Shah Rukh Khan is celebrating his 60th birthday today at Alibaug with close friends and family members in attendance. An outsider who made an empire on his own and cemented his position in fans' hearts continues to inspire millions of aspirants who throng Mumbai every year to become a hero. Actor-producer Viveck Vaswani had seen Shah Rukh Khan from close quarters during his early days. During a recent interview with Radio Nasha, Viveck Vaswani opened up about the time when Shah Rukh Khan was struggling with financial crisis and personal trauma as he had to look after his dying mother and sister Shehnaz Lalarukh. The star wanted to let his film offers go as he thought his then-girlfriend Gauri (wife now) wouldn't like him "hugging other girls."
When Shah Rukh Stayed At Viveck's Place And Wore His Clothes
"He was at my place and didn't like vegetarian food, so we went out to eat non-veg. For the first 20 minutes, he just ate silently—he hadn't eaten properly in nearly two days," Viveck shared. "After finishing, he looked at me and said, 'Do you know, Vivek? My mother is dying.' I was stunned and didn't know how to respond. He then spoke about her multiple organ disease, his sister, and Gauri. That night, he opened up like never before. Time just flew by as he spoke," Viveck recalled.
For the unversed, Viveck Vaswani was one of the producers who gave Shah Rukh Khan one of his early hits - Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.
During that period, Shah Rukh also introduced Viveck to his close friend Raman, a pilot who was visiting Mumbai from Delhi. "SRK was excited that we would get to eat food from the Taj—he wanted tandoori chicken and coffee," Vivek recalled. "Raman and he were very close. After that, SRK returned with me to my house and ended up staying for three days, wearing my clothes."
When Shah Rukh Khan Almost Rejected Offers For Gauri
When Shah Rukh reached Delhi, his mother's condition had worsened. "He called me and said he needed medicines. I borrowed money from my father, bought them, and sent them through Raman at the airport. Later, I took a flight to Delhi myself. I met Gauri, then his mother at the hospital. She couldn't speak," Viveck recalled.
Around that time, producer Vikram Malhotra approached SRK with a film offer. "But he was clear he didn't want to do movies," Viveck said.
"He told me Gauri wouldn't like him hugging other actresses. He was happy doing television, so I didn't push him. Still, Vikram insisted he travel to Shimla for a three-day shoot. I went along, and that's where I met Ketan Mehta for the first time—the film was Maya Memsaab. It was an art film, similar in tone to his TV work. He did it before his mother passed away."
"After the shoot, we returned to Delhi. SRK dropped me at the airport, with Gauri and Raman there to see me off," Viveck recalled. "Just a few days later, his mother passed away."
Shah Rukh Khan's Career
Before making his debut on the big screen, Shah Rukh Khan acted in popular television shows and telefilms—Fauzi, Umeed, Ahmaq, Wagle Ki Duniya, Circus.
In recent times, he was last seen in the 2023 film Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
