Shah Rukh Khan Impresses Rakesh Roshan, Lands Three-Film Deal with Wit and Business Sense
A young Shah Rukh Khan, still new to the movie world, landed a three-film deal with Rakesh Roshan through sheer intelligence and business acumen. His close friend, producer Vivek Vaswani, recently revealed the story behind this impressive feat.
Early in his career, Shah Rukh Khan displayed remarkable business savvy that helped him land major roles, including in Rakesh Roshan’s 1993 film King Uncle. When vying for the part of Jackie Shroff’s on-screen brother, SRK convinced Roshan that despite being a newcomer, casting him over the already established Salman Khan made better financial sense.
As SRK’s friend Vivek Vaswani recently recalled, he arranged a meeting between the aspiring actor and veteran filmmaker to discuss the role. When asked point-blank why Roshan should choose him, SRK demonstrated his knowledge of the film industry’s economics. He explained that since King Uncle was pre-sold, paying Salman’s higher salary would not increase revenues, while his lower fee would not diminish them.
Impressed by the newcomer’s grasp of the business, Roshan offered SRK a three-picture deal. SRK followed through, appearing in King Uncle as well as subsequent Roshan films Karan Arjun and Koyla.
SRK parlayed this early display of acumen into an accomplished acting and production career. After co-founding Red Chillies Entertainment, his 2022 film Jawan became the year’s highest grossing, earning over ₹1000 crore globally.
