Shah Rukh Khan replaced Avinash Wadhawan: In the year 1992, the film Deewana came and turned Shahrukh Khan’s career around. Shahrukh was in a side role in the film and this was his first film to be released. In this film, before the interval, Rishi Kapoor, who was the lead actor of this film, is shown. Whereas Shahrukh comes as the second lead actor after the interval and the audience liked him so much that Rishi Kapoor’s role got sidelined.
Divya Bharti was the lead actress in the film Deewana and this film was included in the list of superhit films of that year. Everyone enjoyed Shahrukh’s work but do you know that Shahrukh was not the first choice for this role.
Shahrukh Khan had replaced Avinash Wadhawan
In an interview given to Siddharth Kanan, Avinash Wadhawan revealed that he was selected in place of Shahrukh Khan in ‘Deewana’. The actor talked about his initial journey in this interview. He said, ‘Raju (‘Deewana’ director Raj Kanwar) came to me with the offer of ‘Deewana’.’
‘He told me, ‘He has received an offer to direct the film Deewana. It has three producers and two heroes. Rishi Kapoor has been signed in the lead role and a new girl Divya Bharti has come, both of them are in the lead role. There is a search for a hero who is a new face and I have come to you with this offer.
‘I told him that Raju is the second hero’s entry just before the interval…the entire film is focused on Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti, man, I am working as a solo hero right now and you are offering me the second lead. Anyway, I respect Rishi ji a lot, he is my senior and my favorite too. I think I should not do this role, I will look very small in front of him. Still, Raju tried hard to make me say yes to this role.
Why didn’t Avinash Wadhawan sign the film?
The conversation between Avinash and Raju ended with no conclusion. Avinash further expanded on this point and said, ‘My other films were signed with filmmaker KC Bokadiya ji. He had to go to Chennai for 10 days and along with that I also had to go to Mahabaleshwar for a song shoot. I talked to my secretary who told me that Avinash sir, we cannot sign any film right now.
‘If anyone comes to sign, we will give a date next year. On the other hand, Raju was after me to do ‘Deewana’, so I told Raju that I do not have any date for the next 12 months because my 8 films are on the floor. The makers of the film did not want to stop, so I had to refuse that film.
How did Shahrukh Khan get ‘Deewana’?
Avinash further said in the same interview, ‘Shahrukh had come into a new industry at that time. Divya Bharti already knew him, perhaps he was shooting for a film. He introduced Shahrukh to the makers of ‘Deewana’ and he was signed. ‘Deewana’ became Shahrukh’s first film to be released and his stardom today is not hidden from anyone.
According to media reports, for Hema Malini’s film Dil Aashna Hai. Shahrukh Khan was signed and Shahrukh met Divya on its sets. Divya knew Shahrukh from here and had recommended him to the makers for ‘Deewana’.