Shah Rukh Khan is a self-made star. The Delhi boy who came to Bombay in the 80s with nothing but aspirations, struggled his way to become the biggest superstar of India and one of the richest actors in the world. Now known as “King Khan” or the “Badshah of Bollywood” was once a “nobody” until a few people recognized the spark in him and offered him a chance. Hema Malini was among one of those. We all know that Shah Rukh Khan made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with Raj Kanwar’s directorial Deewana. But did you know that it wasn’t the first film that he signed?
Hema Malini was the first one in Bollywood to sign Shah Rukh Khan for a film. Dream Girl Hema used to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s TV serial Fauji. Hema recalls, “He was very cute and very sweet as a Fauji in that TV serial. I used to watch that. So at that time, my script was also getting ready. For that character, I thought I wanted somebody new. So, I looked at Shah Rukh and thought that this boy is looking nice and I want him only. Then my sister called him. He came. Dharam Ji also loved him.”
Hema signed Shah Rukh Khan and Divya Bharti for her first home-production film Dil Aashna Hai. At that time, Shah Rukh was not at all popular. However, Hema Malini’s Guru Maa, Indira Devi had made a big prediction about SRK.
Recalling the incident from 1991, Hema says, “I said that Maa I am making a film. And she gave the name ‘Dil Aashna Hai’. She was very good in Urdu also. Then she said, ‘You are getting a very big hero’. I was wondering who is she talking about. I told her that he is not a big hero, he is very new. She was like, ‘No, no, no, you are getting very big hero.’ And he became big. So, she can see over the years what is going to happen.”
Even before his Bollywood debut, Hema Malini’s Guru Maa had predicted Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom and we all are a witness to it.
Though it was Dil Aashna Hai that SRK signed first, his other film Deewana completed earlier and was released in June 1992. In Dec 1992, Dil Aashna Hai was released in theatres. And there was no looking back for him after that.
Shah Rukh Khan recently delivered the biggest hit of his career. His latest film Pathaan broke many box office records. He is now gearing up for Atlee directorial Jawan.
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