Before becoming the global icon he is today, Shah Rukh Khan navigated the bustling city of Mumbai as a young man trying to find his place in the world. His close friend, Viveck Vaswani, recently shared intimate details of those formative years in an interview with Radio Nasha, shedding light on SRK’s personal battles, his profound connection with Gauri Khan, and the serendipitous path that led him to the silver screen.

Viveck Recounts Shah Rukh’s Early Days

Viveck recalled Shah Rukh’s arrival in Mumbai with very little and his subsequent stay at Viveck’s home for several months. He painted a vivid picture of their early days, sharing, “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. After finishing, he looked at me and said, ‘Do you know, Vivek? My mother is dying.’ That night, he opened up like never before about his mother’s illness, his sister, and Gauri.”

Viveck further reminisced about a party they attended before Christmas at La Pepe, a building that was home to stars like Jackie Shroff and Zeenat Aman.

Tragically, Shah Rukh’s mother’s health took a turn for the worse, prompting Viveck to borrow money from his father to ensure Shah Rukh’s mother received her medicines in Delhi. During this challenging period, producer Vikram Malhotra offered Shah Rukh a film role. However, Shah Rukh was initially hesitant about pursuing a film career. Viveck revealed Shah Rukh’s sentiment: “He told me Gauri wouldn’t like him hugging other actresses. He was happy doing television, so I didn’t push him.”

Despite his reservations, Shah Rukh eventually accepted a short film project in Shimla, which led to his collaboration with director Ketan Mehta on ‘Maya Memsaab’.

A poignant moment came shortly after Shah Rukh’s mother’s passing. Viveck was surprised to find Shah Rukh at his doorstep early one morning, not to stay, but with a simple request: to make a film together. Viveck learned that Shah Rukh’s aspiration to be a film actor stemmed from his mother’s deepest wish to see him as a superstar.

Shah Rukh’s Upcoming Project

Looking ahead, Shah Rukh Khan is set to star in the film ‘King’, the first look of which was unveiled on his 60th birthday. The movie also features his daughter, Suhana Khan, alongside an ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Arshad Warsi, and Anil Kapoor. The film is slated for release in 2026.