Arjan Bajwa on playing elder brother to the actor in Sandeep Vanga’s Hindi directorial debut
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 19, 2019)

Arjan Bajwa, last seen as an antagonist in Akshay Kumar’s Rustom, is playing elder brother Karan to Shahid Kapoor’s titular Kabir Singh in Sandeep Vanga’s Hindi directorial debut, which is a remake of the director’s 2017 Telugu drama Arjun Reddy.

Arjan admits that he hadn’t seen the original till Sandeep approached him with a part in the Hindi remake. “Sandeep has known me from my Telugu work. He told me about a beautiful scene from Arjun Reddy, where the brothers are arguing about something. He insisted that I watch the scene. I fell in love with the film instantly,” he explains.

And what was it like working with his screen sibling? “We spoke about everything except movies. It’s healthy to discuss life and family. We hit it off from the first day, as I have also known him for years socially. Shahid and I had an easy camaraderie,” he informs.

Prod him on his three-year hiatus from Hindi films and he says it wasn’t intentional. “This is an answer all the producers and directors who almost cast me should give. It’s happened so many times—some thought I was too good looking for a part, others figured I wasn’t very road-side for another role. I was given vague reasons,” he shares.

Buzz is, he is playing a taxi-driver in his next. “That film is directed by Anuradha Tiwari and is still in the works. She is doing something in the international, out-of-the-box space in which I have transformed myself. She is upbeat about me playing something different. I hope other directors follow suit,” he says.
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Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; June 19, 2019)

Arjan Bajwa, who has acted in films like Fashion, Guru and Rustom, will be seen in a pivotal role in Kabir Singh. The actor will play Karan Singh, the younger brother of Kabir Singh (Shahid Kapoor). It’s interesting how director Sandeep Reddy Vanga finalised him for the role.

Arjan says, “I have been part of many Tollywood films, and that’s how Sandeep knows me. He was on the lookout for someone who could play Shahid’s brother, and was adamant that I should accept this role because I resembled him. However, before offering me the role, he wanted me to watch the original Telugu film (Arjun Reddy), which was also helmed by him. When I watched it, I was surprised to see that Karan Singh was mild and soft-mannered, unlike me. I was apprehensive initially, but I finally gave my nod to the film, as I felt that with a few inputs from my side, I would be able to pull off the role.”

So, how was it working with Shahid? Arjan replies, “I have known Shahid for many years, but this is the first time we are working together. Kabir Singh was a wonderful experience and somewhere, Sandeep’s conviction that we resemble each other, helped us bond better.”