Shehzad Khan, who played Bhalla in 'Andaz Apna Apna', recalled his late father Ajit Khan's reaction. Ajit Khan was not pleased with his son turning his serious image into comedy and told him not to mimic him in films again after the release.
Veteran actor Shehzad Khan, who continues to be remembered for his comic role as 'Bhalla' in the 1994 cult classic 'Andaz Apna Apna', recently opened up about his late father and actor Ajit Khan’s reaction to his performance in the film. Recalling how his father, known for his iconic villainous roles, had built a serious image over the years, Shehzad revealed that Ajit was not particularly pleased with his son turning that image into comedy. Shehzad also recalled that several comic punches from his performance were eventually edited out of the film, even as his character went on to become a memorable part of the comedy classic.
Getting The Role of 'Bhalla'
Speaking to ANI, Shehzad opened up about his meeting with filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi and producer Vinay Kumar Sinha. “I shared a good connection with Vinay Kumar Sinha (producer). Back in the time, I was reading a newspaper when I saw Vinay Sinha's film announcement for 'Andaz Andaz Apna' featuring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, and Karisma Kapoor. I instantly started searching for myself and then realised, 'I am not a hero',” he recalled. Soon after, Shehzad received a call from Sinha asking him to meet at Sunny Super Sound. Recalling his reaction, the actor said, “I was like, 'Do you want me to sing?' When I reached the studio, Vinay Sinha as well as Rajkumar Santoshi (filmmaker) were already present. It was my first time meeting Rajkumar Santoshi.”
Sinha told Shehzad that he wanted him to portray Bhalla, a character that would go on to become one of the film’s memorable comic figures. However, Santoshi had a condition for the role. “Vijay Sinha sahab said that he wanted me to portray the character of 'Bhalla', and Raj ji agreed to it. However, Raj Ji had a condition. As I asked for the condition, he said, 'You won't use your original voice, but you will enact your father's (Ajit Khan) voice for the character,'” Shehzad said.
Mimicking His Father for The Role
The actor readily accepted the challenge and drew inspiration from his father’s distinctive mannerisms and dialogue delivery. “I was like, 'If that is the demand for the role, I will do it.' My father had a unique style of delivering his dialogues, with his own unique expressions, gestures, and so on,” he said.
Remembering his introduction in the film, Shehzad said he consciously incorporated his father’s style while delivering the character’s dialogue, “So, when it was my introduction scene in 'Andaz Apna Apna', I said my dialogue in his style - 'Mera naam hota hai Vinod, lekin saari duniya mujhe Bhalla ke naam se jaanti hai'.”
Ajit Khan's Reaction to the Performance
However, Shehzad’s decision to mimic his father’s distinctive style in the film did not go down entirely well with Ajit Khan. Recalling the late Ajit Khan’s reaction after watching ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, Shehzad said that his father asked him not to imitate him in films again. “Mere father sahab ne kaha tha ki, ‘Jo tumne harkat ki hai ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ mein, woh dobara mat karna.’ Bole, ‘Maine itne saal mehnat karke serious apna image banaya, usko tumne comedy mein badal diya,’” he recalled.
Edited Scenes and Unseen Punches
While the film went on to achieve cult status, Shehzad revealed that several comic punches and scenes were eventually edited out. He believes audiences would have enjoyed the additional material had it been included in the film’s later re-release. “There were a lot of scenes in it. Between the film's original release and its re-release in 2025, if they had added the edited version with more punches, people would have definitely enjoyed it. There were so many punches in it that it would have become a longer film than 'Dhurandhar, ' he said.
Shehzad further revealed that his character had several more comic moments that did not make it to the final cut. “I had 3-4 more punches in it. When the film ended with Aamir Khan delivering his popular 'Aap purush nahi, mahapurush hai' dialogue, there was another scene when the police would take me, Paresh Rawal, and Viju Khote,” he recalled.
Describing the unseen sequence, he said, “Inside the police van, I would be seated, handcuffed, and then say the dialogue, 'Mere naye pilan (plan) ke mutabik', and the frame would freeze.”
Legacy of 'Andaz Apna Apna'
Over the years, 'Andaz Apna Apna' has evolved into one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved comedies, with its dialogues and characters continuing to enjoy a dedicated fan following.
The film featured Aamir Khan and Salman Khan in the lead roles as Amar and Prem, respectively. Despite its modest theatrical run at the time of release, the film found a new life over the years, with its quirky characters, comic timing, and memorable dialogues becoming deeply embedded in popular culture.
From Crime Master Gogo’s 'Aankhen nikaal ke gotiyan khelunga' to Teja’s 'Main Teja hoon, mark idhar hai', and Aamir Khan's iconic 'Main toh kehta hoon aap purush hi nahi hain, mahapurush hain mahapurush', the film continues to be revisited and quoted by fans even decades after its release. (ANI)
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