Comedy king of Bollywood

If there is anything, comedy king of Bollywood Satish Kaushik regrets not having done, it is that he failed to pursue his dream of opening his retail stores at petrol pumps as he had once thought. “I had thought having shops named Kaushik’s at the petrol pumps long back but I never gave it any serious afterthought and I think that is where I lost it,” he says.
On a high with his recently opened food joint in the capital, Khana Unlimited, he is looking to achieve great success in the food line. “Indians, including me are not used to having just one thing on the platter. There has to be a liitle bit of sabji and dal and also achar, so even I love dabbling into various things.” Food for thought, that.
He has as high hopes from Khana Unlimited as with Milenge Milenge his next directorial venture starring Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur, one that he promises will be a dreamy romantic story.
“I am a very spontaneous person,” says Kaushik, “I have named most of my films while discussing the story informally with my friends and colleagues.” Khana Unlimited is one such name that has proved to be a hit. “I have known Manoj (Manoj Mittal, his partner in the restaurant) from the time he invited to perform in Kirori Mal College with Amitabh Bachchan. Of all the people I have met, I related to him very well. And right now, I am at an age when I am leaving youth far behind so here was a young, talented man whom I could relate with. The partnership was instant.”
Kaushik has come a long way from being a the local guy from Karol Bagh who loved to hang around expensive food joints, but the city still holds a special place in his life. “I have thought of branching out Khana Unlimited to other parts of the country but it was obvious for me that I would inaugurate it here,” he says. “I have spent some the best days of my life here, doing theatre at the NSD.
The loss of veteran actor Amrish Puri is more a personal loss for him. “He used to pat me a lot,” he says. “I had run into financial trouble during the filming of Badhai Ho Badhai of which he was a part, when I told him of my disposition he immediately agreed to a discounted payment for the film, that was far too generous of him,” he recalls.
Coming up next from his side are the films Bewafa and Milenge Milenge. Ask him about the hottest couple in Bollywood, “Shahid and Kareena, who else?”

Published in Hindustan Times Next on February 8, 2005