Biwi No 1 turns 25 today. The film would spectacularly fail the test of time — starring Karisma Kapoor, Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen in lead roles and Anil Kapoor and Tabu as supporting cast, the film was about Kanjeevaram-clad Pooja (Karisma Kapoor) and ‘modern’ Roopali (Sushmita) fighting over a man, played by Salman Khan. The film will be termed problematic today, but back in the day it both entertained and earned money.
And the reason the film worked was because of its near-perfect cast — Salman as the cheating husband, Karisma as the devoted wife who wants her husband back, Sushmita as the modern woman who has Salman’s affection and Anil Kapoor as the devoted friend who is always there for Salman. Tabu in a short but impressive role also walked away with kudos. Each actor fits their character like a glove. However, none of them was the first choice for the film, and despite the roles originally not meant for them, they turned slapstick film into a box-office success with their performances.
Director David Dhawan, known for slapstick comedy and featuring Govinda in a series of ‘number 1’ films — Coolie No 1, Hero No. 1, Aunty No. 1, Anari No. 1 and Jodi No. 1 — naturally wanted the actor to play the role of Prem, the cheating husband in the film. Biwi No 1 is a remake of the 1995 Tamil film Sathi Leelavathi (starring Ramesh Aravind, Kalpana, Heera Kovai Sarala and Kamal Haasan), which itself was based on a Hollywood movie, She-Devil.
Salman Khan with Karisma Kapoor and Sushmita Sen on the set of Biwi No. 1 (Express Archive Photo)
According to a report published in DNA, the role of the ‘unfaithful’ was specially written while keeping Govinda in mind, as his pairing with Karisma was immensely popular at the time. However, Govinda did not want to work with Sushmita. Despite Govinda’s insistence, makers refused to remove Sushmita. Govinda returned the signing amount to producer Vashu Bhagnani, stating that he had done two similar films, where he was cheating on two women and didn’t want to repeat the character.
Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen in a still from the song “Chunari Chunari.”
Salman, although not the first choice of the producers, nailed his part. He looked great and seamlessly aced the character of a married man with children who falls for a model taller than him. His comic timing and cool dance moves were loved by the audience. The songs “Sona Sona,” “Jungle Hai Aadhi Raat Hai” and “Chunari Chunari” are still a hit, thanks to Salman and Sushmita’s dance moves.
Sushmita later shared an interesting anecdote about the filming of the song. Sushmita, in an interview with Mashable, revealed that despite her being taller than Salman, the actor insisted that she didn’t take off her heels. “When David would say on the sets of Biwi No. 1 that ‘Sush, heel mat pehen na. Heel mat pehen na aaj, gaana hai,’ so then I would come in flats like okay, no problem. Then Salman said, ‘Nice outfit but why are you wearing those chappals?’ So I said, ‘You’re short na.’ He burst out laughing and said, ‘Ja na, heel pehen ke aa. I’ll manage my height, you manage yours.’”
Govinda with David Dhawan
The role of Pooja wasn’t written for Karisma either. Manisha Koirala was the makers’ original choice. After the Heermandi: The Diamond Bazaar actor turned down the film for unknown reasons, the producers of Biwi No.1 cast Karisma. Interestingly, Manisha also refused Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Raja Hindustani and Zubeidaa, which eventually went to Karisma and emerged as his most popular movies. The actor, known for her ability to play both glamorous and relatable roles, embodied the ideal wife, determined to get her husband back from the clutches of ‘dusri aurat,’ (Sushmita) which resonated with audiences. She seamlessly metamorphosed from a saree-clad, gajra-loving wife, who didn’t accompany her husband to Switzerland to save money, into a glamorous businesswoman. Her character was a far cry from Shabana Azmi’s Arth (the veteran actor was also called Pooja in the film), but her acting chops and strong performance lived up to the title of the film. Karisma got a Filmfare nomination for the film.
After Manisha Koirala declined the role of Pooja in Biwi No. 1, Karisma Kapoor was signed to play the lead (Express Archive Photos)
For Anil’s role, Lakhan, the makers had Sanjay Dutt in mind and South actress Rambha was the original choice for Lakhan’s wife, Lovely’s role which eventually, went to Tabu. Anil, who was a star himself, decided to take up the role of the hilarious turban-wearing Punjabi friend of Salman, said he didn’t care about the length of the role and didn’t mind playing second fiddle as long as the role offered something new. Despite his limited screentime, he stood out. How can one forget “Hay Hay Mirchi!” where he aped Daler Mehdi’s fashion with élan?
Anil Kapoor
Tabu was entertaining in the small role, playing a quintessential Punjabi wife. After working in films like Kalapani and Maachis, one didn’t expect her to act in a slapstick comedy, but she owned the role. During the same press conference, both Tabu and Saif Ali Khan, who played a cameo and was seen as Roopali’s ‘not-so-rich’ friend, justified their choice of taking up parts that had limited screen time. “It is not a lengthy role but it has got a lot of substance in it. The character is funny and it was great fun doing this. It is different from what I have done before,” said Tabu who was known to do films that saw her play meaty roles.
David, who was also present at the event, tried his best to explain why Govida was missing from the film. When an upset reporter asked him, “Title ‘No. 1’ hai aur Govinda nahin hai. Yeh galat hai,” he jokingly replied, “Kuch galat nahin hai. Film dekhneke baad aap kahin bhi jaayenge ghar wapas aa jaayenge. Pehli biwi pehli hi hoti hai.”
Sushmita recently told Indianexpress.com about the line fans request the most. With a laugh, she revealed it’s the dialogue from Biwi No. 1 that always pops into people’s minds. She then shared the story behind how her unscripted words became part of her character’s dialogue. “It’s funny,” Sushmita said with a grin, “Haye mera bachcha wasn’t in the script. I thought the scene was over and I just hugged Salman, saying ‘haye mera bachcha.’ The camera was still rolling, and David kept it! So, it’s actually my own lingo.” The actor shined in her role of an ambitious woman who wanted more from life.
The film’s song “Chunari Chunari” became an instant hit
The film is packed with humour, ranging from situational comedy to witty dialogues and David’s direction ensures that the comedic timing is spot on, making the audience laugh throughout the movie. However, it is the stellar cast — although not the original choice — that makes Biwi No. 1 the film that it set out to become despite its slightly controversial theme.
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