Shah Rukh Khan nearly portrayed a eunuch in Kalpana Lajmi’s ‘Damriyaan’ after being captivated by the script. He personally contacted Lajmi, and discussions were progressing well. However, a scheduling conflict arose when SRK requested a September start due to his busy commitments, leading him to eventually withdraw from the project, which was later made with Arif Zakaria.
On the occasion of his 60th birthday Shah Rukh Khan treated his fans with the announcement of his upcoming film King, the video showcased the King Khan in his best action avatar till date. Over the past few years, he has concentrated more on action films like Pathaan and Jawan but there was also a time when he really wanted to experiment with the roles. In that quest he once almost played an eunuch on screen. It was for Kalpana Lajmi’s ambitious project Damriyaan which was ultimately made with Arif Zakaria.In an interview with Rajeev Shukla back in the 90s, Shah Rukh revealed how he first heard about the film and was instantly intrigued by its premise. Determined to be a part of the project, he got in touch with veteran actor Anupam Kher to obtain Kalpana Lajmi’s number and personally reached out to the filmmaker. The two met soon after to discuss the role, and Lajmi was thrilled to have an actor of SRK’s stature on board.Their meeting went smoothly, and everything was nearly finalized. Shah Rukh was enthusiastic about the film’s concept and his character, describing it as one of the most unique challenges of his career. However, he had one request for the filmmaker. Since their discussion took place in December, SRK asked if filming could begin in September, as that would be the earliest window available in his packed schedule. At that time, the superstar was juggling four films a year but assured Lajmi that he would dedicate a continuous 60-day schedule to Damriyaan if the shoot began in September. Appreciating his honesty and the realities of his workload, Lajmi agreed to his condition.But by February, the director shared that she couldn’t wait any longer and hence SRK had to bow out of the film and it was completed it with Arif Zakaria- who was last seen in Nikkhil Advani’s Freedom At Midnight where he played Muhammed Ali Jinaah. The film also featured Kirron Kher and Tabu in pivotal roles.