Happy birthday, Shakti Kapoor: Actor's best comic roles
While talking about the most popular villains in Bollywood, one cannot simply skip the name of Shakti Kapoor. Born Sunil Kapoor, he was given the name "Shakti" by Sunil Dutt, who wanted him to play the antagonist's role in Rocky (1981), Sanjay Dutt's debut film. On his 71st birthday, we look at roles that established Kapoor as a comic actor.
'Raja Babu' (1994)
David Dhawan's hit melodrama comedy film Raja Babu, starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor in the lead, is a popular movie from the early '90s. Kapoor played Nandu's character who is often seen with his close friend Raja Babu (Govinda). Kapoor's role is best remembered for his line from the film: "Nandu sab ka Bandhu." The film was a box office hit.
'Andaz Apna Apna' (1994)
One of Kapoor's most iconic roles in his career is Crime Master Gogo in Andaz Apna Apna. This Rajkumar Santoshi-helmed cult classic comedy-drama featured Salman Khan and Aamir Khan in the lead roles. Interestingly, the character of Crime Master Gogo was initially offered to Tinu Anand. However, due to the unavailability of his dates, Kapoor eventually landed the role.
'Judwaa' (1997)
Starring Salman in the lead and a double role, Judwaa was released in 1997. Kapoor played Salman's childhood best friend Rangeela. Directed by Dhawan, Karisma and Rambha played the female protagonists, along with Anupam Kher, Kader Khan, Satish Shah, and Dalip Tahil in supporting roles. Deepak Shirke and Mukesh Rishi played the antagonists. It was a remake of the Telugu movie Hello Brother (1994).
'Coolie No. 1' (1995)
Another popular film that brought praise to Kapoor's career as a comic actor was Dhawan's 1995 movie Coolie No. 1. Starring Govinda and Karisma, the film was a box office hit. A classic Hindi masala comedy film, it is considered one of Bollywood's cult classics. The film was rebooted in 2020 with the same name, which starred Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan.
