# Dabangg (दबंग)
**Dabangg** (दबंग) is a 2010 Hindi-language action comedy film directed by [Abhinav Kashyap](https://www.edgepedia.org/abhinav-kashyap), starring [Salman Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/salman-khan) as Chulbul Pandey, a corrupt but fearless police officer in [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh) who calls himself "Robin Hood" Pandey. Released on 10 September 2010, it became the highest-grossing Hindi film of that year and launched a franchise of two sequels.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) • [2](https://www.thelallantop.com/amp/entertainment/post/salman-khan-abhinav-kashyap-dabangg-real-story-how-this-film-got-made-david-dhawan-edited-it)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 10 September 2010, on Eid-ul-Fitr[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) |
| Director / writers | Abhinav Kashyap (directorial debut); story and screenplay with Dilip Shukla[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) |
| Producers | Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora, and Dhilin Mehta; banners Arbaaz Khan Productions and Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) |
| Music | Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) |
| Lead cast | Salman Khan (Chulbul Pandey), Sonakshi Sinha (Rajjo, her screen debut), Sonu Sood (Chedi Singh), Arbaaz Khan (Makhanchan "Makkhi" Pandey)[3](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/dabangg) |
| India box office | ₹1.389 billion (₹138.88 crore) net; ₹1.929 billion (₹192.89 crore) gross[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/box-office/) |
| Worldwide gross | ₹2.211 billion (₹221.14 crore; about $47,017,018 per The Numbers)[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/box-office/) • [5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Dabangg-%282010-India%29) |
| Major awards | Filmfare Award for Best Film 2011; Zee Cine Award for Best Film 2011[6](https://travelindia-guide.com/bollywood/movies/2010/dabangg/) |
## Spoilers
### Story and characters
The film is set in Laalgunj, Uttar Pradesh. Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan) is a bold but dishonest police officer with unconventional methods; instead of arresting violent thieves, he robs the robbers and keeps the money in his mother's safe.[11](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%97/umc.cmc.6oawq6kn1gef4wr0v3r0mn7c8?l=hi) His mother Naini ([Dimple Kapadia](https://www.edgepedia.org/dimple-kapadia)) remarried Prajapati Pandey ([Vinod Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/vinod-khanna)) after his father's death, and their son is Chulbul's half-brother Makhanchan, or Makkhi ([Arbaaz Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/arbaaz-khan)). Chulbul resents his stepfather's partiality toward Makkhi.[12](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/dabangg-14586)
Chulbul falls in love with Rajjo ([Sonakshi Sinha](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonakshi-sinha)), while Makkhi loves a village girl, Nirmala ([Mahie Gill](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahie-gill)). The scheming politician Chedi Singh ([Sonu Sood](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonu-sood)) drives a rift between the brothers and uses Makkhi for his own ends, leading to the climactic confrontation.[12](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/dabangg-14586) The supporting cast includes Om Puri as Inspector Kasturilal Vishkarma, Anupam Kher as Dayal Babu, and Mahesh Manjrekar as Rajjo's father, Haria.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) Malaika Arora appears as Munni, the dancer in the film's item number.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/)
The film marked Sonakshi Sinha's screen debut.[3](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/dabangg)
### Franchise
The film's success founded the Dabangg franchise. *Dabangg 2* followed on 21 December 2012, directed by Arbaaz Khan, and *Dabangg 3* on 20 December 2019, directed by [Prabhu Deva](https://www.edgepedia.org/prabhu-deva), the latter a prequel exploring Chulbul Pandey's origin.[18](https://thesouthasianinsider.com/images/129202583313SAI12sept2025.pdf) • [19](https://thetvdb.com/lists/dabangg) The three films together grossed $102,735,977 worldwide in the markets tracked by The Numbers.[20](https://the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Dabangg) In November 2025, producer Arbaaz Khan confirmed that *Dabangg 4* is in development, though without a timeline, saying it would move ahead after discussions with Salman Khan.[21](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/arbaaz-khan-on-dabangg-4-we-are-working-on-it-101763552816512.html)
## Production
Abhinav Kashyap, younger brother of filmmaker [Anurag Kashyap](https://www.edgepedia.org/anurag-kashyap), wrote the original story himself: a dark, gritty tale of a policeman set in Uttar Pradesh. After Salman Khan joined the project, the script was reworked over six to eight months into a mass entertainer with action and songs, and the film's entire packaging changed.[2](https://www.thelallantop.com/amp/entertainment/post/salman-khan-abhinav-kashyap-dabangg-real-story-how-this-film-got-made-david-dhawan-edited-it) In a 2010 interview, Kashyap said he had written 14 drafts of the script.[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/i-wrote-14-drafts-abhinav-kashyap/articleshow/6512477.cms) He co-wrote the screenplay with Dilip Shukla, a writer known for *Damini* and *Andaz Apna Apna*.[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/abhinav-kashyaps-dabangg-a-commercial-masala-film/)
The film was Kashyap's directorial debut, and he described it deliberately as a commercial masala film (Hindi film blending action, comedy, romance, and songs) rather than the dark territory associated with his brother.[8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/abhinav-kashyaps-dabangg-a-commercial-masala-film/) A major portion was shot in Wai, a small town in [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra), where crowds gathered daily to watch Salman Khan and shouted his name during outdoor shoots.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/physically-exhausting-to-work-with-salman-abhinav/)
The first cut ran 2 hours 43 minutes. Kashyap and producer Arbaaz Khan judged it too long for a masala audience and brought in director [David Dhawan](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-dhawan), who spent three days editing it down to about 2 hours 3 minutes; this version reached cinemas on 10 September 2010.[2](https://www.thelallantop.com/amp/entertainment/post/salman-khan-abhinav-kashyap-dabangg-real-story-how-this-film-got-made-david-dhawan-edited-it) IMDb lists the released runtime as 2 hours 6 minutes.[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620719)
## Music
Sajid-Wajid composed the music with Lalit Pandit.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/) The item song "Munni Badnaam Hui" became popular before the film's release, playing on street corners across the country.[12](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/dabangg-14586) "Tere Mast Mast Do Nain", sung by [Rahat Fateh Ali Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rahat-fateh-ali-khan), is listed among the film's soundtracks on IMDb.[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620719) Playback singers on the album included [Sonu Nigam](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonu-nigam), Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Mamta Sharma, and Salman Khan himself.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/)
## Box office
Dabangg opened to ₹145 million (₹14.50 crore) net on its first day in India and reached ₹810 million (₹81.00 crore) net by the end of its first week, finishing with a lifetime India net total of ₹1.389 billion (₹138.88 crore).[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/box-office/) Worldwide gross collections were ₹2.211 billion (₹221.14 crore), including ₹282.5 million (₹28.25 crore) overseas.[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/box-office/) The film was the second-highest global grosser of 2010 among Hindi films by this measure, behind *My Name Is Khan* at ₹2.234 billion (₹223.44 crore).[13](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office-collections/worldwide/2010/?cb=1782234078) It was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2010.[2](https://www.thelallantop.com/amp/entertainment/post/salman-khan-abhinav-kashyap-dabangg-real-story-how-this-film-got-made-david-dhawan-edited-it)
In the tracked North American and other international markets recorded by The Numbers, the film earned $1,288,549 domestically and $47,017,018 worldwide.[5](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Dabangg-%282010-India%29)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed to positive. An archive of 26 critic reviews computes a score of 57, described as mixed or average.[14](https://reviewschview.com/dabangg/) Reviewers consistently praised Salman Khan's star performance as the main reason to watch, while criticizing the narrative as routine; Anupama Chopra of NDTV recommended the film "for the sheer pleasure of watching Salman Khan in top form", and Rajeev Masand of IBNLive advised watching it "strictly for Salman".[14](https://reviewschview.com/dabangg/) Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave it 2.5 out of 5, calling it an unabashed tribute to 1970s small-town Hindi films but finding the second half clichéd.[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dabangg-2/) The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Film and the Zee Cine Award for Best Film in 2011.[6](https://travelindia-guide.com/bollywood/movies/2010/dabangg/)
Beyond box office, the film had a noted cultural effect: according to film critic, screenwriter, and historian Ameesh Mishra, after 1961's *Ganga Jamuna* the Hindi-heartland setting had largely vanished from mainstream Hindi cinema, and Dabangg's success brought it back, showing producers that films made for local audiences of the Hindi belt could be a major source of revenue.[16](https://www.aajtak.in/entertainment/story/era-of-local-hindi-return-in-bollywood-183472-2013-02-24) Scholars have also placed it among the contemporary Hindi films set in north Indian small towns that stage a distinct form of non-urban masculinity on screen.[17](https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/safm.5.2.131_1)
## References
1. [Dabangg Cast & Crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/cast/)
2. ['दबंग' के बनने की असली कहानी, The Lallantop](https://www.thelallantop.com/amp/entertainment/post/salman-khan-abhinav-kashyap-dabangg-real-story-how-this-film-got-made-david-dhawan-edited-it)
3. [Dabangg (2010), Moviebuff](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/dabangg)
4. [Dabangg Box Office Collection, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg/box-office/)
5. [Dabangg (2010) Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Dabangg-%282010-India%29)
6. [Dabangg (2010) cast, credits and record, travelindia-guide](https://travelindia-guide.com/bollywood/movies/2010/dabangg/)
7. [I wrote 14 drafts: Abhinav Kashyap, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/i-wrote-14-drafts-abhinav-kashyap/articleshow/6512477.cms)
8. [Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg: A commercial, masala film, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/abhinav-kashyaps-dabangg-a-commercial-masala-film/)
9. [Physically exhausting to work with Salman: Abhinav, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/physically-exhausting-to-work-with-salman-abhinav/)
10. [Dabangg (2010), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620719)
11. [दबंग, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%97/umc.cmc.6oawq6kn1gef4wr0v3r0mn7c8?l=hi)
12. [Dabangg (2010), BollywoodMDB](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movie/dabangg-14586)
13. [Bollywood Top Grossers Worldwide 2010, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office-collections/worldwide/2010/?cb=1782234078)
14. [Dabangg critic reviews archive, ReviewSchview](https://reviewschview.com/dabangg/)
15. [Dabangg movie review, Shubhra Gupta, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dabangg-2/)
16. ['दबंग' से लौटा फिल्मों में 'हिन्दी भाषी क्षेत्र' का दौर, AajTak](https://www.aajtak.in/entertainment/story/era-of-local-hindi-return-in-bollywood-183472-2013-02-24)
17. [Vernacular masculinity and politics of space in contemporary Bollywood cinema, Intellect](https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/safm.5.2.131_1)
18. [The South Asian Insider, 12 September 2025](https://thesouthasianinsider.com/images/129202583313SAI12sept2025.pdf)
19. [Dabangg Franchise list, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/lists/dabangg)
20. [Dabangg Franchise Box Office History, The Numbers](https://the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Dabangg)
21. [Producer Arbaaz Khan on Dabangg 4: 'We are working on it', Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/arbaaz-khan-on-dabangg-4-we-are-working-on-it-101763552816512.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released in the 2010s › Action and adventure entries › Titles symbols to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license