Shah Rukh Khan‘s journey to Bollywood superstardom began with the 1992 film Deewana. The romantic drama marked his big-screen debut and earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. But few people know that Khan was not the first choice for the role of Raja Sahi.
Several actors were offered the part before Khan eventually signed on. The casting process went through multiple changes, with different names considered and rejected. The role finally went to Khan after another actor walked away from the project.
Armaan Kohli Was Signed and Then Replaced
Armaan Kohli, a 90s actor and son of filmmaker Rajkumar Kohli, was originally signed to play the lead role in Deewana. Producer Guddu Dhanoa confirmed that Kohli was initially set to play the part that eventually went to Shah Rukh Khan.
Kohli had already shot a schedule for the film and even appeared on early promotional posters. However, his father, Rajkumar Kohli, was producing another film called Virodhi and insisted that Virodhi be released first. This scheduling conflict led to Kohli being dropped from Deewana.
After Kohli left the project, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur suggested Shah Rukh Khan’s name to Dhanoa. Dhanoa had seen Khan in the television shows Fauji and Circus but could not recall his face at first.
Dhanoa recalled meeting Khan at a restaurant in Delhi’s Connaught Place. The producer said he finalized Khan the moment he saw him.
“When he entered, just at his first glimpse, I locked him for Deewana. He didn’t even know I had already signed him. When I saw him for the first time, I just thought he was fantastic. He was so perfect for the film.”
Dhanoa also mentioned that Khan initially could not take on the film because he was already committed to five other projects, including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Dil Aashna Hai, Chamatkar, and King Uncle. But after hearing the script, Khan agreed to do the film and was given a signing bonus of Rs 11,000.
Armaan Kohli Has No Regrets About Losing Deewana
Armaan Kohli spoke about missing out on Deewana in a 2015 interview with Bollywood Hungama. He said he does not regret losing the role.
“If we start thinking about the past and what we could’ve done, our life will be hell. So generally I don’t sit and regret and think about, ‘Oh, I should have done that, if I had done that then this would have happened.’ I wish I had thought that way. I would have been somewhere else, for sure. But, as I said, there is no regret. If I lost Deewana, Mr Shah Rukh Khan got Deewana, and he’s the superstar of the country. I’m pretty okay with that.”
Kohli started his career as a child actor in his father’s films like Badle Ki Agni (1982) and Raaj Tilak (1984). He made his lead debut in Virodhi (1992) and later appeared in films like Dushman Zamana (1992), Anaam (1992), and Aulad Ke Dushman (1993). However, he struggled to maintain a successful career in Bollywood.
Avinash Wadhawan Turned Down the Role First
Before Armaan Kohli was signed, director Raj Kanwar approached actor Avinash Wadhawan for the role. Wadhawan had previously worked with Kanwar’s brother K Pappu in the 1991 film Ayee Milan Ki Raat.
Wadhawan revealed in an interview that Kanwar tried hard to convince him to take the part. But Wadhawan had concerns about playing the second hero to Rishi Kapoor and entering the film only in the second half.
“I was hesitating a bit. He said it’s going to be a very good role. The title is you! I didn’t used to get convinced by these things. I’d already been the solo hero in films.”
Wadhawan also said he was unsure about the film’s success since it was Kanwar’s directorial debut. After Wadhawan turned down the role, Kanwar approached other actors before finally signing Kohli.
Wadhawan later admitted that he had made mistakes in his career choices.
“He’s a great actor. I like him myself. He deserves to be wherever he is. And wherever I am, I deserve to be here because maine apne pair par kulhadi maari hai, ek bar nahi, do baar nahi, par dus bar (I’ve jeopardized my chances, not even once, twice, but some 10 times).”
Wadhawan also rejected what became Ajay Devgn’s debut film, Phool Aur Kaante (1991).
Sunny Deol Was Also Offered the Role
Another name that came up in the casting process was Sunny Deol. According to several media reports, the role was first offered to the Gadar 2 star. However, Deol rejected the part for reasons that were not made public.
The film eventually went to Armaan Kohli before Shah Rukh Khan came on board. Interestingly, it was Deol’s father, Dharmendra, along with Shekhar Kapur, who suggested Shah Rukh Khan’s name to producer Guddu Dhanoa after watching his television shows.
Dharmendra was also Dhanoa’s cousin, which created a family connection in the casting process.
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Rishi Kapoor Was the First Actor Signed
Rishi Kapoor was the first actor to be signed for Deewana. He was director Raj Kanwar’s primary choice for the film. Kapoor played the role of Ravi, a wealthy singer who marries the female lead, Kajal, played by Divya Bharti.
Kapoor’s character was the main focus of the first half of the film. The second male lead, played by Shah Rukh Khan, entered the story later. This was one of the reasons Avinash Wadhawan rejected the role, as he did not want to play second fiddle to Kapoor.
Divya Bharti, who played the female lead, reportedly knew Shah Rukh Khan from before and suggested his name to Raj Kanwar after other actors had been considered. Bharti’s recommendation played a part in Khan eventually being cast in the film.
Deewana Launched Shah Rukh Khan’s Career
Deewana released in 1992 and became a major hit. The film starred Rishi Kapoor, Divya Bharti, and Shah Rukh Khan in his debut role. The movie’s music became very popular, and Khan received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance.
Khan went on to become one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, with a career spanning over three decades. He has appeared in more than 80 films and has won numerous awards.
The casting of Deewana remains an interesting story in Bollywood history. Several actors had the chance to play the role that launched Khan’s career. Armaan Kohli was the one who was actually signed and shot for the film before being replaced. Avinash Wadhawan and Sunny Deol both turned down the role. And Rishi Kapoor was already on board as the other male lead.
Producer Guddu Dhanoa has spoken about the casting process in multiple interviews. He confirmed that Kohli left the project and that Shekhar Kapur suggested Khan’s name as a replacement. Dhanoa also shared that he has remained in touch with Khan over the years and that the actor has not changed despite his success.
Dhanoa is now working on a sequel to Deewana, which is currently in the scripting stage.
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