Shah Rukh Khan may have made his big-screen debut with Deewana in 1992, but it was his back-to-back performances in Baazigar and Darr in 1993 that firmly established him as one of Hindi cinema’s most promising stars. By taking on morally complex characters in both films, the actor showcased his versatility and quickly carved out a distinct identity in the industry.However, Shah Rukh was not the original choice to play obsessive lover Rahul Mehra in Darr. Actor Sudesh Berry has now revealed that he had initially been selected for the role, and preparations had progressed to the point where his costumes were already ready before the makers changed their decision.Speaking on the Accompany Akki podcast, Sudesh recalled, “I was offered the role in Darr, and even my costumes were ready. What happened afterwards was… the person who was supposed to play the other character (the male lead) was always a bigger actor. Initially, it was Rishi Kapoor, then Aamir Khan was considered, and then they finally cast Sunny Deol.”He explained that the climax played a key role in the casting rethink.“Towards the end, there’s a shot of my character punching the other person. Whoever played the other character, it appeared as if a bigger actor was being punched by Sudesh Berry. This is what I heard; I haven’t seen the movie to date. Yash ji was a maker too, and makers are always a bit passionate. They are able to make such good movies because of that passion,” Sudesh shared, adding that Yash Chopra believed he was still too new to convincingly take on such a significant role opposite an established star.Reflecting on the success of his contemporaries, including Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, Sudesh said that while talent and hard work were essential, destiny also had a major role to play.“They are all destiny’s children. They are all lucky. Everyone worked hard; I did too. But they are lucky and blessed. All eat from the same plate, and all are birds from the same branch.”He went on to describe Shah Rukh as especially fortunate, crediting both destiny and divine blessings for his remarkable career.“But Shah Rukh Khan is a blessed child of God… Mainly because Gauri putr Ganesh is by his side. Let’s not forget that his wife’s name is Gauri. And when you have Lord Ganesh’s blessing, you will never fall. The same can be said about Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar; they’re lucky first because they got a chance,” he added.Darr also marked the beginning of Shah Rukh’s long-standing association with filmmaker Yash Chopra. Over the years, the duo collaborated on several memorable films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein, Veer-Zaara, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
