In June 1992, thanks to your mother being a Rishi Kapoor fan, you watch Shah Rukh’s debut in Deewana as the disgruntled son of a wealthy i...
In June 1992, thanks to your mother being a Rishi Kapoor fan, you watch Shah Rukh’s debut in Deewana as the disgruntled son of a wealthy industrialist. His character casually stalks the woman he loves, eventually winning her heart and walking away from his family money to become a mechanic. His first Hindi film song, also his first scene in the film, follows him on a joyride along the streets of Mumbai. Taking in the sights, he looks at the camera, raises his arms to the sky, and offers his opening salvo, ‘Koi na koi chahiye, pyar karne wala.’ I need someone to love me.
You see him. And, for the first time, you encounter your hormones. You’ve never seen genetic material like this before. You ache for him and for the possibilities he represents. A fan is born. In the mid ’90s, you start calling your local cable bhaiya, urging him to play pirated prints of Shah Rukh films. Your parents are embarrassed and reprimand you.
In November 1992, you encounter him in Aziz Mirza’s wonderful Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, playing an ambitious young civil engineer from a small hill-town, hustling to get ahead in brash Mumbai, but still able to sing a song about ‘Loveria’....
