Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas, released on July 12, 2002, was not just a cinematic spectacle, it was a psychological storm for its lead actor. As the film completes 23 years, Shah Rukh Khan’s performance as the emotionally broken lover continues to haunt audiences. But few know that the actor had deep reservations about playing Devdas and found the process physically and emotionally taxing.
“I didn’t like Devdas… I didn’t like him at all.”
In an interview with CineBlitz (2002), Shah Rukh Khan confessed,
“Initially, I didn’t want to do Devdas. I didn’t like him. I didn’t like his self-pity. I found the character weak and unheroic.”
Despite his personal discomfort, he took on the role at the insistence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who felt SRK’s internalization would bring a new dimension to the tragic hero.
Bhansali believed SRK’s eyes could carry Devdas’ soul
In various interviews during the film’s promotions, Bhansali shared that he cast SRK because he believed only Khan could express pain without words.
“He could convey pain just through his eyes. That’s what Devdas needed,” Bhansali said during The Making of Devdas (Eros DVD, 2003).
“I drank on set for one scene, just to know what it feels like”
In an episode of Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, SRK admitted:
“Yes, I did drink for one scene, just once, to feel the disorientation. I’m not a drinker, but I wanted to understand what it does to your body.”
He clarified that he didn’t repeat it but used the experience to shape Devdas’ physicality.
SRK Injured Himself During the Climax
While filming the emotionally intense climax where Devdas collapses outside Paro’s mansion, Shah Rukh Khan reportedly performed the falls himself. In a Times of India feature (2017), it was revealed:
“Shah Rukh bruised his ribs during the scene but continued shooting without complaint.”
Though SRK didn’t publicly elaborate on the injury, crew members acknowledged the actor’s physical dedication during the demanding final sequence.
“Devdas is not a hero. He’s weak. And that’s the beauty.”
In an interview with Filmfare (2002), SRK said:
“He’s not a hero. He’s not even brave. But he’s human. I didn’t want people to think he was right — I just wanted them to feel his pain.”
This rejection of glorifying Devdas allowed the performance to feel grounded and modern, even within a classic tragedy.
“It drained me. Physically, emotionally, completely.”
Reflecting on the experience years later, Shah Rukh told The Telegraph (2004):
“Devdas drained me. It took a lot out of me emotionally. I was tired all the time, and there was so much crying. I’d come home feeling hollow.”
“I cried during the screening. Not because of the film because of what it took from me.”
At a Red Chillies event in 2010, SRK revealed:
“I remember crying after watching Devdas. Not because of what was happening on screen. Because I remembered what it had taken out of me. It was the most emotionally exhausting shoot I’d done.”
Devdas Was SRK’s Most Expensive and Demanding Film
In an interview with Rediff.com (2002), Shah Rukh Khan spoke candidly about the pressure of leading what was then the most expensive Hindi film ever made:
“When a film costs so much, you’re more worried. It’s not just about the acting — it’s about delivering something worthy of the investment.”
He also added,
“It drained me emotionally. I would go home feeling completely hollow.”
No Glycerine: SRK’s Tears in Devdas Were Real
Shah Rukh Khan chose not to use glycerine for many of the emotional scenes in Devdas. He instead preferred to evoke genuine emotion to make the breakdowns feel authentic.
Bhansali often gave him hours of solitude before emotional takes.
Shah Rukh Drew Flies With Honey to Enhance the Death Scene
Vikramaditya Motwane, who assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Devdas, recently shared a remarkable behind-the-scenes detail: during the climax scene where Devdas lies dying under a tree, SRK asked for honey to be applied to his face. This was to attract flies for added realism. Motwane told The Lallantop (January 2025):
“He took some [honey] and applied it over his face… He did it to get flies on his face, like flies are sitting on a dying man’s face. This was completely his idea.”
This anecdote highlights Shah Rukh’s unwavering commitment to authenticity, even in the smallest, most visceral details, proving why his performance in Devdas remains so haunting decades later.
Standing ovation at Cannes
During a 2002 press conference covered by Hindustan Times after Devdas screened at the Cannes Film Festival, SRK revealed his apprehensions:
“We were scared they would laugh at our emotions and songs. But they gave us a standing ovation.”
The Aftermath
Devdas went on to become India’s official entry to the Oscars and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the BAFTAs. It was also selected for a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002. And SRK’s performance became one of the defining roles of his career.
As the film turns 23, the legacy of Devdas lives not just in its grandeur, but in the scars and sincerity of a performance that nearly overwhelmed the man behind it.
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