Ketan Mehta recalls shooting for Shah Rukh Khan’s first film when the actor’s mother was in ‘critical situation’: ‘He was full of energy’

Director Ketan Mehta said that Shah Rukh Khan's mother was in a 'critical situation' when he was shooting for Maya Memsaab but he still managed to shoot the film in Shimla.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | July 5, 2023 07:16 PM IST

2 min read

Maya Memsaab was the first film that Shah Rukh Khan shot for.

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Shah Rukh Khan starrer Maya Memsaab, directed by Ketan Mehta released 30 years ago. While the actor’s first theatrical release was the 1992 film Deewana, Ketan, in a recent interview, said that the first film that Shah Rukh shot for was Maya Memsaab. The director recalled that Shah Rukh’s mother was in a “critical situation” at that time, but he was very professional when it came to his work commitments, and thus, he landed up on the shoot in Shimla.

Ketan told Bollywood Hungama, “Hats off to Shah Rukh Khan. His mother at that time was in a critical situation. The entire unit had reached Shimla. Not wanting to delay the shoot, he landed up. I am grateful for his positive energy.” Shah Rukh Khan’s mother passed away in 1991 in Delhi.

Ketan recalled that SRK was recommended by Aziz Mirza and Saeed Mirza as he had worked with them on the television show Circus. “We were looking for a newcomer. He came and I realised that his energy was simply infectious. It was an instant liking and we decided to cast him. The snowstorm was the first scene that we shot for,” he shared.

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Recalling his time of working with Shah Rukh, Ketan said that the actor was “full of energy and wanted to prove himself.” “When it’s the first film, any actor would give his/her best. He was full of energy and wanted to prove himself. He had positive energy for the whole shoot,” he shared.

Based on Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Maya Memsaab also starred Deepa Sahi, Farooq Shaikh and Raj Babbar. Even though this was one of the first films that Shah Rukh shot for, it was released after Deewana, Chamatkar, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Dil Aashna Hai.

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