When Sanjay Leela Bhansali started to work on Devdas, he had another superstar in his mind. Sanjay also revealed why he chose Shah Rukh Khan for the iconic film.
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has turned 61, and on this occasion, we will discuss one of his biggest blockbusters, Devdas (2002). The Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai-starrer is the official third adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name. SRK's Devdas also became a remake of KL Saigal's Devdas (1936) and Dilip Kumar's Devdas (1955).
With a budget of Rs 50 crore, Devdas was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time. The movie was released with critical acclaim and became the year's highest-grossing film. The primary cast, particularly Shah Rukh garnered praise for reprising the character that was played by two veterans. This is interesting to introspect, that Shah Rukh Khan was not the first actor Sanjay Leela Bhansali considered to lead his Devdas remake. When Sanjay Leela started his journey to Devdas, he had another actor in mind.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali originally thought to make Devdas with...
Ajay Devgn. Sanjay Leela Bhansali started pre-production of Devdas after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and he found Ajay's character similar to Devdas. In an interview with IANS, SLB admitted that Ajay's character was his starting point to make Devdas, but he even explained why he didn't make Devdas with him.
Sanjay said, "Ajay’s character was my starting point to make Devdas. I slowly moved towards this film from there. But having gone through the process with Ajay, there was no challenge or excitement in casting him again in a similar role. It would have been a process of continuation instead of creation. With Shah Rukh, it was a completely new experience. I wanted my Devdas to be a simple, volatile, boy-man, who is angry and mean and yet has a sad streak that shimmers in his eyes." Sanjay made this revelation when Devdas completed 14 years, and he also added that if he ever made Devdas again, he would like to cast SRK again in the titular role. Sanjay will soon make his debut in OTT with the series Heeramandi.
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 "Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas")
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