A second glance at some of the filmi lookalikes 
By Screen Weekly, December 17, 2007 - 11:53 IST
One of the busiest artistes in this lot is Salim Khan, who played Manoj Kumar in OSO and was caught in a midst of a controversy. "I auditioned for
the film as an artiste and had not the faintest idea that the role would be mired with controversies. Anyway since the film’s release, I’ve been flooded
with offers to play similar roles and perform during stage shows in Mumbai and Bangalore," he says. He is a bit miffed over the Manoj Kumar fiasco. "I
wish he hadn’t got upset over it as it was done in good humour," he says adding, "Now that both Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Kumar have made up I
pray nothing else comes up in future." Khan has been doing well performing in stage shows and doing tiny roles. The time had once come when he
had to return home to Madhya Pradesh for some personal reasons but had to come back to tinsel town because of his affinity for films. " In fact once
my father came over to Bombay when I was working in the Opera House (a Mumbai movie theatre) canteen and asked me to accompany him home. But
the film bug that had bitten me wasn’t leaving me. I told him that I would not go back; if they (father and mother) wanted they could come and stay
with me. With this I shot a one-liner in filmi andaaz, "Paan beedi cigaratte tambaku na sharab, humko to hai nasha Bollywood ka janaab," Khan has
acted in films like Kargil Da Border, Road No. 203, Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Dhadhak, Shera with Mithun Chakraborty, Duplicate Sholay, Jung Ki
Sholay and Chalo Ishq Ladaye. Way back in 1975 he had the honour to be seated beside Amitabh Bachchan when a scene was being picturised for
Do Anjaane. He remembers of how he got floored seeing the actor he admired.He was also seen in Naya Office Office, Solah Singaar, Tumhari Disha,
Astitva Ek Prem Katha, Sarkar and Yeh Hawayen for DD1.
While parting we ask him how grateful was he to Shah Rukh Khan to which he retorts, "Agar woh humko break nahin diye hote, main aapke saamne
baitha nahin hota."
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I remember Mithunda
asking me,"Aajkal kya kar rahe ho" to which I replied, "Kuch khaas nahin main apke naam se apna pet bhar raha hoon"
- Mohan Kumar (Jr. Mithun) |
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"The Manoj Kumar scene was funny and to me the most hilarious one," believes Dharmendra-lookalike Dhananjay. "Even Farah Khan didn’t think of
any upheaval arising after the film’s release. Young people are bound to make mistakes, it is for the elders to excuse them in such a case, " suggests
Dhananjay. He missed the chance of being part of Ramgarh Ke Sholay, the first remake of Sholay that had lookalikes of top actors. "That is the time I
was shooting for the film Indira with Hema Malini, Suresh Oberoi and Prem Chopra directed by Nripen Mohla. I didn’t take up the Ramgarh Ke Sholay
offer for two reasons, one because in Indira, I was playing a negative character and second because I never had the slightest inkling that the remake
would be a stupendous hit," Dhananjay exclaims. He has also done a couple of films based on Sholay namely Duplicate Sholay and Jung Ke Sholay,
Shera with Mithun Chakraborty and Chalo Ishq Lagale. It was Kishore Bhanushali who used to play Dev Anand earlier who made Dhananjay realise
that he looked a copy of Dharmendra and quipped, "Mujhe to Dev Anand banna padta hai magar tum toh hubahu Dharamji dikhte ho." In his first
show that he performed at Bhaidas Hall, "the audience just lapped me up and labelled me as ‘Made in Punjab’" Recounting an incidence at Indore
where he had gone to perform for a show, Dhananjay says, "I went to the green room after my performance when the local MLA barged in and asked
whether I was the real Dharmendra." When we also tell Dhananjay he ‘s got the face and physique of Dharmendra, he remarks, "Main Dharmendra
hoon shakal se , personality se, main Dharmendra nahin to bas apni taqdeer se." Dhananjay is happy with what he is doing currently. In fact, he too
played a guest appearance of Dharmendra in OSO.
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Main Dharmendra hoon shakal se, personality se main Dharmendra nahin to bus apni taqdeer
se
- Dhananjay ( Jr. Dharmendra) |
Another person who is more than happy with the success of OSO is Mohan Kumar who is a carbon copy of Mithun Chakraborty. "The film has indeed
made us lookalikes sell like hot cakes whether it is in films or shows. It all started when Mithunda’s Suraksha was released after seeing which people
used to call me by the name of Mithun. In fact when I was in SSC, I vividly remember my elder brother coming over to my school and hurriedly taking
me homewards saying, " I want you to see Mrigaya in which Mithun Chakraborty won a National award." So carried away was I that from that day
onwards I started walking, talking and behaving like Mithunda. Meanwhile I met him on a couple of occasions. The last time when I met him
twenty-five years ago, I remember his asking me, " Aajkal kya kar rahe ho" to which I replied "Kuch khaas nahin main aapke naamse apna pet bhar
raha hoon." When we ask him whether he feels proud to be another Mithun by face he says that he would be thankful to his parents for having
brought me in this world with the face and the physique of "my idol". "Here I would want to relate you something terrible that happened with me. I
had gone to see Disco Dancer at a hall in my home town. During the interval as I came out on the foyer, a good number of boys and girls thinking
that I was Mithun Chakraborty thronged me asking for autographs and asking me all sorts of questions. So annoyed was I that I had to leave the
theatre leaving the film midway."
Kumar is playing the lead in R.K.Khanna’s Kisise Kam Nahin Hain Hum as a police inspector in which he has co-stars like Manoj (Jr. Ajay Devgan),
Sanjay Mandhar ( Jr. Sunny Deol) and Sagar (Jr. Salman Khan). It is a total lookalike film akin to Ramgarh Ke Sholay. Finally Kumar pays a tribute to
Farah Khan thus, "I am thankful to Farahji to have featured me in OSO."
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Paan beedi cigaratta tambaku
na sharab, humko to hai
nasha Bollywood ka janaab
- Salim Khan ( Jr. Manoj Kumar) |
An Ulhasnagar resident, 40-year old Vishwajeet Soni sometimes doubles up for Prem Chopra. His career started in 1984, when he used to take part in
record dances featuring Jeetendra. But since 1991, he was doing comedy shows when he started doing stand-up comedy shows. In 1995, the time of
lookalikes started. His friend Arif Khan who looks like Anil Kapoor reminded him that he looked like Prem Chopra. Later he came into the limelight
doing Prem Chopra roles in Boogey Woogey. So impressed was Premji that he called him over to his house to congratulate him. Later Vishwajeet did
Sachin’s serial Rin Ek Do Teen in which he portrayed characters of Prem Chopra and Vinod Khanna. Besides, Vishwajeet has been dubbing in the
voices of Vinod Khanna, Paresh Rawal, Kanhaiyalal, Rajesh Khanna, Gulshan Grover and others. But Vishwajeet is very happy playing a cameo of a
Bengali in Indra Kumar’s and Ashok Thakeria’s Dhamaal. "I am proud to hear people relating my character in Dhamaal to that of Mehmood. Isn’t it a
compliment in itself?"he asks. So excited is he of his role in the film that Vishwajeet has sworn not to do roles in small-time films but concentrate on
doing character roles. "I am ready to do roles that involve comedy, villainy or any other. He is currently doing a film Mr. Tikrambaaz that is being
produced and directed by Junior Mehmood.
In the film he dons the role of Shakti Kapoor’s bodyguard. In another upcoming film Crime Partner, Vishwajeet plays an inspector. " I want to now get
out of the tag of Prem Chopra and work with the likes of David Dhawan, Neeraj Vora, Priyadarshan and Sohail Khan," he signs off.
Sev Anand, who looks almost like our evergreen star Dev Anand too is enjoying his newfound ‘saleable’ tag. "I am indeed overjoyed after seeing the
audience reaction of OSO. The film’s success has obviously helped us," he says adding, "I have been getting offers to attend events abroad
including the US. Sev Anand aka IP Sharma got his break as duplicate Dev Anand in 1977 in the film Nasbandi. "I have played Dev Anand in several
films which include Khoon Aur Paani and Rock Dancer. I have also done an ad with Kunal Kapoor in which I played Dev Anand, " he adds.
Screen India
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