As Shah Rukh Khan celebrates his first National Award after over 30 years in cinema, one name from his early journey has resurfaced, Viveck Vaswani, the actor-producer who stood by SRK during his most difficult days. When Vaswani congratulated him on social media, Shah Rukh replied warmly, “Thank you for the wishes. All started with you. Raju finally ban gaya gentleman.”
The story behind that message traces back to a time when the superstar had no home, little money, and a heart weighed down by personal struggles.
‘He Hadn’t Eaten Properly in Two Days’
In a candid conversation with Radio Nasha, Viveck Vaswani recalled the time when a young Shah Rukh lived with him, wore his clothes, and often went hungry.
“He was at my place and didn’t like vegetarian food, so we went out to eat non-veg. For the first 20 minutes, he just ate silently, he hadn’t eaten properly in nearly two days,” Vaswani shared. “After finishing, he looked at me and said, ‘Do you know, Vivek? My mother is dying.’”
Viveck said the two spent that night talking at Marine Drive, where SRK opened up about his mother’s illness, his sister Shehnaz, and his then-girlfriend Gauri. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him to go sleep elsewhere. I let him stay at my place,” he added.
‘He Wore My Clothes and Stayed for Days’
Recalling their friendship, Vaswani shared how SRK stayed at his home for days, borrowing his clothes. “He stayed with me until a few days before Christmas. Then we went to a party at La Pepe… I dropped him at the airport later, and as soon as I stopped the car, he vomited everything out,” he said.
When Shah Rukh returned to Delhi, his mother’s condition had deteriorated. “He called me and said he needed medicines. I borrowed money from my father, bought them, and sent them through Raman at the airport. Later, I took a flight to Delhi myself,” Vaswani remembered.
‘It Was My Mother’s Dream to See Me as a Superstar’
Ten days after his mother’s passing, Shah Rukh returned to Mumbai. “It was 4 in the morning when my doorbell rang,” Vaswani said. “I opened the door to find Shah Rukh standing there with huge bags. He didn’t come in — he just said, ‘Will you do a film with me?’”
That meeting gave birth to Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, the film that would become a turning point in SRK’s career. Though his debut came earlier with Deewana and Chamatkar, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman cemented his position as a promising new face in Bollywood.
From a young man with no home to the global face of Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan’s story, and his bond with Viveck Vaswani, remains one of Bollywood’s most inspiring tales of friendship, resilience, and destiny.
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