Anyone can be a star, or even a superstar; but no one can be another Shah Rukh Khan. This is not only due to his spectacular acting abilities, stellar looks and charismatic screen presence, but also because of who he has chosen to be, and not to be, off-screen. At the age of 58 and three decades after his film debut, the excitement in his eyes when taking on a new project remains infectious, sparking excitement in the eyes of everyone who watches him as well.
A complete outsider, Shah Rukh Khan didn’t take over anyone else’s throne, but built his own. Nonetheless, his journey has not been free of sorrow. One of his greatest regrets is that his parents passed away before he made it big in the movies. While he has never missed an opportunity to talk about them, he has also shared his sadness over their absence during his rise to fame.
Recently, after receiving the Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Tourism award at the 77th Locarno Film Festival, he sat down for a conversation organised by the event’s producers. During the interview, he shared that he accepted the titular role in director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002), despite receiving advice against it from many veterans, simply because he believed his mother, Lateef Fatima, would have liked it. “For some reason, I always felt if I make films which are very big, my mom and dad could see them from heaven. It’s a childish thought, but I still think my mom’s a star. I even know the star she is,” he said.
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“I just felt that if I made Devdas, she would really like it and appreciate it. I didn’t think I could play the character because some of the greatest artistes in our country like Dilip Kumar, KL Saigal and Uttam Kumar had played it flawlessly earlier. I don’t think mine (his portrayal) is so brilliant or good. In spite of a lot of senior actors telling me not to do it, I just wanted to do it,” he added, while also lauding Bhansali.
Reflecting on his rendition of the character, Shah Rukh said he portrayed Devdas not as a loser but as a non-committing man with reasons to be that way. “I didn’t want you to feel love for him, but I didn’t want you to hate him. Nor did I want you to like him for being an alcoholic who runs away from every girl that he falls in love with. I just wanted him to appear indescribable.”
Shah Rukh Khan in a still from Devdas.
Shah Rukh also admitted that he was quite anxious while filming Devdas, even turning to alcohol while playing the character. When asked if it helped, Shah Rukh replied with his trademark humour, “Well, I got the Best Actor award.” He added, “It might have helped, but I started drinking after the film and that’s one downside to it.”
Also starring Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Kirron Kher in key roles, Devdas was based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel.
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