How Much Was Malaika Arora Paid For Munni Badnam Hui? Dabangg Director Recalls How ‘Conservative’ Salman Khan Had Issues With Her Outfits

The hit song “Munni Badnam Hui” from Dabangg became iconic despite controversy. Director Abhinav Kashyap revealed Salman and Arbaaz Khan were uncomfortable with Malaika Arora doing the item number. She stood her ground, and the song’s success silenced the critics.

Published by Ashish Kumar Singh
Published: September 9, 2025 15:20:13 IST

Dabangg wasn’t just a huge hit; it kicked off Bollywood’s whole cop universe thing. But let’s talk about Munni Badnam Hui, that song you literally couldn’t escape back in the day, with Malaika Arora front and centre.

According to director Abhinav Kashyap, Salman and Arbaaz Khan were both pretty uncomfortable about Malaika doing the number. Yes, even though it went on to become iconic.

Why Salman & Arbaaz Khan Initially Opposed Malaika Arora

Arbaaz, in particular, didn’t love the idea of his wife being branded an “item girl.” In Abhinav’s words, “He didn’t like the fact that his wife will be labelled as an ‘item girl’.”

Both Arbaaz and Salman, for all their on-screen swagger, are actually quite conservative in real life. There were even arguments between Salman and Malaika about what she’d wear.

They weren’t thrilled with her outfits and wanted her a bit more covered up. So, naturally, they pushed back on her doing the song at all. But Malaika wasn’t about to back down.

Dabangg’s Iconic Song Almost Didn’t Happen

Abhinav described her as independent, someone who chooses for herself.

She agreed to the song and had to talk Arbaaz around told him it wasn’t anything vulgar, just a dance number, surrounded by family. What’s there to be afraid of? And, of course, she was right; the song blew up and became a classic.

Here’s another twist: Salman wasn’t even supposed to be part of the song at first. But when he saw how much buzz it was creating, he wanted in. So, the team tweaked the sequence and added him in alongside Sonu Sood and Malaika.

How much was Malaika Arora paid for Munni Badnam Hui?

Malaika didn’t pocket some random small fee for “Munni Badnaam.” She reportedly scored a hefty Rs 2.5 crore for shaking a leg in that iconic Dabangg item number, yes, that’s a massive payday, even by Bollywood standards back in 2010.

That same year, she was offered another Rs 2.5 crore to perform “Munni Badnaam Hui” at a plush five-star hotel’s New Year’s bash.

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