Judwaa (1997) remains one of the most loved Hindi comedy films, and with names like actor Salman Khan and filmmaker David Dhawan associated with it, actor Dalip Tahil feels it is no surprise. Tahil played the role of Sanjay Path “SP” Malhotra, the father of the twins Raja and Prem (played by Khan).

“I had worked with David and Karisma Kapoor earlier. Salman was quite new. It was a pleasure to work with such a fun guy,” shares Tahil. While his memory is hazy about the film, he does remember Khan playing pranks on Kapoor all the time. “While there was a lot of hard work on David’s set, he creates a fun, relaxed atmosphere,” adds Tahil.

At a time when technology wasn’t too advanced, and movies were still shot on raw stock, Tahil admires how Dhawan made a “tricky” film with a double role. “David had started as an editor and was technologically sound. That’s why he could execute it,” he says, adding, “He never shot anything extra, never wasted Eastmancolor raw stock, which used to be very expensive. That’s why David was called a producer’s director.”

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With iconic songs like Oonchi Hai Building, Tan Tana TanTan and Duniya Mein Aaye, Judwaa’s soundtrack continues to be loved by Bollywood fans. And singer-composer Anu Malik credits actor Salman Khan for inspiring him. “I remember that masti in Salman’s eyes. I was like, ‘I better give songs that’d suit him to a T’,” he says, adding, “I am lucky the music has stood the test of time.”

While he had a “futuristic” vision for the film’s music, he admits that he was “expecting a rejection”. He feels the smooth transition of funky beats to desi sounds did the trick. “These songs set a trend, which people love till date, globally. This recall value is my legacy,” Malik ends.

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Chartbusters, an impeccable cast and comic timing — filmmaker David Dhawan’s Judwaa is still a favourite among movie buffs. Actor Shakti Kapoor, who played Rangeela Prakash in the romantic comedy, shares how working with Dhawan was nothing short of a joy ride.

“David makes things simple and fun for actors on set. He gives you a brief, works with you to make the role stand out and lets you improvise, too,” Kapoor says, stating that the film proved actor Salman Khan could “do comedy very well”. “Salman said, ‘You are my dad’s friend, now playing my friend’. I said, ‘Soon, I’d play your younger brother’. And I did end up improvising a dialogue in the climax that said, ‘Mujhe maaro, woh Ram hai aur main uska Lakshman’. Salman laughed when he saw the take,” he adds.

Recalling another scene he improvised, Kapoor says, “I was fighting some goons. I decided to let my pants fall off after I get a blow, and then lifted it up. David said if it looks good on screen, we will retain it. It was funny, so he did.”