Writer Rumi Jaffry revealed in a conversation with Bollywood Hungama the inspiration behind one of the film’s beloved characters, Duggal Sahab. According to Jaffry, the character was inspired by a real-life person.
Watch The Paps Go Wild Over Rajpal Yadav’s Unforgettable Bhool Bhulaiyaa Scene!
According to Jaffry, ‘Duggal Sahab’ was inspired by filmmaker Rahul Rawail’s father, HS Rawail’s best friend, Ridku uncle. Who was just 2.5 feet tall and appeared in several of HS Rawail’s films such as ‘Mere Mehboob’ and ‘Mehboob Ki Mehendi’. He lived with HS Rawail like a brother, and his health complications, including temporary blindness and hearing impairment upon waking, fascinated Jaffry. This real-life inspiration was humorously incorporated into ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’, bringing Duggal Sahab to life.
The success of ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ was a collective effort. Director David Dhawan sought to reinvent himself with a romantic comedy, while producer Sajid Nadiadwala insisted on casting Rajpal Yadav in the film. Rumi Jaffry, aiming to avoid the repetitiveness of his 1997 film ‘Deewana Mastana’, infused the script with fresh ideas and inspiration from real-life characters, resulting in the creation of the iconic Duggal Sahab.
Jaffry said that Rajpal Yadav was a last-minute addition to the film. The makers assured Yadav that his role would be the third most significant after those of Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. When Jaffry received a call from Yadav, he was initially confused but quickly created a memorable role.
“I called Sajid and asked what role he had given to Rajpal Yadav. Sajid said, ‘I just want him in the movie, now you figure out how.’ I was extremely stressed and constantly getting calls from Rajpal. The shooting date was nearing, and Rajpal would say, ‘Bhaiya, please brief me about my role so that I can understand its needs and start working on them.’ To put him off, I told him, ‘Okay, see me tomorrow.’ After hanging up the phone, I started to think about what role to give him. There was a role of a broker and then the role of a rowdy, who was the gang leader of the Eagle gang, originally written for Vindu Dara Singh,” he shared.
Jaffry decided to give Rajpal a double role, both as the broker and the gang leader. The idea of twin brothers occurred to him and seemed just the right fit. He soon called Sajid Nadiadwala to brief him on the role, and Nadiadwala loved it. Finally, Jaffry briefed Rajpal, who was quite satisfied with the challenging yet exciting roles created for him at the last minute.
‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ also popularised pugs as the dog breed of choice. Jaffry confessed to being obsessed with pugs since the time of ‘Chalte Chalte’. Though he couldn’t use a real dog in the previous film, he successfully cast a pug in ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’. Amrish Puri, playing Colonel Sahab, famously said, “Kutta nahi, beta hai mera.”
Interestingly, the dog initially used in the film was quite old and died mid-shoot. Jaffry revealed, “Another interesting fact is that the dog initially used in the film was quite old, so it died during the shoot. But, luckily, all dogs look the same, so we brought a similar-looking dog and completed the shoot with that.”
Rajpal Yadav expressed immense gratitude on being asked by Bollywood Hungama, he reminisced, “It feels like yesterday. Shortly after Jungle, I received numerous film offers, one of which was Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. It was my first major commercial film with such a star-studded cast. Working with legends like Kadar Khan and Amrish Puri felt like a dream. This was also my first film with Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan, and it was quite an experience.” He described the entire filming process as fun, particularly recalling the magician sequence with fondness. “I had a blast balancing my body in the air,” Rajpal laughed as he remembered the shoot.
