Gauri Khan looked after Shah Rukh Khan’s ailing mother even before his rise to stardom, recalls Viveck Vaswani |
Shah Rukh Khan was initially seen by actor-producer Viveck Vaswani not as a superstar, but as an ambitious young man from Delhi making his way to the ‘City of Dreams.’ According to Vaswani’s recent interview, Shah Rukh never intended to enter the film industry, feeling satisfied with his work in television. It was only after the loss of his mother that he decided to pursue her dream of becoming a film star.Impact of Shah Rukh’s mother’s deathTalking to ANI, Vaswani said, “After his mother died, he went back to Delhi and completed her final rites. Deep inside, he was completely shattered, but he never showed it on the outside. His mother was his whole life. When he came back from Delhi after her funeral, he said, ‘Now I want to do films. It was my mother’s dream'”.Emotional support in MumbaiIn the early phase of Shah Rukh Khan’s life in Mumbai, Viveck Vaswani became his emotional pillar. He added, “His mother had passed away, his sister was in Bangalore, and he was all alone in Bombay. I would say I was like a support system. There was nobody else,” he shared. “When he was low, we’d see a movie, listen to music, talk, or go for a walk on Marine Drive. My mother would take care of him”.Mentorship and film launch strategyVaswani, who was among Shah Rukh Khan’s first friends and acted as a “mentor” in Mumbai, decided to help him achieve his mother’s dream. He produced the film ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman,’ which was intended to officially launch Shah Rukh on the big screen. But as Vaswani explains, “You cannot launch people just by putting them in a film. You have to launch them with a strategy that was to make him sign other films. Not the roles being important, but the fact that those were sold. So that Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman would immediately become saleable.”Shah Rukh’s confidence and determinationFrom the very start, Shah Rukh was sure about his fate, even as he built his legendary career over the years. Viveck Vaswani recalled, “The first time I met him, he said, ‘I’m a superstar.’ I said okay, and he made it true.” He also described how the young SRK was brimming with energy, passion, and unwavering resolve. “Determination always comes from inner passion. It’s very difficult to live in somebody’s house for so long. He needed his own life. He needed his own house. He needed to marry Gauri and settle down. These things were the focus points,” the producer-actor added.Gauri Khan’s support through difficult timesHe also spoke warmly about Gauri Khan’s steadfast support, which has never wavered throughout the years. He recalled meeting her in Delhi and said, “She was very supportive. She would come to the hospital and would look after Shah Rukh’s mother.” Vaswani clearly remembers the time when Shah Rukh and Gauri had just gotten married during the shoot of ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman,’ and how their honeymoon coincided with filming the song ‘Dil Hai Mela Deewana’ in Darjeeling.Shah Rukh’s professionalism and charm on setVaswani, who has had a close working relationship with Shah Rukh over the years, spoke about the actor’s friendly nature with his co-actors and crew. “He was always very charming. He would always put his co-stars at ease. Shah Rukh would come with his lines prepared as he was very professional with his work,” Vaswani recalled. Now, more than thirty years later, watching the man who once lived at his house grow into a film studio owner, cricket team proprietor, and a source of inspiration for millions, Vaswani mentioned that although they don’t meet frequently, their conversations feel timeless. He also shared a touching memory of receiving a call from Shah Rukh during his cancer fight. “We’ve both been fighters. And we’ve both fought and we’ve both won,” he said.Recognition and reflection on growthHe felt a mix of joy and nostalgia when Shah Rukh was honored with the National Award this year. “He told me, ‘After 33 years, Raju finally became a gentleman.’ That was nice. The award was long overdue, but Shah Rukh is beyond all this. He’s an energy,” he recalled warmly. He also said that he still sees the same spark in his old friend, noting, “At heart, he is still the same. But there have been changes, actually a lot of growth.”
