# Main Khiladi Tu Anari (मैं खिलाड़ी तू अनाड़ी)
**Main Khiladi Tu Anari** (मैं खिलाड़ी तू अनाड़ी, "I'm a Player, You're a Novice") is a 1994 Hindi-language action comedy directed by Sameer Malkan, starring [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar) as a Mumbai police inspector and [Saif Ali Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/saif-ali-khan) as a film star who shadows him to research a role.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) It was released in India on 23 September 1994 and was a box office hit.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) • [4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3074)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 23 September 1994 (India); Hindi language; produced by United Seven Combines and Venus Records & Tapes[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) |
| Director and writers | Directed by Sameer Malkan; story by Sachin Bhowmick; dialogue by Kader Khan[3](https://fmdb.mov/en/movie/46403) |
| Lead cast | Akshay Kumar as Inspector Karan Joglekar, Saif Ali Khan as Deepak Kumar, Shilpa Shetty as Mona/Basanti, Raageshwari as Shivangi[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) |
| Antagonist | Shakti Kapoor as Goli, an underworld don who murders the inspector's brother[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/main-khiladi-tu-anari) |
| Music | Anu Malik; the song "My Adorable Darling" was performed by Anu Malik and Alisha Chinai[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) |
| Box office (Box Office India) | Total nett gross ₹78,825,000 against a budget of ₹32,500,000; worldwide gross ₹138,422,500; verdict Hit[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3074) |
| Source | An uncredited copy of the 1991 Hollywood buddy comedy The Hard Way, as Saif Ali Khan later acknowledged[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/saif-ali-khan-reveals-main-khiladi-tu-anari-was-copied-from-hollywood-film-the-hard-way-we-just-lifted-it-without-taking-rights/amp_articleshow/131093016.cms) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Arjun (Mukesh Khanna) and Karan (Akshay Kumar) are brothers and both are police officers. During an investigation into Goli ([Shakti Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/shakti-kapoor)), an underworld don, Goli murders Arjun.[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/main-khiladi-tu-anari) Karan traces Mona ([Shilpa Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/shilpa-shetty)), the sole eyewitness to the murder, but Goli's men kill her as well.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGZHXlaBTU)
Karan's revenge plan is interrupted when he is ordered to work with Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan), a superstar bored with romantic roles who wants to observe a real policeman to prepare for a cop role.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGZHXlaBTU) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%A1-%E0%A4%A4-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A1/umc.cmc.4v586ghiivynlqknpcz7p4ox1?l=hi) The mismatched pair get their break when they find a crude dancer, Basanti (also Shilpa Shetty), who looks exactly like the murdered Mona, and they use the resemblance in a plan to bring Goli to justice.[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGZHXlaBTU)
The [University of Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-iowa)'s Indian Cinema collection describes the film's particular angle: it parodies Bollywood and its fans while playing its male friendship (dosti) straight, with each hero a savvy operator (khiladi) in his own world and a novice (anari) in the other's.[7](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/main-khiladi-tu-anari)
## Cast and crew
The credited cast includes Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Raageshwari, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan (as Ramlal/Shyamlal), Mukesh Khanna, Johnny Lever (as Dhansukh), Goga Kapoor (as Damodar), and Beena (as Mrs. Arjun Joglekar).[2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%A1-%E0%A4%A4-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A1/umc.cmc.4v586ghiivynlqknpcz7p4ox1?l=hi) • [3](https://fmdb.mov/en/movie/46403) Champak Jain produced; [Anu Malik](https://www.edgepedia.org/anu-malik) composed the music, with Amar Haldipur handling background music, and Akram Khan was the director of photography.[3](https://fmdb.mov/en/movie/46403) The film was shot at Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/)
The film received 4 award nominations in total, according to IMDb.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/)
## The Hard Way connection
The film's premise follows the 1991 American buddy comedy The Hard Way, in which [Michael J. Fox](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-j-fox) plays an actor shadowing a detective, played by [James Woods](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-woods), for a role.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/saif-ali-khan-reveals-main-khiladi-tu-anari-was-copied-from-hollywood-film-the-hard-way-we-just-lifted-it-without-taking-rights/amp_articleshow/131093016.cms) Saif Ali Khan later said plainly that the film was copied without rights: "We just lifted and copied the American film The Hard Way."[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/saif-ali-khan-reveals-main-khiladi-tu-anari-was-copied-from-hollywood-film-the-hard-way-we-just-lifted-it-without-taking-rights/amp_articleshow/131093016.cms) The trade paper Film Information, reviewing the film at release, likewise described it as inspired by the English film Hard Way, while criticizing a screenplay in which logic and continuity take a backseat and the revenge plot is relegated behind the heroes' antics.[9](https://filminformation.com/flash-back/main-khiladi-tu-anari-19-september-2019/)
The film was originally titled *Ek Anari Ek Khiladi* before the title was changed.[8](https://www.abplive.com/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-saif-ali-khan-superhit-movie-main-khiladi-tu-anari-completes-30-years-box-office-songs-unknown-facts-2789835)
## Box office
Box Office India records the film as a Hit. It opened on 210 screens with a first day of ₹5,000,000 and a first week of ₹2,43,25,000, finishing with a total nett gross of ₹78,825,000 in India, an India gross of ₹13,48,00,000, overseas gross of $115,000, and a worldwide gross of ₹13,84,22,500, on a budget of ₹32,500,000; it recorded about 11,092,000 footfalls.[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3074) Sacnilk's figures agree on the shape of the result: a budget of ₹32 million (₹3.20 crore), an India net of ₹78.8 million (₹7.88 crore), a total gross of ₹138.4 million (₹13.84 crore), and a Hit verdict.[5](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/MainKhiladiTuAnari1994) One aggregator, Boxoffy, gives a different picture, claiming ₹140 million (₹14 crore) India nett and classifying the film as an "All-Time Blockbuster"; this conflicts with both Box Office India and Sacnilk, whose figures are the ones consistent with each other.[12](https://www.boxoffy.com/main-khiladi-tu-anari-box-office.html)
Reported runtimes also differ by source: IMDb lists 175 minutes (2h 55m), Box Office India lists 180 minutes, and Apple TV and Rotten Tomatoes list 2h 10m.[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/) • [4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3074) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%A1-%E0%A4%A4-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A1/umc.cmc.4v586ghiivynlqknpcz7p4ox1?l=hi)
## Music and afterlife
Anu Malik's soundtrack produced songs that remained in circulation long after release, above all "Chura Ke Dil Mera," which decades later was still a wedding-floor staple, and the title track.[8](https://www.abplive.com/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-saif-ali-khan-superhit-movie-main-khiladi-tu-anari-completes-30-years-box-office-songs-unknown-facts-2789835) The title song was remade as "Main Khiladi" for the 2023 film [Selfiee](https://www.edgepedia.org/selfiee), in which Akshay Kumar and [Tiger Shroff](https://www.edgepedia.org/tiger-shroff) performed the hook step.[13](https://www.surbhi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Publish-UFR-in-newspaper-Dec-22.pdf)
The film sits in the Khiladi series of Akshay Kumar vehicles, appearing in catalog listings between Khiladi (1992) and [Sabse Bada Khiladi](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabse-bada-khiladi) (1995), followed by [Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi](https://www.edgepedia.org/khiladiyon-ka-khiladi) (1996), Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi (1997), International Khiladi (1999), [Khiladi 420](https://www.edgepedia.org/khiladi-420) (2000), and Khiladi 786 (2012).[3](https://fmdb.mov/en/movie/46403) As of the most recent availability checks, the film streams in India on Amazon Prime Video and, free with ads, on MX Player.[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/main-khiladi-tu-anari)
## References
1. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/)
2. [मैं खिलाड़ी तू अनाड़ी, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/%E0%A4%AE-%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%A1-%E0%A4%A4-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%A1/umc.cmc.4v586ghiivynlqknpcz7p4ox1?l=hi)
3. [मैं खिलाड़ी तू अनाड़ी (1994), FMDb](https://fmdb.mov/en/movie/46403)
4. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3074)
5. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) – Box Office Collection, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/MainKhiladiTuAnari1994)
6. [Saif Ali Khan reveals 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' was copied from Hollywood film 'The Hard Way', The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/saif-ali-khan-reveals-main-khiladi-tu-anari-was-copied-from-hollywood-film-the-hard-way-we-just-lifted-it-without-taking-rights/amp_articleshow/131093016.cms)
7. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Indian Cinema, The University of Iowa](https://indiancinema.sites.uiowa.edu/main-khiladi-tu-anari)
8. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari completes 30 years: box office, songs, unknown facts, ABP Live](https://www.abplive.com/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-saif-ali-khan-superhit-movie-main-khiladi-tu-anari-completes-30-years-box-office-songs-unknown-facts-2789835)
9. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari (from our issue dated 24 September 1994), Film Information](https://filminformation.com/flash-back/main-khiladi-tu-anari-19-september-2019/)
10. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari streaming: where to watch online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/main-khiladi-tu-anari)
11. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari Full Movie (synopsis), Venus Movies, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGZHXlaBTU)
12. [Main Khiladi Tu Anari Box Office Collection, Boxoffy](https://www.boxoffy.com/main-khiladi-tu-anari-box-office.html)
13. [In the news (IANS report on the 'Main Khiladi' song remake for Selfiee), Surbhi](https://www.surbhi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Publish-UFR-in-newspaper-Dec-22.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 1990s › Action and thriller films › Released 1990 to 1995*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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