Filmmaker David Dhawan’s Hero No 1 (1997) gained cult status over the years and is loved by many, even today. A comedy-drama, the film starred actors Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Kader Khan, as well as Shakti Kapoor, in a cameo. Today, as the film celebrates 25 years of its release, Shah and Kapoor share their experiences of working on the film.

Kapoor recalls, “I was at home, as some shoot had been cancelled. That’s when David called and asked me to fly to Bangkok. He said, ‘Take a vacation for a few days. Five-six days ki achhi holiday hogi’. We have a strong friendship and (he) said I was his lucky charm, so I agreed to do the cameo. He sent the ticket and I flew over. It was fun. I did that only for David.”

Talking about his experience of working on the cult film, Shah, who played the role of Karisma’s uncle, shares: “David is my batchmate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and knew that I loved singing, so he cast me for the role of a musician in the film. I am glad it turned out well. I knew that if David gave me a role, he wouldn’t waste me. These were the kinds of movies where there was no stress. Maza aata tha shoot pe and one looked forward to shooting. Masti masti mein ban gayi, isliye itni achhi bani.”

He also adds that the film was inspired from filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Bawarchi (1972), starring the late Rajesh Khanna, and everyone in the cast knew it would be a hit. Shah says, “I knew it would be a hit as it was a modern version of the film. The entertainment value was more than the original, I feel. There was more comedy in Hero No 1.”

Shah is, however, disappointed that he didn’t have any scenes with Kader Khan. “I have done many films with Kader bhai and his wit was well-known. I had a different rapport with Govinda as he had shot his first film, Love 86 (1986), with me. I would encourage him a lot, as he was a kid back then. He evolved a lot and became the star that we know (today)... He loves and respects me a lot. Even today, if I spot him on a TV screen, I stop and watch,” he shares.