Remembering Satish Kaushik on his birth anniversary

Now and then: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Satish Kaushik

Remembering actor, comedian, director Satish Kaushik on his birth anniversary today. 

One performance in Mr.India as Calendar made him iconic! 

Love that all his pics with Sridevi, both are laughing nonstop - revisit the archive of pics here.

Director Satish Kaushik with Anil Kapoor and Sridevi on set: Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja: Flop Director Fine Actor

Director Satish Kaushik with Anil Kapoor and Sridevi on set: Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja 

A fine actor for sure, not sure about Satish Kaushik as a director. Not just because he made this massive turkey, Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja, (he alone is not to blame!), but all the movies he directed... none were great cinema or original. 

And the parade of flops, oyve, the stats are firmly against him; 71% of his films tanked. Especially when the film was produced by friend Boney Kapoor, his film record is abysmal! Prem was also Boney's expensive large scale film that was... just dreadful. 

I'm sure he was a lovely person and friend by all accounts, but the man was no Spielberg! The best film in his filmography is possibly Tere Naam with a career-defining and fine performance of Salman Khan. But then the movie was a near-exact remake of Sethu, a National award winning Tamil film. 

The rest of the Kaushik filmography were mediocre at best, forgettable like most! In fact, his final six films barely made a ripple at the box-office and he was just a flop=making director. You can't have it all after all... 

Year	Movie Title	Box Office Status
1993	Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja	Flop
1995	Prem	Flop
1999	Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain	Hit
2000	Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai	Hit
2001	Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai	Hit
2002	Badhaai Ho Badhaai	Flop
2003	Tere Naam	Hit
2005	Vaada	Flop
2006	Shaadi Se Pehle	Flop
2008	Karzzz	Flop
2009	Teree Sang	Flop
2010	Milenge Milenge	Flop
2014	Gang of Ghosts	Flop
2021	Kaagaz	Flop

 

Boney Kapoor's critique of his own film, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja: "I knew we had drastically gone wrong..."

Above: Boney Kapoor (film producer), Sridevi (leading lady), Anil Kapoor (actor) and Satish Kaushik (film director) at the last schedule of Roop ki Rani... 

Below: Baba Azmi (cinematographer), Anil Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Shekhar Kapur, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor at the first schedule of Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja.

Boney Kapoor, "I was sure that Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja would bomb even while it was being made, I knew we had gone drastically wrong. I actually wanted to shelve it. I told Anil that we were making another Razia Sultan. But nobody was ready to listen to me. They said that Amitabh Bachchan sent a truckload of flowers to Sridevi after seeing the rushes, every word of praise was repeated to me. Eventually, I got carried away. I became indulgent, and expenses mounted because I wanted to have one major highlight in every reel The result was a series of highlights, put together without a soul."
-- Filmfare, January 2000

Above: The last day of shoot for the epic Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja; choreographer Chinni Prakash, producer Boney Kapoor, leading lady Sridevi, hero Anil Kapoor, cinematographer Baba Azmi and film director Satish Kaushik. 

Sridevi's over-the-top costumes by Neeta Lulla. 

Rare pics from the sets of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja: TBT to the 90s in Bollywood

 Rare pics from the sets of Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja: TBT to the 90s in Bollywood 

Actor director Satish Kaushik, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Baba Azmi, Jackie Shroff, Boney Kapoor.

Rare pics of Anil Kapoor and Sridevi on the sets of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993)

Rare pics of Anil Kapoor and Sridevi on the sets of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993). Rare pic with director Satish Kaushik. 

Rare Pics: Satish Kaushik directing Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja

Rare Pics: Satish Kaushik directing Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in one of the many comedy scenes in the caper Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja. 

The OTT costumes and look.. 

Sri's so cute in this funny kidnapping/burglary scene in the movie. 

More from this look in the archive here.

Rare Pics: Sridevi and Anil Kapoor in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja

 

There is sooooo much copy about the making of the ambitious fiasco Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, once touted as the most expensive Hindi film ever made, that we care not to repeat it. 

These rare images of Sridevi and Anil Kapoor (with the film's director Satish Kaushik, a reputable actor but, in all honesty, a less thank lacklustre director) from a scene in the film that was eventually cut. A film in production for nearly five years, they must have so much footage left over, you could make another movie out of it! 

Sridevi looks like a doll. So beautiful. 

TBT: Premiere of Mr.India May 25, 1987: 34 Anniversary of Iconic Indian film

34 years ago today, Mr.India was released on 25 May 1987. One of Sridevi and Anil Kapoor's most memorable blockbusters and all-time favourite film of a generation of cine-goers. Shekhar Kapur's second directorial venture - it was the second biggest hit of '87 (it lost out the prime number one position to Hukumat (Dharmenda film) which is remembered for.... um... nothing really! [Years from now a generation of film fans will similarly wonder about Radhe - why was it such a big ratings hit when the movie was so God-awful!]

Below, rare pictures from the grand premiere of the blockbuster, Mr.India. 

Rare glimpses of what went on that memorable night back in the summer of 1987. 

Young Hrithik Roshan arrives with father Rakesh Roshan for the premiere of Mr.India

Above: Sridevi with her only sister Sreelatha at the premiere of the movie. We think the young girl was probably Maheshwari... 

Sridevi with choreographer Saroj Khan, Amrish Puri, director Shekhar Kapur, Anil Kapoor, music director Laxmikant with his wife - and film producer Boney Kapoor. 

Vinod Khanna with Sridevi 

Above: The cast and crew of Mr.India: Cinematographer Baba Azmi, Anil Kapoor, ?, Sridevi, Amrish Puri and writer and lyricist Javed Akthar. 

Below the Lehrein Retro video feature on the lavish premiere of the movie! 

We have 90 posts on the film Mr.India in our archives here.

The only awards Mr.India won during its time here. 

Mahurat [launch] of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja: Silver Jubilee of Mr.India: January 1988

 

Above: Satish Kaushik, Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Shekhar Kapur at the silver jubilee of Mr.India

The Silver Jubilee function of the Hindi blockbuster Mr. India was held in Bombay (Mumbai now!) on January 1, 1988. 

25 weeks after the release of the film, the entire industry seemed to have celebrated the success of the much-beloved movie. Simultaneously, it was the launch of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja - the stars performed a stanza of the title song on the occasion. 

This was the look the two leads had for the film. It was 80s fashion... bear with them! 

TBT: Prayers for Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000): Sridevi and Boney Kapoor with Aishwarya Rai

TBT: Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Satish Kaushik and possibly a 15-year-old Arjun Kapoor (to be confirmed) at the launch of Boney Kapoor's film Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000)