Shakti Kapoor

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studies and at school, he would always pass in third grade. He would trouble his school teachers and be known as the rough and baddie guy who would frequently indulge in brawls and beat students.

As a result, young Shakti Kapoor was dismissed from school- not once but three schools. He moved Holy Child from Frank Anthony Public School to Salwan Public School.

Wanted to have a travel business but their father backed out

Shakti Kapoor’s father wanted him to become a tailor and help him in his business but Shakti was not interested. He wanted to set up his travel business company. After third grade graduation with a B Com from Delhi’s Kirori Mal College, Shakti joined Mercury Travels and Asian Travels and learned ticketing, and visa and cleverly made good contacts in the travelling business to start his own travel company.

Initially, his father agreed to support him in the business but at the last moment, he backed out shattering all the dreams of Shakti Kapoor!  

Shakti Kapoor shall remain indebted to his local ‘Panwala’

Readers may wonder why would Shakti Kapoor be indebted to a local Paanwala.

Well, because it was the Paanwalla, from where Shakti Kapoor usually bought cigarettes, offered him his first ‘Modeling’ assignment for his local pan stall.

Shakti still remembers Vishnu Panwalla of Karol Bagh, Delhi, who introduced him to Modeling world and showed the path for acting in his life.

Shakti Kapoor’s ragging at FTII

After failure in setting up a travel business, Shakti Kapoor decided to make a career in films and landed at FTII (Film & Television Institute of India) in Pune. Here he was ragged by his seniors and his stylish haircut was chopped and threatened not to smoke!!

Wanna know who was his senior? None other but the heartthrob of millions Mithun Chakraborty!

 After completing the acting course at FTII life was not a smooth ride for Shakti Kapoor. He had to struggle a lot.

He survived doing insignificant roles in small movies like Do Jasoos (1975) Khel Khiladi Ka(1977), Darwaza (1978), Sargam (1979), Lootmaar (1980) etc.

An accident with a Mercedes car changed Shakti Kapoor’s Life 

Though Shakti Kapoor was struggling to make a career in films but he was making good money from Modeling. He used to move in Rickety Fiat.

Once while he was driving on Mumbai’s posh Linking road, suddenly a classy Mercedes car crashed into his car. Shakti Kapoor was quite annoyed and came out of his car in full fury to thrash the driver of Mercedes but when he saw the driver all his anger fizzed out!!! Who was the driver that evaporated Shakti’s anger?

Well, he was the debonair actor cum filmmaker Feroz Khan! Watching Feroz Khan, Shakti Kapoor lost all his temper and began begging to give him a role in his film. Feroz Khan was overwhelmed by Shakti Kapoor’s dashing personality and his stylish attitude!

He gave him a pivotal villain role in his super hit film Qurbani (1980) and thus began, Shakti Kapoor’s glorious journey in Bollywood.

Sunil Dutt rechristened Sunil Kapoor as Shakti Kapoor

Impressed by Shakti Kapoor’s villainy in Qurbani, actor cum filmmaker Sunil Dutt, who was making Rocky, a launching pad for his son Sanjay Dutt signed Shakti Kapoor to play the main villain.

But Dutt was not happy with Shakti’s name which was Sunil hence he rechristened him as Shakti with the mega success of Rocky (1981), Shakti Kapoor became the star villain and was signed by top filmmakers like Manmohan Desai (Naseeb), Subhash Ghai (Hero), Dev Anand (Swami Dada), Prakash Mehra (Dalaal) etc.

The incredible Jodi of Shakti Kapoor and Kader Khan

Shakti Kapoor would have been reduced to just a villain if he had not had the privilege of working with veteran actor Kader Khan, who pulled him out of the ditch of villainy and gave him a new lease of life in comedy.

The two have worked together in 125 films!

The journey started with Himmatwala (1983) in which for the first time Shakti Kapoor took to comedy and then the duo became so popular that they did many hit films like Mawaali, Tohfa, Maqsad, Geraftaar, Raja Babu, Haseena Maan Jaayegi,  Deewana Mastana, Hero No. 1, Judwaa etc.

The Jodi became so popular that the film Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri was made to cash on their popularity and it was a box office hit!  

Readers will be surprised to know that Shakti Kapoor has not won any awards as a villain but has won the Best Comedian Filmfare award for Raja Babu.

 

Awards

Filmfare Award - Best Comedian for Raja Babu (1994)

Milestones

Shakti Kapoor became immortal with Crime Master Gogo in Andaaz Apna Apna

“Crime Master Gogo naam hai mera, aankhen nikal ke gotiyan khelt hoon main….”

This hilarious dialogue from Shakti Kapoor’s film Andaaz Apna Apna (194) has become synonymous with Shakti Kapoor and it would not be wrong to say that the unparalleled character of Crime Master Gogo is the milestone in the career of Shakti Kapoor and it has immortalized Shakti Kapoor in the annals of Indian Cinema.

But what is stunning is that when Rajkumar Santoshi narrated the character of Crime Master Gogo to Shakti Kapoor, he was amused at the silly character and initially had reservations about doing the absurd role. But Santoshi was convinced of its popularity and coaxed Shakti Kapoor to daringly attempt the role. He assured him that the role would make him memorable and true to his words when the film was released Shakti Kapoor won wide acclaim for his hilarious role.

He was even nominated for Filmfare Best Comedian award but interestingly the same year he was nominated for his other great comedy role in Raja Babu and was awarded for Raja Babu instead of Andaaz Apna Apna.