Shakti Kapoor was not the first choice for Crime Master Gogo: ‘I joined Andaz Apna Apna when 70% of filming was done, had time only for night shoots’

Rajkumar Santoshi’s comedy film Andaz Apna Apna (1994) enjoys a cult status. Starring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, and Karishma Kapoor in lead roles, the film was a flop at the box office at the time of its release. But, over the years, it has become one of the most cherished Indian comedies, with its several dialogues and characters becoming an integral part of people’s vocabulary and pop culture.

From characters like Amar, Prem, Karishma and Raveena to Teja, Shyam Gopal, Crime Master Gogo and Robert, each has cultivated its own devoted fan following.

But, did you know that Shakti Kapoor was not the first choice for the role of Crime Master Gogo and that another veteran actor was initially roped in to play the role? In a recent interview with Digital Commentary, Kapoor opened up about the character and how he came on board the project, almost towards the end of its filming.

Recalling that Crime Master Gogo was supposed to be played by Tinnu Anand, Kapoor shared that since Anand was abroad during the time of Andaz Apna Apna’s shoot and couldn’t return on time, the makers approached him as he was filming for another movie nearby.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the filming had already been completed. Though I wanted to work with Santoshi and the movie’s producer was my friend, I expressed concerns about starting the filming in three days, citing date issues. Despite this, they persistently requested my involvement. In response, I suggested a compromise, proposing that we could shoot my scenes during the night if the other stars were fine with this arrangement,” Kapoor said, adding that eventually, all the stars agreed to this.

“Then I reached out to Tinnu, asking if he was okay with me playing the role instead of him. He is a very good friend of mine and I wouldn’t have assumed the part without his permission. Fortunately, he had no reservations,” Kapoor explained. He also noted that both Gogo’s outfit and the iconic dialogue “ankhen nikalke goti khelunga” were the creative contributions of Tinnu Anand.

Kapoor also reminisced about a later encounter with Aamir Khan at an international airport, where the superstar mentioned searching for a Crime Master Gogo-themed t-shirt. “I was surprised to learn that t-shirts featuring the character had been created. My son swiftly located one at the airport and gifted it to Aamir. The next time I saw Aamir at a party, he was proudly sporting that t-shirt. It was then that I learned that Crime Master Gogo toys were being sold, and there were even stalls named Crime Master Momos,” Kapoor mentioned, humorously noting that he never received any royalties from these ventures.