Shah Rukh Khan on how producer Aditya Chopra finally fulfilled his 30-year promise to cast him as an action hero with 'Pathaan'

The main role in the hit spy action movie "Pathaan" was the direction of a promise made by producer Aditya Chopra 30 years ago, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has revealed.

"Pathaan" is produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF), founded by the late Yash Chopra, of whose Aditya Chopra is now the chef.

In 1993, Khan was filming YRF's "Darr", in which he played the antagonist. "One day it was Adi's [Aditya Chopra] birthday, and he asked me if I would do a movie and I said, 'I would love to do it,' and then he said something where I would be an action hero," Khan said in a statement. "Because I was also doing 'Darr', I was also excited about it. Then three-four years later he called and said I was coming to tell an action movie. I really wanted to play an action hero. action because no one offered me this kind."

After the romantic drama "Darr", Khan starred in the comedy-drama "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa" (1994), crime drama "Anjaam" (1994), fantasy drama "Karan Arjun" (1995), comedy-drama "Zamaana Deewana" (1995), romantic drama "Guddu" (1995) and comedy "Oh Darling Yeh Hai India" (1995).

"So it was my dream to do an action movie - where I wear a vest white, I have a great body, there is blood, I am with a girl, holding a gun. Then Adi came and told me about the movie in Mehboob studio - that movie was [romance] "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge". I was like where's the action in that?" Khan said.

Chopra's first film "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" (1995), often abbreviated as "DDLJ" , proved to be a huge hit and firmly established Khan as Bollywood's greatest romantic hero of his generation. The film has been played at the Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai almost continuously since its release. However, Khan's thirst for an action movie was not quenched.

"Adi said we would do it next. But then we did "Dil To Pagal Hai “[1997]. It also worked well, but we never did the action,” Khan said. “He actually told me one more time about four years ago. Then, the last time they arrived, Adi told me he would come with Sid ['Pathaan' director Siddharth Anand] and narrated the first 15 minutes [of 'Pathaan'].

"They came, told the script and left. I was sitting with my manager Pooja . I told him, 'Adi is lying. He won't do an action movie," Khan said. "But I really thank him, after 30 years, he kept his promise and did 'Pathaan' with me. Today in Maratha Mandir our 'DDLJ' continues, as does 'Pathaan'. So I'm very happy that Adi kept his promise. And I'm happier that with "Pathaan", I proved to Adi that I can do action too. I hope Adi takes me to more action movies."

"Pathaan", in which the 57-year-old Khan sports a chiseled body with a pack of 12 Abs, is India's biggest box office hit of 2023 and the actor's highest-grossing career to date, grossing $84.2 million since its January 25 release. .

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