Director Abhinav Kashyap has renewed his criticism of the Khan family, now targeting actor-producer Arbaaz Khan. Kashyap claims Arbaaz Khan initially opposed Malaika Arora performing the popular song "Munni Badnaam" from the film Dabangg.
This latest comment follows Kashyap’s recent public allegations against Salman Khan. The director has been vocal about his experiences with the influential Bollywood family.
Kashyap stated in an interview with Bollywood Thikana that the family was "uncomfortable with Malaika’s performance." He added, "They feared it would look vulgar, because it was a raunchy item song."
Kashyap further explained that he "assured them that Malaika, like her stepmother Helen, had made her mark in item songs." He recounted his efforts to include her in the song, noting that "Arbaaz Khan wanted to stop her from doing it."
The director had previously revealed in an interview with Screen that Arbaaz was uneasy with his then-wife being labeled an ‘item girl’. At the time of the song’s release, Malaika and Arbaaz were still married.
Kashyap highlighted that despite their modern image, Arbaaz and Salman come from a conservative background. He alleged disagreements with Malaika over her attire, stating the brothers preferred women to dress modestly.
According to Kashyap, Malaika is a strong, independent woman who makes her own choices. She agreed to perform the song, but it took significant effort to convince Arbaaz. Kashyap persuaded him that it would be a family-friendly dance number.
"Munni Badnaam" went on to become a massive hit.
Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan divorced in 2017. Arbaaz Khan later married Shura Khan, with whom he recently welcomed a baby girl.