‘Shah Rukh Khan waited for me to say no to Baazigar before he could say yes,’ recalls Deepak Tijori: ‘I had narrated the story to Abbas-Mustan…’

Deepak Tijori says he was involved in the pre-production of Baazigar, but the opportunity slipped through his hands and went to Shah Rukh Khan.

By: Entertainment Desk
New Delhi | Updated: July 20, 2025 08:05 IST

Baazigar released in 1993. (Photo: IMDb)

Deepak Tijori, best remembered for his ‘best friend’ roles in films like Aashiqui (1990) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), recently opened up about a major missed opportunity in his career–one that eventually helped catapult Shah Rukh Khan to superstardom. In a recent interview, Tijori revealed that he was involved in the early stages of Baazigar, the psychological thriller that went on to become a blockbuster. However, the project slipped through his hands and went to Shah Rukh.

“I had actually narrated the story of Baazigar to Abbas-Mustan,” Tijori told India Today. “They were supposed to direct it. But later, they went to Shah Rukh.” The actor shared that he found out about this development in an unexpected way–through a VHS cassette lying at SRK’s place.

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“Shah and I were friends. One day, I saw this VHS tape of A Kiss Before Dying at his place,” Tijori recalled. “I asked him about it and he said, ‘Your director came to me, left this tape, and told me not to say yes until you say no.’ So he (SRK) waited for me.”

Eventually, Baazigar released Shah Rukh in the lead, and the rest is history. Yet, Deepak Tijori holds no grudges. He shared that Abbas-Mustan later apologized to him. “They said, ‘Please forgive us, we made a mistake. We’ll compensate you someday.’ And I told them, ‘It’s okay, let it be.’ It was all very amicable.”

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Tijori also reflected on how relationships in the industry were warmer and more respectful back then. “If one of us got a film, the other would step back. There was no animosity. We were all like best friends.”

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