It's been more than three decades since Shah Rukh Khan made his Bollywood debut. His magical personality and energy have made him a star across the globe. Khan made his debut with the film 'Deewana', released on June 25, 1992, directed by Raj Kanwar. The film featured Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti in the lead roles. But did you know that 'Deewana' was not his first film, but 'Dil Aashna Hai' was his first project? Let us tell you about this story.
Interestingly, Shah Rukh's debut with 'Deewana' was not pre-determined. According to reports, he had already signed five films, and his role in 'Deewana' was first offered to Armaan Kohli. Khan was already a TV star when he got his first film offer. Hema Malini had first signed him for her directorial venture 'Dil Aashna Hai', and SRK had also signed Aziz Mirza's film 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman'. So logically the first film he signed was 'Dil Aashna Hai'.
Meanwhile, Rishi Kapoor was the first choice for 'Deewana'. Madhuri Dixit was proposed for the female lead, but she could not make it due to her prior contracts. Divya Bharti was then roped in for the role. It is said that SRK's role was first offered to Armaan Kohli, who had even started shooting for the film, but left the project due to personal differences with Shabnam Kapoor on the sets. Subsequently, SRK was roped in at the last minute.
In 'Deewana', SRK played Raja, who falls in love with Divya Bharti's widow Kajal and marries her. The film had hit songs like 'Sochenge Tumhein Pyar' and 'Aisi Deewani'. In the same year, SRK's 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman' and 'Dil Aashna Hai' also released, which made him an overnight star. SRK won the Best Newcomer Award at Filmfare in 1993 for these films. Interestingly, the role of Raja was also offered to several other actors, including Govinda, Sunny Deol and Anil Kapoor. He brought life to the character with his unique energy and innocence, and the rest is history.
Over the past three decades, SRK has starred in several blockbusters of Bollywood, such as 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Darr', 'Veer Zaara', etc. His popularity is often compared with that of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. In 2023, Khan made a grand comeback after a long hiatus and delivered three blockbusters - 'Pathan', 'Jawaan' and 'Dunky' which set new box office records worldwide and once again established Khan at the top of his career.
