Avinash Wadhawan opens up about being offered Shah Rukh Khan’s role in Deewana; says, “Raj Kanwar was forcing me to do that role”

Avinash Wadhawan revealed that he was being coerced by the director of the 1992 film Deewana to play the role of the second lead.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

March 13, 2024 - 1:09 PM IST

It is a known fact that the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan slowly climbed the ladder of success in films, but his stepping stone was Deewana, directed by Raj Kanwar, in which he essayed the role of the second lead alongside Divya Bharti and Rishi Kapoor. The film went on to become a hit. However, before the newbie was roped in, the role was offered to many others, including popular actor Avinash Wadhawan.

Avinash Wadhawan opens up about being offered Shah Rukh Khan’s role in Deewana; says, “Raj Kanwar was forcing me to do that role”

For the unversed, Avinash Wadhawan has featured in films and also has several television shows to his credit too. Recently, the Paapi Gudiya actor opened up about how he was offered the role in Deewana and how the director of the film Raj Kanwar was trying to convince him to take up the role, so much so that, he almost forced him. “Raju mujhse milne aya. Baaton, baaton mein usne mujhe bola ki mujhe film ka offer aya hai as a director. There are three producers. Hum ek film produce kar rahe hai jisme there are two heroes. Rishi Kapoor ji has already been signed. Aur ek nayi ladki hai Divya Bharti usko (Raju had come to meet me and just as we were talking, he mentioned about a film offer. He said it had three producers and that they are producing a film with two heroes. He told me that they have signed Rishi Kapoor as the male lead with the new girl Divya Bharti) we are taking and the second hero is not yet finalised. Aur Avinash main tujhse milne aya hu, us role ke liye (And Avinash I have come to meet you for that role),” he recalled in an interview with Siddharth Kanan.

Stating how the second hero was supposed to enter the film, almost prior to the interval and how it focused majorly on Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti, Avinash continued, “I said yaar I am doing all solo hero films at this moment. Aur Rishi Ji ki bahut respect karta hu mai. Mere bahut favourite rahe hai vo. Unki sab filmein maine dekhi hai. Mujhe aise lagta hai ki wo mere se age-wise bade lagenge (I have a lot of respect for Rishi Ji. He has always been one of my favourites. I have watched all his films. I feel that he will appear older than me age-wise). He tried to convince me ki nahi nahin Avinash, you do it. He was forcing me to do that role. He was trying his best that I say yes to the project”.

While an almost convinced Avinash was ready to give in, he realized that the dates were clashing. “Mere secretary se meri baat hui. Mere secretary ne mujhe bola ki abhi ham koi nayi film sign nahin kar sakte. Agar koi sign karne ke liye aayega to tell him ki next year se hum dates de sakte hai… I said Raju mere paas dates ka bhi issue aa raha hai (I spoke to my secretary. My secretary told me that we can’t sign any news films and if you want to do, we will have to tell him that the dates are only available for next year. I told Raju too that I am facing issues with the dates). I can give you dates after 12 months. Abhi main dates bhi nahin de paaunga. Kyunki abhi meri 8 filmein already floor pe hai (I will not be able to give the dates now because I have about 8 films on floor). So I will not be able to give you time also.”

Also Read: 30 Years Of Shah Rukh Khan’s Deewana EXCLUSIVE: “Manmohan Desai ji was the distributor of the film in the Delhi-UP territory. He had told us to change the ending. He insisted that ‘ladki Rishi Kapoor ko milni chahiye’ – Guddu Dhanoa