Did you know Shakti Kapoor was not the first choice for Aamir Khan, Salman Khan starrer Andaz Apna Apna’s Crime Master Gogo?

Oh my goodness, Shakti Kapoor! I simply adore him, and not just because of his iconic roles or memorable dialogues but also due to the fascinating tales behind them. It’s like peeling off layers from an onion, only instead of tears, you get a hearty laugh.

Shakti Kapoor is undeniably a legendary actor in Bollywood, often referred to as the “Comedy King” due to his knack for delivering hilarious punchlines. While audiences adore him for his acting skills, his witty dialogue delivery has its own dedicated fanbase. One of the most enduring lines from his repertoire is from the 1989 film Chaalbaaz.

In the movie Chaalbaaz, the actor recounts an interesting story about the origin of the line ‘I am a small, lovable, cute child.’ On set, his co-star Anupam Kher asked if he and his wife ever had disagreements like other couples. When the actor confirmed they did, Kher inquired, “Then who apologizes first?” Shakti admitted neither of them ever did, and to make his upset wife laugh, he said, “I am a small, lovable, cute child.” This line eventually became popular.

Kher initially had his doubts, but with Anupam’s encouragement, he shared his thoughts. It turned out that the film’s director, Pankaj Parashar, found it amusing and everyone on set laughed. This is how the line “Main ek nanha sa pyaar sa chhota sa bachcha hoon” was added to the movie. He shares this behind-the-scenes story.

In the initial scene of the movie, Shakti Kapoor, portraying Rohini Hattangadi’s brother Batuknath Lalan Prasad Maalpani (affectionately known as Balma), attempts to make Sridevi’s character Anju call him by his nickname. He repeatedly encourages her saying, “Say Balma with love, say Balma firmly, sing and say Balma,” despite the fact that she trembles in fear.

In a later scene of the movie, both his tormentor and Manju, Anju’s daring twin sister, echo the same words they had heard earlier. This was Manju giving Balma a taste of his own medicine. Sridevi, with her exceptional comic sense, suggested the unique pronunciation of Balma that I later used, which she could mimic convincingly. To the audience’s delight, this quirky aspect of our film became quite popular following its release, and it was all thanks to Sridevi’s genius idea. With a contented smile on his face, he reflects on this memorable collaboration.

In the following decade after Shakti established his menacing comic persona through films like Himmatwala, Tohfa, Raja Babu, and Loafer, he further solidified this image in movies directed by Priyadarshan, such as Hungama (2003, where he played Tejabhai or Kachara Seth), Hulchul (2004, as Kashinath Pathak), Chup Chup Ke (2006, as Natwar Jhunjhunwala), and Malamaal Weekly (2006, portraying Joseph). Interestingly, it was the producer of Hungama, Ratan Jain, who recommended Shakti to Priyadarshan, a director from the South, who immediately agreed.

As I, Shakti, reminisce, let me share an intriguing tale. One day, while we were both filming in the enchanting town of Ooty, Priyan Sir secretly admired me from afar. It was astonishing to him that although a well-known Bollywood hero had only a handful of fans, an overwhelming number – over 500! – surrounded me for autographs, the majority being women. Right then and there, he made up his mind to include this charismatic villain in one of his future projects.

A different director who made him iconic was Rajkumar Santoshi, as seen in Andaz Apna Apna (1994) where Shakti Kapoor played Crime Master Gogo. This cult film transformed the villain into a comic book hero. Despite having limited screen time, the character has endured, thanks to its popularity. It’s interesting to note that while Crime Master Gogo is now synonymous with Shakti Kapoor, the role was initially offered to Tinnu Anand. However, he had to unexpectedly leave for a month-and-a-half to shoot another film, leaving an expensive set at Film City studio. As a result, Shakti Kapoor was asked to step in and take his place.

In the past, Shakti was working a considerable number of shifts per day, which allowed the director to give him the freedom to choose when he would film for the movie. He often arrived late in the evening and even once worked through the night. Many of Shakti Kapoor’s lines were spontaneously created during production. Lines such as “Now that I have come, I will steal something”, “Mogambo’s nephew Gogo”, “My name is Gogo, I take out eyeballs and play marbles with them”, and “Whenever a child refuses to sleep the mother warns him that if he doesn’t, Gogo will come” – the latter being a humorous reference to Gabbar Singh’s famous dialogue in Sholay (1975) – are instantly recognizable as belonging to the character known as the Crime Master.

As a seasoned journalist, I’ve recently ventured into the world of authorship with my fourth book titled “Bad Men.” Following the success of “Bad Man: The Memoir of Gulshan Grover,” “Matinee Men: A Journey Through Bollywood,” and “Spooked! Bollywood’s Encounters with the Paranormal,” this latest work, published by Rupa Publications in July, offers a captivating exploration into iconic films, performances, and dialogues. I invite you to delve into the world of even the ‘Bad Men,’ discovering that they too can make for an engaging read.

2024-08-10 14:09

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