Actor, director, producer and screenwriter, Rakesh Roshan is one of the prominent names in Hindi cinema. Son of noted music director, Roshanlal Nagrath, Rakesh Roshan had appeared in almost 85 films, but he was mostly seen in supporting roles. After his father’s untimely death, Rakesh Roshan started his career as an assistant director.
Rakesh made his debut with the film, Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani. Most of his solo hero films flopped at the box office. In 1987, Rakesh Roshan made his directorial debut with the film, Khudgarz, which became a blockbuster. His next directorial was Khoon Bhari Maang, starring Rekha, which was another blockbuster. The film earned Rakesh his first nomination as the Best Director. Rakesh tasted tremendous success with films like Kishen Kanhaiya, Khel, and King Uncle.
The film King Uncle not only brought immense recognition to Rakesh Roshan but also became a pillar of success for Shah Rukh Khan. While making King Uncle, Rakesh never thought of casting Shah Rukh alongside Jackie Shroff. However, it was Shah Rukh who convinced the ace director to cast him. Read on to know the story about how SRK got the role of ‘Anil Bansal’ in King Uncle.
Inspired by the 1982 Hollywood film, Annie, King Uncle starred Jackie Shroff in the titular role. The film also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Nivedita Joshi, Nagma, Sushmita Mukherjee, Dinesh Hingoo and late actor, Deven Verma. Rakesh Roshan’s initial preference was Salman Khan for the role of Jackie’s brother. However, it was Shah Rukh Khan, who convinced Rakesh and grabbed the role.
Shah Rukh Khan was a budding actor, who was making a name for himself after his successful venture in television serials. He was making a transition into films and had done films like Deewana, Chamatkar, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and a few others.
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SRK’s close friend and producer, Vivek Vaswani, was aware that Rakesh Roshan was all set to cast for the role of Jackie Shroff’s younger brother and had Salman in his mind. Vivek suggested Shah Rukh’s name instead and arranged a meeting between Shah Rukh and Rakesh. When the ace director asked Shah Rukh why he should cast him, the actor’s reply won Rakesh Roshan’s heart.
Shah Rukh told Rakesh that since the film was already sold, casting Salman, who was already a big star, would cost him more, but there wouldn’t be any raise in the price of the film. But instead, he can cast SRK at a lower price. This suggestion by Shah Rukh made Rakesh spellbound and he was amused by Shah Rukh’s intelligence.
Despite coming from a TV background, Shah Rukh’s knowledge about the business of films impressed Rakesh Roshan. He not only signed SRK for King Uncle but also signed a three-film deal with him. After King Uncle, Shah Rukh appeared in Rakesh Roshan’s blockbuster films, Karan Arjun and Koyla.
The second film that Shah Rukh signed with Rakesh Roshan was Karan Arjun, released in 1995. The film became a blockbuster after its release and gave Shah Rukh a lot of applause. But do you know Shah Rukh had quit Karan Arjun? In a chat with News18 Showsha, Rakesh shared that while Shah Rukh Khan initially agreed to do the film, he later backed off as the idea of reincarnation did not sit right with him.
In the same interaction, Rakesh revealed that after Shah Rukh Khan declined the role, he approached Aamir Khan for the role of 'Arjun'. However, Shah Rukh retracted his decision to quit the film and decided to do it despite not believing in the concept of reincarnation. Narrating the incident, Rakesh said:
“Sabse difficult casting Shah Rukh Khan ki thi. Shah Rukh ne pehle haan bola, fir naa bola. He said, 'I don’t believe in this story. I want to be an action hero.' I told him, 'Both Karan and Arjun are doing action. They are the same.' He was not convinced, chod diya picture usne. Maine fir Aamir ko liya, fir Shah Rukh aa gaya. He said, 'I'll do the film. You gave me a break in King Uncle. I can’t leave you like that. I don’t believe in the story but as you say, I will do it.' he said. I said okay and made the film with him."
What do you think about Shah Rukh Khan’s tactic of convincing Rakesh Roshan for King Uncle? Let us know.
Also Read: Saif Ali Khan Had No Money After Divorce From Amrita Singh, 'I'm Supposed To Give Amrita Rs 5 Crore'
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