He is a very versatile actor. He looks equally convincing as a villain and a comedian. He has several films to his credit where in has done justice to the roles given to him. Shakti Kapoor's introductory film was "Kahani Kismet Ki" (1973) starring Dharmendra and Rekha. He did not get any recognition from this and led an anonymous career till "Qurbani" happened. This Firoz Khan produced film had made him a rising villain and in the films that followed, he honed his acting skills all the more. There came many more films like 'Sargam', "Naseeb", "Rocky", "Giraftaar", "Sultanate", "Tohfaa" and the likes which made him a full-fledged villain. But this great actor kept experimenting with films like "Satte Pe Satta" and there came a day when he was hooked to comedy.

Some of Shakti Kapoor's movies as a comedian are "Rajababu", "Coolie No.1", "Bol Radha Bol" and "Judwaa". He has now become a regular comedian in all David Dhawan movies and makes a good pair with Govinda.