‘Shah Rukh Wasn’t Forced at Gunpoint for the Shoot’: Producer Guddu Dhanoa Shares ‘Deewana’ Story; Says, ‘I Didn’t Know Him, Shekhar Kapur Suggested His Name’

Producer Guddu Dhanoa recently opened up about Shah Rukh Khan’s casting in the film Deewana. He revealed that Shah Rukh initially declined the film, but after hearing the script, he changed his mind. Guddu also addressed rumors that Shah Rukh was forced at gunpoint to work on the movie, dismissing them as baseless.

In an interview with Friday Talkies, Guddu Dhanoa said, “When I told Shekhar Kapur that Armaan Kohli had exited our project and we were struggling to find a lead actor, he suggested Shah Rukh Khan’s name.” At the time, Guddu was unfamiliar with Shah Rukh, but Shekhar Kapur told him about his work in TV shows like Circus and Fauji. This led Guddu to arrange a meeting with Shah Rukh in Delhi.

According to Guddu Dhanoa, the moment he met Shah Rukh, he knew he had found his new hero for Deewana. However, Shah Rukh was already committed to five films and initially refused the offer.

But after listening to the script, Shah Rukh immediately agreed to do the film. The producers then signed him with a ₹11,000 signing bonus. Fate played a role, as Deewana ended up being released first, marking Shah Rukh Khan’s big-screen debut.

At the time, there were reports that Armaan Kohli was removed from the film and that Shah Rukh was forced at gunpoint to join the shoot. Guddu Dhanoa dismissed these claims as mere rumors, clarifying that no scenes were ever shot with Armaan.

Addressing the gunpoint allegation, Guddu said, “Shah Rukh had given us some dates, and when we were preparing to shoot a song at Natraj Studio, we found out he wasn’t coming for the shoot. So, I went to meet him in Goa. I walked straight into his room and woke him up. The first thing he asked me was, ‘Guddu, when should I come for the shoot?’ When I told him the set would be ready the next day, he promised to finish his night shoot in Goa and be in Mumbai first thing in the morning. The claims about him being forced at gunpoint are completely false.”