When Shah Rukh Khan Compared His Devdas Role With Nicolas Cage In Leaving Las Vegas

Shah Rukh Khan played the title role in Devdas (2002), co-starring Aishwarya Rai as Paro and Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it was based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay ‘s 1917 novel of the same name.

In this throwback interview, SRK spoke about signing the big project that eventually went on to become a classic movie, getting lauded for its performances.

You are playing Saratchandra Chatterjee’s Devdas?

I hardly remember the old version. I haven’t read the novel by Saratchandra Chatterjee. The closeest I have come to Devdas is Leaving Las Vegas. I may be completely wrong. But that is what I think Devdas is.

You have made a fairly accurate connection. Will you model your performance on Nicolas Cage?

No. I’ll play it any way that Sanjay Bhansali wants me to. I haven’t seen Dilip Kumar in Bimal Roy’s Devdas. So that’s also out. But I do remember seeing portions of the earlier version with K.L Saigal on television. The dialogue delivery in that was very strange.

But surely there will be a difference between Badshah and Devdas.

Content wise,yes. In all other respects, no. I have equal regards for Abbas-Mustan’s regard for Badshah, Sanjay Bhansali’s regard for Devdas and your regard for, say, Dr Zhivago. I cannot discriminate between my films. I’d love to win an award for Devdas when it is made, as much as I’d have loved to win an award for Duplicate.

On stage you told Dilip Saab that if you could play Devdas with even a fraction of his proficiency you’d be happy.

I said I hoped I could be ten percent as good as him. It’s like this. If any actor is to play Mahatma Gandhi today he would immediately look towards Ben Kingsley. Likewise Devdas has been endorsed and immortalized by Dilip Saab.

Have you watched him in Devdas?

When I heard Sanjay Bhansali’s script I hadn’t seen Dilip Saab’s Devdas. I worked out my own interpretation of how I was going to play the character. I spent hours with Sanjay working out my Devdas. After that he suggested I see Dilip Saab in Devdas. Having worked out the character I’m now going to take it up from where Dilip Saab left it.

How do you see Devdas?

I don’t see him any more. I just let him be. I’ve my ideas on Devdas. I look at Devdas from where I am, a guy born in the 1970s. Looks, attitudes, morals, values have changed. Akshay Kumar still fights, though. Not like Dilip Kumar used to do in Ganga Jumna and Azad.