Latest news with #AKissBeforeDying
News18
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Shah Rukh Khan Didn't Want His Baazigar Character To Have A Dark Past
Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, known for his thrillers, recently shared that he once wrote a story that turned out to be very similar to Baazigar — without realising it at the time. In a chat with Pinkvilla, he said he noticed the overlap much later. He also spoke about how Shah Rukh Khan had strong ideas about how the lead character should be shown, and that he wasn't fully convinced by the version directed by Abbas-Mustan. Sriram Raghavan revealed that his version of the story was strongly inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, which had been made into a Hollywood film and later loosely adapted into Baazigar. He said his script followed the book more closely. In his version, the main character is a psychopath whose only goal is to marry into a rich family. 'I was more faithful to the book. And in the book, the guy is just a psychopath… uska kya hai… he wants to get married rich… usko ek ameer ghar mein shaadi karna hai. Aur usmein kya hai, the first girl he loves… she loves him too. But she gets pregnant, and her father is so orthodox ki usko malum ho gaya hai ki aisa kuch hua hai."
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shah Rukh Khan was unhappy with Baazigar character, wanted Abbas-Mustan to make him ‘a maniac, without any revenge backstory': Sriram Raghavan
While filmmaker Sriram Raghavan has often been credited for shaping some of Hindi cinema's most riveting thrillers, he recently revealed that he once unknowingly wrote his own version of Baazigar. In a conversation with Pinkvilla, he spoke about how his early story bore striking similarities to the 1993 revenge drama. He also discussed how Shah Rukh Khan had strong views on how the protagonist should be portrayed in the film and somewhere wasn't entirely convinced with the version of Abbas-Mustan. Sriram said that his version was closely inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, which had earlier been adapted into a Hollywood film and then, loosely, into Baazigar. 'I was more faithful to the book,' he explained. 'And in the book, the guy is just a psychopath… uska kya hai… he wants to get married rich… usko ek ameer ghar mein shaadi karna hai… ' (His motive is simple—he wants to marry into a rich family). ' Aur usmein kya hai, the first girl he loves… she loves him too. But she gets pregnant, and her father is so orthodox ki usko maloom ho gaya hai ki aisa kuch hua hai… ' (In the story, the first girl he loves becomes pregnant, and her orthodox father finds out). 'He will not only refuse to let them marry, but he'll also destroy the boy. So all the thrill was there in my story… even him killing her by pushing her off the rooftop.' As the conversation progressed, Sriram also discussed what he had heard about Shah Rukh thoughts during the development of Baazigar. Apparently, when the story was first narrated to him, Shah Rukh had advised directors Abbas-Mustan to keep the character dark and faithful to the original novel. 'Shah Rukh had said, 'Why are we even doing this? I like the guy being the maniac. Why do you want to give him a reason?'' He also mentioned that Shah Rukh referred to a scene from the English film starring Sean Young, where the young protagonist sees a billboard of a millionaire and becomes obsessed with becoming one himself. Interestingly, despite his initial reservations, Baazigar turned out to be a career-defining film for Shah Rukh. It not only earned him widespread acclaim but also marked Kajol 's first major box office success and introduced Shilpa Shetty to Hindi cinema.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shah Rukh Khan signed Baazigar after Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan declined, reveals Robin Bhatt: 'But put one strict condition'
Shah Rukh Khan , the undisputed King of Bollywood, has delivered countless unforgettable performances over the years. Among his early breakthroughs, Baazigar remains a fan-favorite, celebrated for its bold storytelling. Interestingly, the film's journey to Shah Rukh wasn't straightforward. Screenwriter Robin Bhatt recently revealed that SRK only came on board after both Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar had rejected the role, and he had just one firm demand. Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan said no to Baazigar In an interview with Friday Talkies, Robin Bhatt, who is the younger half-brother of Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, recounted how Baazigar was born. He shared that he once received a call asking if he had watched A Kiss Before Dying. Although he hadn't seen the film, Robin had read the novel it was based on and felt confident they could adapt it. Soon after, he was asked to prepare the screenplay, with directors Abbas-Mustan eager to direct the project. The bigger hurdle came later: casting. Since the script flipped the traditional hero narrative by making the protagonist a villain, most stars shied away. Akshay Kumar was the first choice but declined. Later, Salman Khan was approached through his father, Salim Khan, but he too passed on the project. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading gold CFDs with one of the lowest spreads? IC Markets Learn More Undo Robin then realized that it would take someone truly fearless to play such a morally ambiguous role. And that's when Shah Rukh Khan entered the picture. Shah Rukh Khan agreed instantly but put one strict condition Robin recalled meeting SRK frequently at Hotel Villa, where the actor would attend script sessions for Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, while Robin worked on his own stories. He noticed that Shah Rukh had a different mindset compared to others. During one of their casual conversations, Robin narrated the first half of Baazigar's story to Shah Rukh. Rohit Shetty Denies Rift with Shah Rukh Khan To his surprise, SRK immediately said yes, without even hearing the second half. However, Shah Rukh made it crystal clear: "I will do the film if only you will leave the script as it is. You will not try and justify the character or make him grey." His unwavering stance gave Abbas-Mustan the confidence to stick to their daring vision without softening the character. And history was made. For those who might not know, Baazigar went on to star Kajol , Shilpa Shetty , Raakhee, and Johnny Lever , and became one of Shah Rukh Khan's early game-changing hits. Stay updated with the latest Best Hindi Movies , Best Tamil Movies , Best Telugu Movies , Best english Movies , Best Malayalam Movies
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shah Rukh Khan had a condition before he signed Baazigar, recalls writer: ‘Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan refused to do the film'
Shah Rukh Khan was just in the second year of his Bollywood career when he signed on to play an anti-hero in Abbas Mustan's Baazigar (1993). The film changed his career trajectory and became a blockbuster hit at the box office. But he was not always the first choice for the film. Baazigar was first offered to Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan, but they refused to take up the film, which eventually landed with Shah Rukh Khan. Robin Bhatt, the younger half-brother of Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt, recently recalled stepping out of the Bhatt clan to try his hands on a new subject unlike his previous films like Aashiqui, Sadak, and Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin. Recalling how he happened to write Baazigar, Robin shared with Friday Talkies, 'One day I received this call and was asked if I have watched the film 'A Kiss Before Dying'. I said, it is originally a novel, and I have read it and we can surely make a film on it. Then I was told to write a screenplay as Abbas Mustan wanted to direct it. That's how Baazigar was born.' Baazigar, which is an adaption of a 1953 novel, A Kiss Before Dying, had a twisted plot where the hero was the villain. This character was against the moralistic heroes of those times but this created a problem for the makers, as no hero was willing to star in it. Robin shared, 'I finished writing, but we didn't know who to cast. We went to Akshay, he refused. Then we approached Salim Khan, and he said 'Why would Salman do this film?' He too refused it.' At this time, it occurred to Robin that only one man will willingly take up this role without any hesitation and it was none other than Shah Rukh Khan. 'I remember we often stayed in this hotel called Villa. He would come there for Raju Bangaya Gentleman sittings. I would be there to work on my subjects. Sometimes he used to meet me. During these meetings, I had understood that he is different and thinks differently. So one day, I narrated the story to him and just when we arrived at the interval, Shah Rukh happily agreed to do the film. He didn't even care to hear the second half.' Shah Rukh Khan didn't just agree to do the film but also put a condition before the makers. 'I will do the film if only you will leave the script as it is. You will not try and justify the character or make him grey.' This approach of Shah Rukh Khan instilled confidence in director duo Abbas-Mustan, who went ahead with the script as it is and rest it history. It also starred actors Shilpa Shetty, Kajol, Raakhee and Johhny Lever.
