an interview-"I didn't wanted to play Arjuna initially. My friends said to me that this role of Arjuna is of a 'womanizer' in the Mahabharata just similar to Ravana in the Ramayana. Arjuna was also the main rival of Karna(protagonist of the epic). So they advised to me avoid this role. I thought it was a negative role to play." Firoz said in an interview-'Chopra sir and Ravi Chopra were conducting auditions for different roles and almost everyone were lining for different roles in Mahabharata. Thousands of screen tests were being conducted. It also depended on the people if they were interested in playing the roles so whoever wanted to play a role in Mahabharata had to first fill the form and wait in a line. The entire Mahabharata had never been shown on screen except a 1978 movie-Daana Veer Soora Karna and Babubhai Mistry's Mahabharata in which there was hardly any scene on Arjuna. Newspapers, Pamphlets were distributed and whosoever wanted to play any role can fill the form and wait in the line. Several artists trying to make their career in Bombay filled the form. I called Mukesh Khanna-"Sir ji" because he was my senior, Mukesh also filled the form for Karna, Arjuna, Bhishma, Duryodhana, Dronacharya. Mukesh asked me to also fill the form in BR Studios. I was a junior artist so Mukesh advised me to fill the B-characters list. I filled the form casually without any interest. Actually, at that time we had only one movie- 'Daana Veer Soora Karna'- it was the most popular movie all over India. If someone had an idea about Mahabharata, it was through this movie. Since 1978, it was still running in theatres. I too watched that 4-hour movie but there was hardly any scene on Arjuna. So I had no idea about Arjuna's character specifically in the Mahabharata. I had some idea bout Gita but knew nothing of Arjuna in the Mahabharata. So from there, Mukesh Khanna was selected for Duryodhana which he rejected and was interested in Karna or Arjuna. Around 5 lakh people had filled the forms for different roles and lined up for auditions for their characters.
The applications were released in the national newspapers. In morning of 13th June 1988, I opened the newspaper and it was no surprising that around 2 lakh artists had filled 'Karna' as their first preference, 96000 artists filled Bhima as their first one, 45000 artists for Abhimanyu and around 23000 artists for Arjuna as their first preference whereas only 2000 artists for Yudhisthira and Krishna. Even Mukesh sir had filled Karna as his first preference. Chopra sir got tensed for Krishna as artists showed no interest for playing the role and those who had filled the form had no background of acting. So, it was a hectic task for Gufi Paintal to cast Krishna as nobody was interested for that role. Around 55 Video Tests for Krishna was conducted, then Nitish Bhardwaj was called to play Nakula and he rejected and wanted to play Abhimanyu. Then Nitish Bhardwaj was finally selected for Krishna's role. Coming back to Arjuna, So only 9 actors had been selected for Arjuna whereas I was still among the B-grade characters. I thought I could come in the A-list as hardly anyone had filled for Yudhisthira and Nakula-Sahdev. Mukesh Khanna was a close friend of mines and Pankaj Dheer. Pankaj and me were friends since school days. So Mukesh Khanna was senior to Pankaj and me both. Mukesh advised to me to sign for any A-grade role as now there were so many roles in the A-list which were expected to be crowded but failed to garner impression among public. He told me to not fill for Karna unlike other artists as already 2 lakh artists including Mukesh himself was lined for Karna and moreover I was a Muslim and it was strictly followed that Karna and Krishna were to be played by Hindus as they were followed by so many people and worshipped. So apart from Karna and Krishna, there were 7 other A-grade characters. I filled all of them. Ravi Chopra asked some young actors to play Arjuna such as Jackie Shroff, he too rejected and demanded to take him as Karna. Govinda and Chunky Pandey were asked for Abhimanyu but he declined it after they bagged films. Anil Kapoor had a childhood dream to play Karna, he too was offered Arjuna but rejected it.
So after so much rejection, finally Pankaj Dheer was selected for Arjuna. Everyone thought that now 'Arjuna' is settled finally but later we see Pankaj Dheer too leaves the role because of his moustache. The selection of Karna was quite simple for Gufi Paintal, lakhs of artists all over India had signed in and even Bollywood actors such as Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor were ready to play the role of Karna. Gufi Paintal chose Pankaj Dheer for Karna among several artists. The surprising moment was when Pankaj Dheer did not wished to play the central role of Karna, basically he had not read Mahabharata at all. So after seeing Pankaj Dheer's reaction, makers were shocked. The irony in this situation is, Ravi Chopra sir could have selected Jackie Shroff or any Bollywood actor for Karna but was doubtful that if the big Bollywood stars would give their complete time for their role. So, Ravi Chopra called Pankaj Dheer to his cabin where I and Mukesh were already standing. In the cabin, Rahi Masoom Raza, Pandit Narendra Sharma, BR Chopra and Ravi Chopra were sitting. Pankaj entered the cabin, BR Chopra yelled-"Sit!". I thought something extraordinary is going to happen. Chopra then said-"You know Pankaj, around 2000 bollywood actors were lined to play Karna but Gufi selected you. What else role could you even think to play Pankaj?" Pankaj Dheer said-"I have not read Mahabharata and have nothing idea about it. Maine bas Gita ke 2-3 shlokas padhe hai. I don't know any other character except Krishna and Arjuna..." Pandit Narendra Sharma(script-writer of Mahabharata) interrupted and said-"Who is the hero of Mahabharata?" I and Mukesh were standing at the door. Pankaj said- " Krishna". Mukesh Khanna burst into laughter then everyone started laughing, the old BR Chopra also struggled laughing. Seeing the environment, I also started laughing. Basically just like Pankaj Dheer, I too had not read Mahabharata. Among 3 of us, only Mukesh Khanna had the knowledge of Mahabharata. So Ravi Chopra said to Pankaj-" We are directing Mahabharata and not a lesson of Gita. Don't go on the poster, Krishna is barely present in Mahabharata and has a lot of negative shades. First go and read about Mahabharata. Take this book (Gita press short version) and I give you 3 days to read and then choose who is the hero?" Pankaj read Karna's glories in the Mahabharata and read different epics such as Rashmirathi, Mrityunjaya and even the epic poetry Karnabharam. He also watched the most popular movie on Mahabharata until now Daana Veer Soora Karna which had been still running in theatres at that time. After 3 days of reading and watching Mahabharata, he saw a Karna in himself and was too determined to play the role. He was like hitting his head on the walls as he dared to reject the role of the protagonist of the greatest Indian Television show in history about to be made for whom Bollywood actors had lined up, the hero which had been played by legendary actors like Sivaji Ganesan and N.T.Rama.Rao and now it is time for Pankaj to match them. He rushed to B.R studios and fell on Ravi Chopra's feet and said-" I am ready!" and hence like this was the casting of Karna. Mukesh Khanna was now tensed as Karna's role had been bagged. Mukesh's second preference was Arjuna as he rejected Duryodhana's role. Everyone were selected except for Bhishma and Arjuna's role. So, Mukesh Khanna was eager to play Arjuna. I tried to audition for Arjuna's role as now my line was clear, no one had selected for Arjuna but even then I was rejected. Since there was hardly anyone to compete with me for Arjuna's role, I was again called and auditioned but this time I was selected. They asked me if I was interested in playing Arjuna. Brilliant actors rejected Arjuna, now I did not wished to play it. Ravi Chopra tried to convince me, he was like-'You know Firoze, Arjun is one man army against Karna.' I came up to Mukesh Khanna and said-"Sir ji, I have got the role of Arjuna, should I do it?" Mukesh Khanna was now done, even Arjuna had been now taken. He gave me the Gita press version to read. I had no knowledge about Hindi Literature. Mukesh Khanna also then got Bhishma and then after the selection, the show begun on 2nd October 1988 and finally the show completed successfully. I always have an opinion that the new actors specially can't take the place of the old ones. The historic Mahabharata of 1988 can never be recreated. You cannot find another B.R.Chopra, Pandit Narendra Sharma or another Dr.Rahi Masoom Raza.
Awards.
He was nominated for the Best Supporting Role along with Sunil Lahri who was nominated for the role of Laxman
Mahabharata(1988 Television).
Best Supporting Role-Arjuna