Biwi No.1 (1999)

Biwi No.1 (transl. Wife No. 1) is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by David Dhawan, being a remake of the 1995 Tamil film Sathi Leelavathi. It stars Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, and Sushmita Sen in lead roles, with Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan in special appearances.

Biwi No.1 opened to positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its screenplay, humor, and performances of the cast, particularly for Karisma Kapoor and Sen's performances, emerging as a breakthrough for the latter.

Biwi No. 1 proved to be a major commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹52.80 crore worldwide, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.

At the 45th Filmfare Awards, Biwi No.1 received 7 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Dhawan) and Best Actress (Karisma Kapoor), with Sen winning Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

Prem Mehra is married to the devoted and traditional Pooja Khanna, and the couple has two children. Prem, a successful advertising executive, meets aspiring model Rupali Walia during a modeling interview at his office. The two begin an extramarital affair, leading Prem to leave his wife and children to live with Rupali.

Upon discovering the affair, Pooja, with the support of Prem's friend Lakhan, undergoes a transformation—adopting a modern lifestyle and pursuing a career in modeling. As part of her plan, she sends her children and mother-in-law to live with Prem and Rupali. Their presence causes strain in Prem's new relationship, as they intentionally create difficulties for Rupali, accusing her of neglect and ill intentions.

Over time, Prem begins to see the superficial nature of his relationship with Rupali, realizing that she was drawn to him for his wealth and status, in contrast to Pooja, who had supported him unconditionally. Rupali eventually reunites with her former boyfriend, Deepak.

Meanwhile, Lakhan, who had been assisting Pooja, shares a platonic bond with Rupali and refers to her as his sister. His wife, Lovely, witnesses a hug between them and misunderstands the situation, prompting her to leave. Lakhan follows her and clarifies the misunderstanding, reaffirming his love by calling her his "Biwi No.1."

Cast

Anil Kapoor as Dr.Lakhan Khurana, Lovely's husband.

Salman Khan as Prem Mehra, Pooja's husband.

Karishma Kapoor as Pooja Mehra, Prem's wife.

Tabu as Lovely Khurana, Lakhan's wife.

Sushmita Sen as Rupali Walia, Deepak's girlfriend.

Saif Ali Khan as Deepak Sharma, Rupalis' boyfriend. (guest appearance)

Himani Shivpuri as Sushila Mehra, Prem's mother.

Master Varun as Bunty "Billu" Khurana, Lakhan's and Lovely's son.

Baby Karishma as Pinky Mehra, Prem's and Pooja's daughter.

Master Shahrukh as Rinku Mehra, Prem's and Pooja's son.

Rajeev Verma as Harish Khanna

Kannu Gill as Meenakshi Khanna

Guddi Maruti as Travel Agent

Amitabh Bachchan as himself (special appearance)

Shashi Kiran

Music

The Biwi No.1 soundtrack was largely composed by Anu Malik and lyricized by Sameer except for the exceptions noted below. The songs Chunnari Chunnari" and "Ishq Sona Hai" became major hits after their release in 1999. The track "Aan Milo Ya Milne Se" did not feature in the movie. "Chunari Chunari" was later used in the 2001 film Monsoon Wedding, and a remade version was made for the movie Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai

Reception

Critical reception

Biwi No.1 opened to positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its screenplay, humor, and performances of the cast, with particular praise for Kapoor and Sen's performances, emerging as a breakthrough for the latter.

Box office

Despite clashing with the 1999 Cricket World Cup, Biwi No.1 emerged as a major commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹52.80 crore worldwide. It ranked as the second highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, only behind the family drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain, which also starred Salman, Karisma, Tabu, and Saif.

Accolades

References

External links

Biwi No.1 at IMDb

Biwi No. 1 on Gomolo.in