Actor Deepak Tijori recently reflected on a pivotal opportunity he missed, which could have changed his career trajectory forever. It was Shah Rukh Khan who eventually took on the role and rose to superstardom.Deepak Tijori was part of early ‘Baazigar‘ discussions before the role went to SRKIn an interview with India Today, Tijori spoke about how he was initially involved in the early discussions around ‘Baazigar’, which eventually went to Shah Rukh Khan. He had narrated the story of Baazigar to Abbas-Mustan, and they were all set to direct it. However, they later approached SRK with the project. Tijori discovered this twist of fate during a casual visit to SRK’s home, where he noticed a VHS tape lying around.
“Shah and I were friends. One day, I saw this VHS tape of A Kiss Before Dying at his place. 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.”Abbas-Mustan later apologised to Deepak Tijori for casting SRK without informing himTijori felt bad about the incident, and the directors Abbas-Mustan later approached him with an apology.“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.”Looking back, Tijori also noted how the camaraderie in the industry at the time was genuine and respectful. They used to be very understanding of each other. If one actor was replaced by another, they would handle the situation gracefully and remain friends.About ‘Baazigar’‘Baazigar’ (1993), directed by Abbas–Mustan, also featured Kajol, Siddharth, Shilpa Shetty, Raakhee, Dalip Tahil, and Johnny Lever in key roles.
