Kamal Ghorui
The making of Andaz Apna Apna has long been associated with stories of tension between co-stars Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor. Reports over the years have suggested that the two actors barely spoke during the film’s shoot due to an intense rivalry, often ignoring each other and even keeping tabs on each other’s costumes.It is also widely said that director Rajkumar Santoshi once resorted to extreme measures—like making them sit together—to ease tensions. Today, the phase is often remembered as youthful “classroom politics.”However, Shehzad Khan, son of veteran actor Ajit, who played Bhalla in the cult comedy, says his personal experience was far less dramatic. “I never really had to deal with their fights. Both of them were always very nice to me,” he said in a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani.“In fact, there was a very warm, family-like atmosphere—sometimes even biryani would come from Salman Khan’s house.”He added, “We only sensed a bit of distance during the climax, maybe they weren’t talking much. But I stayed out of all that. I was focused on my work. As a newcomer, you’re anyway nervous and careful.”
‘I kept knocking on doors’
Opening up about his early days, Shehzad said persistence defined his journey. “After that, I kept knocking on doors,” he shared, adding that he worked in films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Purani Haveli.“I also worked with Amjad Khan, which was a great learning experience,” he added.
‘I thought it was just another promise’
Recalling how he landed Andaz Apna Apna, Shehzad said, “Vinay Sinha had once told me, ‘I’ll take you in my next film.’ I thought it was just another ‘next film’ promise!”But things changed quickly. “One day, I saw a newspaper ad—Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena, Karisma—but of course, my name wasn’t there.”“At that very moment, I got a call asking me to come to Sunny Super Sound immediately. I realised something was happening.”
‘Rajkumar Santoshi insisted on me’
Shehzad credited Rajkumar Santoshi for backing him. “He told me, ‘I’ve cast everyone, but for one character—Bhalla—I insisted on you,’” he recalled.There was a catch though. “He said, ‘You have to use your father Ajit’s voice and style.’ I was nervous… but I agreed. And that’s how the journey began.”The decision didn’t go down well at home. “Yes, he was upset. He told me, ‘Next time, don’t you dare do this again,’” Shehzad revealed.
‘People were looking for him in me’
Despite the warning, he continued. “What could I do? People appreciated it. At the end of the day, we are entertainers—we are here to entertain the audience,” he said.Explaining his stance, he added, “I told him that people liked it. Also, he had stopped working at that point. So I said, ‘If you’re not working, people are looking for you in me.’”“He had quit at a peak, so naturally there was a void—people still wanted Ajit in some form or the other.”Looking back, Shehzad believes everything eventually settled into place. “Others also started bringing that essence back in their own way. Everyone found their space—I continued doing my work, and others did theirs,” he concluded.
