Throwback: When Shah Rukh Khan felt it was “too late” to enter films: “But I am doing it for my mother”

Shah Rukh Khan also said that he wouldn’t even dream of going to an acting class

Earlier this month, Bollywood Hungama exclusively produced one of the first interviews of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, if not the first, when none of his films had released and he was just 24 years old. At that time, he was known as a successful television actor. The interview had originally appeared in the newspaper Deccan Herald in 1991 and was taken by journalist Masood Ansari. A scanned copy of the interview is provided to us by archivist Shiva Prasad Shetty. Here’s the second part of the interview.
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Throwback: When Shah Rukh Khan felt it was “too late” to enter films: “But I am doing it for my mother”

Shah Rukh Khan is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest stars not only in India but also across the globe. It is his long list of performances in films that has provided him with such name, fame and success. But, astonishingly, SRK wasn’t keen on becoming a film actor even after signing films like Chamatkar (then titled Ghost Mera Dost), Dil Aashna Hai and King Uncle. He hadn’t signed Deewana, which became his first released film in 1992.

Shah Rukh said in the interview that he was never fascinated by films, but he still tried his hand in the medium because of his late mother Lateef Fatima Khan, who had passed away in 1991. However, believe it or not, the actor wondered if it’s too late for him to enter films then.

“I’ve never been fascinated by films,” said SRK in the old interview. “In fact, I have felt quite sick whenever I’ve heard of the film industry and its ways. The last thing I wanted to be was part of it. But after my mother died early this year, I changed my mind. I loved her immensely, and she always wanted to see me up there on the silver screen someday. Maybe it’s too late now, but I am doing it for her all the same.”

SRK also said that his mother’s passing away was the reason he wanted to leave Delhi. “Besides, I can’t bear to live in our Delhi house anymore. Everything there reminds me of her. I want to shift to Bombay, make a clear break, keep myself busy with work round the clock,” he said.

Showing his funny side, SRK also said in the interview that he learns acting in an unusual way and would never want to join any acting class. “That’s how I have learnt acting. By watching bad actors and seeing how they louse things up. I wouldn’t dream of going to an Asha Chandra or Roshan Taneja’s acting class. I could probably teach them a thing or two about acting. I believe that nobody can teach you how to act, it has to be in you or it’s just not! Of course, like all other things, acting too improves with practice. You make your mistakes and learn from them,” said Shah Rukh.