Arjun Bijlani is a popular Indian television and film actor. He came into the limelight with the Hindi TV serial ‘Left Right Left’ (2006) in which he played the role of Cadet Aalekh Sharma.
Wiki/Biography
Arjun Bijlani was born on Sunday, 31 October 1982 (age 39 years; as of 2021) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.
A childhood picture of Arjun Bijlani (in red T-shirt) with his father and brother
He did his schooling at Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, Mumbai, Maharashtra. He pursued his graduation from H.R. College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Weight (approx.): 65 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 38″, Waist 30″, Biceps 13″
Family & Caste
Arjun Bijlani was born in a Sindhi family.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Sudarshan Bijlani, was a businessman, and he passed away when Arjun was only 19 years old. After his demise, Arjun’s mother, Shakti Bijlani, took care of Arjun aand his siblings, Niranjan Bijlani (his brother) and Rohini Bijlani (his sister).
Arjun Bijlani’s father
Arjun Bijlani with his mother
Arjun Bijlani with his brother
Arjun Bijlani with his sister
Wife & Children
Arjun met his wife, Neha Swami, for the first time at a friend’s party. Neha Swami is the niece of former Indian actress Deepti Bhatnagar. It was love at the first sight for Arjun. While talking about his first meeting with Neha, in an interview, Arjun said,
We met through a common friend at a party. I found her sweet-looking and innocent. The best thing I like about her was her simplicity; that’s mainly what attracted me to her.”
After a few meetings, they became friends and soon fell in love with each other. They dated for almost eight years, and on 20 May 2013, the couple tied the knot at the ISKCON Temple in Juhu, Mumbai. Their reception was held at The Hilton, Mumbai, on 21 May 2013.
Arjun Bijlani’s wedding photo
After almost one and a half years of their wedding, on 21 January 2015, the couple welcomed their son, Ayaan Bijlani. In an interview, while talking about his son, Arjun said,
He (my son) is one lucky charm for me. Ayaan was born in January, and I signed ‘Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi’ in March and now it is ‘Naagin’. I guess I’m doing something right. He has brought so much positivity into my life.”
Arjun Bijlani with his son
Autograph
Arjun Bijlani’s autograph
Career
Television
After giving several modelling and acting auditions, he was finally selected to play the role of Ankush in the Balaji Telefims’ TV serial ‘Kaarthika’ opposite the famous Indian TV actress Jennifer Winget in 2004.
Kaarthika (2004)
He was then offered a supporting role in the Hindi TV serial ‘Remix’ (2005) in which he played the character of Vikram. Even after two popular shows, he failed to get fame, and it was in 2008 that he was offered the role of Cadet Aalekh Sharma in the Hindi TV serial ‘Left Right Left’ through which he came into the limelight.
Arjun Bijlani in Left Right Left
In 2008, he was roped in the Hindi TV serials like ‘Mohe Rang De,’ ‘Jeevan Saathi,’ and ‘Miley Jab Hum Tum.’ With his role as Mayank Sharma in ‘Miley Jab Hum Tum,’ he started getting recognition and got offers to act in the Hindi TV serials of big production houses.
Arjun Bijlani in Mile Jab Hum Tum
Initially, in 2008, he was offered a few guest appearances in popular TV serials like ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,’ ‘Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan,’ and ‘Karam Apnaa Apnaa.’ He then appeared in Hindi TV serials such as ‘Pardes Mein Mila Koi Apna’ (2011), ‘Kaali – Ek Punar Avatar’ (2013), and ‘Meri Aashiqui Tum Se Hi’ (2015). Arjun appeared in a few episodic TV serials like ‘Teri Meri Love Stories’ (2012) and ‘Yeh Hai Aashiqui’ (2013). In 2015, he acted in the popular Hindi TV serial ‘Naagin’ as Ritik Singh/Sangram Singh. This serial gave him recognition as a lead actor in the Hindi TV serials.
Arjun Bijlani in Naagin (2015)
Arjun then acted in various Hindi TV serials such as ‘Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil’ (2016), ‘Ishq Mein Marjawan’ (2017), ‘Udaan Sapnon Ki’ (2019).
Films
Apart from the TV serials, he also acted in a few Hindi short films like ‘Full Phukre’ (2012), ‘I Guess’ (2013), and ‘Caught in the Web’ (2013). His Bollywood debut was in the Hindi film ‘Direct Ishq’ in 2016 in which he played the role of Kabeer Bajpai. The film failed to do well at the box office.
Arjun Bijlani in Direct Ishq
Web-Series
In 2020, he made his debut in the Hindi web series ‘State of Siege: 26/11’ in which he portrayed the character of Major Nikhil Manikrishnan, and the web series streamed on Zee5.
Arjun Bijlani in State of Siege 26/11
As of September 2021, he was roped in another Hindi web series titled ‘Roohaniyat,’ which is yet to be released.
Music Videos
Arjun has appeared in a few music videos such as ‘Kehndi Haan Kehndi Naa’ (2020) by Sukriti Kakar and Prakriti Kakar, ‘Mohabbat Phir Ho Jayegi’ (2021) by Yasser Desai, and ‘Tum Bewafa Ho’ (2021) by Payal Dev and Stebin Ben.
Arjun Bijlani in Mohabbat Phir Ho Jaayegi
Other Works
He has played cricket in the celebrity cricket league ‘Box Cricket League 2’ (2016), and ‘Box Cricket League 3’ (2018). He was a part of Ahmedabad express in season 1. He was a part of the Mumbai Tigers in seasons 2 and 3.
Arjun Bijlani with his Box Cricket League team
In 2016, he participated in the celebrity TV dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9’ along with the choreographer Bhavna Khanduja.
Arjun Bijlani in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9
He has also hosted a few TV reality shows like ‘Dance Deewane’ (2018), ‘Kitchen Champion 5’ (2019), and ‘Dance Deewane 2’ (2019).
Arjun Bijlani in Dance Deewane
Apart from this, he has appeared as a guest in the TV shows such as ‘Bigg Boss 11’ (2017), ‘Rising Star 3’ (2019), and ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ (2021). Arjun participated in the TV reality show ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11’ (2021), and on winning the show, he received Rs. 20 lakh cash prize along with a Maruti Swift car.
Arjun Bijlani on winning ‘Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi 11’
Arjun has appeared in a few TV commercials such as Seagram’s Imperial Blue.
Controversies
- On winning the TV reality show ‘Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11′ in 2021, a few netizens claimed that he won because he has worked in Colors TV serial and was a face of Colors. Arjun’s take on the whole matter was,
Unfortunately, they think this way. KKK is not a show of votes or even content. It’s about crossing a new level by performing stunts. Also, while Divyanka and Vishal had an equal chance to win, I was faster. It’s not even about more deserving as it was about how you performed that specific day. Shantanu Maheshwari has won the show, and he wasn’t even on Colors then. I have done many shows on the channel, but that came to me only because earlier shows worked.”
- In 2021, he made another controversy while he was in the show when he nominated the Indian TV actor Sourabh Raj Jain for a task, which led to Sourabh’s elimination. In an interview, while giving the clarification, Arjun said,
I did feel bad but he wasn’t eliminated because I nominated him. He did not perform well. Sourabh also got a second chance on the show, but he lost the stunt then too. If he had won, I don’t think we would be having this conversation.”
Awards
Gold Awards
- 2016: Best Actor for Naagin
- 2018: Best Actor in a Negative Role for Ishq Mein Marjawan
- 2019: Best Host for Dance Deewane
Arjun Bijlani with his Zee Gold Award
Gold Glam and Style Awards
Favourites
- Beverage(s): Berry Shake and Nimbu Paani
- Footballer: Diego Maradona
- Food: Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer, Paani Puri, Vada Pav
- Fashion Designer: Rocky S
Bike Collection
Arjun Bijlani while posing on his motorcycle
Car Collection
- Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML 250 CDI
Arjun Bijlani with his car
Net Worth
His net worth is Rs. 29 crores approx. ($ 4 million) as of 2021.
Income
His monthly income is Rs. 25 lakhs (approx.) as of 2021.
Facts/Trivia
- While he was in college, he loved riding motorcycles and perform motorcycle stunts.
- In an interview, Arjun shared that initially, his father was not very supportive of Arjun’s decision to make a career in acting. He further said,
He was against me becoming an actor and rather wanted me to take care of the family business. But my dream was to face the camera. I am sure wherever he is today, he is giving his blessings. My mother (Shakti Bijlani) was always very supportive, my wife (Neha Swami) has been there for me all the time.”
- During an interview, Arjun talked about his struggling days as an actor. He said,
I used to have a small bag, which contained only 2-3 T-shirts, a napkin and a face wash. I used to leave the house every morning with that bag and go round the studios in the hope that I would get fit somewhere. Somewhere I can get a role.”
- Arjun Bijlani owns a wine shop in Mumbai.
- In an interview, when he was asked if he had an affair with his co-star. He replied,
When you’re working in a TV show, you’re basically shooting, eating and making plans together all the time. So people tend to develop affinity towards their co-actors. At times, this inclination leads to a love story. But for some it might just remain as a crush and for others, they just end up being friends. And in my case, love never really happened with my co-stars.”
- In 2013, he got an offer to participate in the celebrity TV dance reality show ‘Nach Baliye.’
- During an interview, he shared his favourite serials he has worked on. He said,
I would say Left Right Left and State of Siege: 26/11 were quite challenging roles for me. State of Siege is based on NSG Commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Operation Black Tornado. He was someone who would not blink before sacrificing his life for the country. He joined the team he trained in their fight against the terrorists and gave everything to the mission. I am proud to play such a character and I think it has added to my calibre as an actor. You just cannot be in your comfort zone, you have to keep trying new things, with your looks and your characters.”
- Arjun was featured on the cover of various magazines like Downtown Mirror and Be Attractive.
Arjun Bijlani featured on the cover of Be Attractive
- He is an animal lover and owns a pet dog named Boozy.
Arjun Bijlani and his pet dog
- During an interview, while talking about the increasing rate of depression among the actors, he said,
I think there are a lot of people who see everybody’s social posts and feel that they are living a happier life and it becomes a cause of depression for them. You start feeling that everything is going right in others’ life while your own life is going in the other direction. But everything that shines is not gold. Also, people in the industry cannot talk openly about depression for the fear of losing opportunities. It’s a catch-22 situation, they want to open up but they don’t trust anyone. I think there should be more support and helplines available for the people going through depression or having suicidal thoughts.”
He continued,
It’s important to learn how to be content with what you have and work hard to achieve your goals. You may achieve it or you may not, you have to tell this to yourself right from the beginning. Not everyone who appears for a job interview gets the job, right? Work is just an aspect of life, happiness truly comes from creating an environment of happiness around you with your family and friends.”
- He is an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha and regularly visits Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple at Prabhadevi in Mumbai.
Arjun Bijlani with an idol of Lord Ganesha
- Arjun has attended various events of the Indian spiritual leader Nirmal Singhji Maharaj.
- During an interview, Arjun shared that it was his childhood dream to become a businessman like his father. He further shared that his dream was being fulfilled by his younger brother. He continued,
I’m making my younger brother study MBA because I couldn’t do it. I realized that education is very important in life to make a mark.”
- Arjun Bijlani follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- In an interview, he shared that if he was not an actor, he would have become a casino owner.
- He does not drink regularly and loves to have red wine at various events and parties. In January 2023, he took o Twitter to announce his New Year resolution of quitting smoking for his son. He wrote,
It’s been 4 days I haven’t smoked a cigarette. New Year’s resolution is working .. and honestly it feels good.”
- In an interview, when he was asked what makes him angry. He replied,
I hate people who don’t value things like favours etc and are not grateful for that. I believe in the tit for tat formula. If someone gets cheeky with me, I’ll get cheekier.”
- On 8 March 2024, Arjun was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai after he experienced severe stomachache. He underwent surgery to remove his appendix the next day.
Arjun Biljani’s Instagram post about his surgery
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education