Ram Jaane writer Vinay Shukla reveals that he had offered a film on the lines of Salman Khan’s Wanted to Shah Rukh Khan in late 90s: “He is a metropolitan man; doesn’t understand dehatipan”

By Fenil Seta -

December 6, 2023 - 4:30 PM IST

Ram Jaane (1995) completed 28 years on December 1. Starring Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, this action entertainer had a huge opening and was a decent success. However, it isn’t as memorable today as it had a mixed word of mouth. On a podcast called ‘Love Of Cinema’ by Himanshu Joglekar, Ram Jaane’s writer Vinay Shukla explained, in April 2021, what went wrong with this film. He explained that Shah Rukh became ‘indulgent’ and overused phrases like ‘halwa hai kya’ and ‘khallas’. He further told Himanshu that Puneet Issar talking in tapori lingo along with Shah Rukh also dented the impact. He also blamed the film’s ‘loose editing’ and how director Rajiv Mehra and editor M S Shinde refused to cut Shah Rukh’s scenes as he had become a star after the release of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).

Ram Jaane writer Vinay Shukla reveals that he had offered a film on the lines of Salman Khan’s Wanted to Shah Rukh Khan in late 90s: “He is a metropolitan man; doesn’t understand dehatipan”

Later, on the podcast, Vinay Shukla spoke about his bond with Shah Rukh Khan to Himanshu. Vinay said, “During the release of Ram Jaane, I met a journalist. He asked me, ‘What have you done to Shah Rukh?’. I replied, ‘Why? What happened?’. He answered, ‘Shah Rukh speaks about you as if he’s talking about Shakespeare!”

Vinay continued, “We had gone for a premiere in Delhi. The way SRK praised me in front of the audience, I was flattered and overwhelmed. At that time, he sent 3 producers to me.”

Vinay Shukla tried collaborating with Shah Rukh Khan. Sadly, it was not meant to be. Vinay told Himanshu Joglekar, “Unfortunately, the subject that I wrote, he didn’t like it one bit. I wrote something that Salman Khan did and made a comeback with - Wanted (2009).” The plot was about a CID officer who pretends to be a goon for a larger cause. Salman’s Wanted was also based on the same lines.

Vinay then analyzed why Shah Rukh Khan must have declined his subject, “SRK is a very metropolitan man. He doesn’t understand dehatipan. I thought that I had done a very good job and it would have been very fresh. 10 years later, it became (a norm to make such masala films). So I tell myself that I was ahead of the times!”

Vinay Shukla is remembered for his acclaimed film Godmother (1999), starring Shabana Azmi. Vinay further revealed, “After the release of Godmother, Shah Rukh and I met at a social function. He told me, ‘I have heard such great things about your film. I want to see it’. Shabana Azmi insisted that I should send my film’s DVD and that I should write a subject for him. Like a fool, I didn’t have anything for him and hence, I didn’t pursue it. It would have probably changed my career.”

Also Read: 28 Years of Ram Jaane: “As Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge had become a huge hit, director was not ready to cut any footage of Shah Rukh Khan; I told them, ‘The shot is over. Why are you keeping it?’” – Vinay Shukla