He further said, many years later when Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who I think is one of the most talented filmmakers of our time, came to me and said, I want you to do Devdas. I said, no, he is a failure, an alcoholic. I’m too cool to be Devdas! So, that was the end of it, and then before he left, he just said one thing that still sticks with me. He said, ‘I will not make this film with anyone other than you, because your eyes are like Devdas.’ So I said, okay. He said, ‘I will not cast anyone.’ And he did not do this for a year. Then we met again, and I said, ‘Okay, if you don’t get eyes like mine, I will do the film. Again, I had the privilege of working with Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff. Playing this character was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.”
Shahrukh also said that he does not want anyone to consider Devdas as their idol, even though his acting was good. He said, “I don’t like playing characters that disrespect women. I’ll be honest. I didn’t want her to be liked in the film because she’s a woman and not make any promises to her. I Wanted him to come across as a person who is a little spineless. Yes, the acting is good. I think Bhansali has made the film really beautifully. You get lost in the drama and someone will enjoy it. I don’t think anyone would want to be Devdas. It’s not a character you can take back home.”
It is noteworthy that as part of the Locarno tribute, the festival is also screening Shah Rukh Khan’s 2002 hit film Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Shahrukh as Devdas, Aishwarya as Paro and Madhuri as Chandramukhi, all three gave a wonderful performance which touched the hearts of the audience. Among other important characters, Kirron Kher, Jackie Shroff, Smita Jayakar and Jaya Bhattacharya all did commendable work in the film.