Shah Rukh Khan did NOT want to do films; how his mother’s demise became a turning point, recalls Viveck Vaswani: ‘It still surprises me’

Shah Rukh Khan, now one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, began his journey far away from the glamour of films. Before becoming the ‘King of Bollywood’, he was the young Delhi boy charming audiences through television serials like ‘Fauji’ (1989) and ‘Circus’ (1989).But as his close friend and mentor Viveck Vaswani revealed, Shah Rukh’s path to cinema wasn’t planned. In fact, he didn’t even want to do films at first. It was only after a heartbreaking personal loss that his career took a new turn.In a chat with Moneycontrol, Viveck Vaswani shared rare, heartfelt memories of his early days with Shah Rukh. The actor had just moved to Mumbai and was still struggling to find a place to stay. He revealed, “It still surprises me that people remember after 40 years. I was the man who gave him a house to stay for two years. He didn't have a place to stay. He was living out of Aziz Mirza’s office while acting in Circus. I told him it’s more comfortable in my house.”Viveck revealed that Shah Rukh wasn’t even sure about joining films in the beginning. His mother was unwell and hospitalised in Delhi at the time, and his focus was on her. Vaswani further said, “He didn't want to do films. It was only after his mother died that he decided he would like to. So, we set up Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. But I cannot make a film. I don’t have to give him a film, I had to give him a career. A career doesn’t come by giving one film, it comes by giving saleability.”That emotional moment after losing his mother made Shah Rukh determined to take a bigger leap. He wanted to make her proud and prove himself in the film industry.Viveck said that Shah Rukh’s entry into cinema was not an impulsive decision. They both worked on a strategy to ensure that his talent would reach the right audience and producers.“We worked out a plan. He’d do three or four other films, no matter how big or small the roles, provided they were saleable. So 'King Uncle' happened, where Jackie Shroff was the lead, and he was the second lead. Then came Hema Malini’s 'Dil Aashna Hai' and Rajiv Mehra’s 'Chamatkar'. Once we saw that 'King Uncle', 'Dil Aashna Hai' and 'Chamatkar' were sold, then 'Deewana' came into the picture. I thought it was a great role for him because of the music. Then we started 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman'. The first strategy was to make him saleable and then make him a star," he said.It was a well-thought-out plan. By choosing different kinds of roles in films that had strong commercial value, Shah Rukh gradually became known among filmmakers and audiences.While many people believe that Shah Rukh Khan became a superstar after ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, Viveck Vaswani feels otherwise. According to him, Shah Rukh’s superstardom began much earlier. He said, “Prem Lalwani signed him for Guddu and gave him a big amount. He was able to buy a flat and a car. Baazigar became a hit much before Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ). It was a super hit. Don’t forget he did 'Darr' too. 'Baazigar, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman', Deewana' are all super hits. Even before DDLJ, he was already a superstar.”Shah Rukh Khan recently bagged the 71st National Film Award for Best Actor for his powerful performance in 'Jawan'. The superstar is now busy with his upcoming action thriller 'King', directed by Siddharth Anand, featuring Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and others.