Shah Rukh Khan recently discussed his experience portraying the well-known role of Devdas in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 adaptation. After receiving an award at the Locarno Film Festival, he spoke about his interpretation of the character. Shah Rukh shared that he wanted to depict Devdas not as a tragic failure, but as a man with his own reasons for not fully committing to love. He aimed to make the character complex, rather than having the audience feel love, hate, or approval towards him. Shah Rukh also admitted to experiencing significant anxiety during the filming process, even turning to alcohol while playing the role. While this may have helped with his performance, he acknowledged that it led to further drinking after the film was completed. He admitted that he started drinking alcohol after Devdas.

The role of Devdas had previously been portrayed by experienced actors. He felt a desire to make films that his parents could see from heaven, as a childish but sincere belief that his mother was like a star. He wanted to play the character of Devdas, even though some of India’s greatest artists had done it before, because he felt it was a role his mother would have appreciated. Despite senior actors advising him not to take on the part, he was determined to do it. The 2002 film Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, featured a star-studded cast including Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Madhuri Dixit, and was adapted from the famous novel of the same name.