Aarakshan

Awards

Song Awards:
• 2011 - Screen Awards - Best Lyrics - Achha Lagta Hai - Prasoon Joshi

Trivia

Album

• This film got embroiled in a controversy over its subject matter - caste-based reservations. A Dalit group objected to the fact that Saif Ali Khan, a person of royal lineage, had played the role of a Dalit. Objections were also raised about dialogues that insulted the Dalit community and that were not rebutted in the film. When the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) conveyed the concerns of the Dalit community to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Prakash Jha agreed to remove the objectionable scenes from the film. At the time of its release, the film was banned in the states of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh (AP). Punjab and AP set up committees to view the film and cleared it for release in the states soon after its national release. Filmmaker Prakash Jha approached the Supreme Court and got the ban against the film in UP overturned.[1][2][3][4]
• Amitabh Bachchan's character in this film, named Professor Prabhakar Anand, was modelled on educator Anand Kumar. Kumar gained fame for Super 30, a programme to train thirty unprivileged children for the Joint Entrance Exam of the Indian Institute of Technology every year in Patna, Bihar. Anand Kumar and is training programme later became the subject of the film "Super 30" (2019) starring Hrithik Roshan.[5][6]
• There were speculations of a fallout between Prakash Jha and Ajay Devgan after the release of "Raajneeti" (2010). It was believed that Devgan, who had worked with Jha previously in "Dil Kya Kare" (1999), "Gangaajal" (2003), and "Apaharan" (2005), was unhappy with how his role had shaped up in "Raajneeti" (2010). Devgan's absence in this film only fuelled these rumours. Jha dismissed the rumours and jokingly said that Devgan was in the film in spirit. He clarified that he had discussed the film with Devgan but had not considered him for it since he was convinced that Saif Ali Khan was the right choice. The rumours were finally put to rest when the two got together once again for the film "Satyagraha" (2013).[7][8][9][10][11]
• This was the only film in which lyricist Prasoon Joshi was credited as a "Co-composer". According to Joshi, the idea of the song came to him when he was in the shower and drenching wet. Since he couldn't write down the song then, and he wanted to make sure he didn't forget it, he sang the song and recorded it on his phone. He then shared the recording with Prakash Jha and Shankar Mahadevan. They liked the tune so much that they decided to retain it and give Prasoon Joshi credit for it. Two versions of the song were recorded - a male solo and a duet.[12]

Song

• Kaun Si Dor - This was the only mainstream Hindi film song sung by the renowned Hindustani classical singer Chhannulal Mishra. He recorded two versions of this song - a solo, and a duet with Shreya Ghoshal.

1. ^ Flak for Saif’s Dalit act
2. ^ Flawed perceptions
3. ^ Punjab, Andhra Pradesh revoke ban on Aarakshan
4. ^ Supreme Court lifts UP ban on Aarakshan
5. ^ Big B takes a lesson from Super-30 Anand
6. ^ Super 30 (2019)
7. ^ Ajay Devgn is invisible in Arakshan
8. ^ Dil Kya Kare (1999)
9. ^ Gangaajal (2003)
10. ^ Apaharan (2005)
11. ^ Raajneeti (2010)
12. ^ Prasoon Joshi turns music composer