Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan rose to prominence in the 1990s with a string of blockbuster films. The actor continued his success streak with the release of the 2003 film Devdas. In an interview, Shah Rukh revealed that he was advised against taking up the project but he still did it to honour his mother. "There came a time that we wouldn't be doing it, and I moved on. But I was very keen to do such a film in my career. My parents had passed away by the time I joined films; both of them were not alive. I don't know, for some reason, I always felt I'll make films that are very big so that my mom and dad can see them from heaven,” the actor said on the Locarno Meets podcast.
SRK added that it might seem "childish" but he really thought his mother would like it if does a film like Devdas. He said, “I still think my mom's a star, and it works. I think I even know the star she is. So I just felt that if I made Devdas, she would really like it. She would appreciate it."
Shah Rukh Khan shared that he had reservations about his capability as an actor but he felt compelled to take on the challenge to honour his mother. "I just wanted to do it, maybe just to tell my mom, 'Hey mom, I did Devdas.' For me, it was that first and also working with Mr. Bhansali," said the actor.
Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Devdas was based on the novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It narrates the story of Devdas (Shah Rukh Khan), who is in love with Paro (Aishwarya Rai). His life spirals downwards after his parents forbid them from getting married. Paro eventually gets married to another man and Devdas descends into life-threatening alcoholism. The film also featured Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff in key roles.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan was last seen in Dunki. Now, the actor is reportedly working on Sujoy Ghosh's film King, alongside his daughter Suhana Khan.