• Shah Rukh Khan discussed his method of acting approach.
• He revealed that he turned to alcohol to embody the character.
• SRk said that he did not want people to hate his character.

Shah Rukh Khan, who portrayed an alcoholic in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 hit Devdas, recently discussed his method acting approach at the Locarno Film Festival.

He revealed that he turned to alcohol to embody the character, a choice that had both positive and negative consequences. “It might have helped, but I started drinking after the film and that’s one downside to it,” he admitted, noting that the role earned him the Best Actor award the following year.

Reflecting on his performance, Shah Rukh explained his intentions behind the character, originally created by Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1917. “I didn’t want you to feel love for him, but I didn’t want you to hate him… I just wanted him to appear indescribable,” he shared. Bhansali’s Devdas was a remake of Bimal Roy’s 1955 version featuring Dilip Kumar, and it starred Aishwarya Rai as Paro and Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi, alongside Jackie Shroff and Kirron Kher.

The film, produced by Bharat Shah’s Mega Bollywood, made headlines by premiering at the Cannes Film Festival and was notable for its budget of ₹50 crore, ultimately grossing ₹99.88 crore globally.

Looking ahead, Shah Rukh’s next project is King, a crime drama directed by Sujoy Ghosh, set for release during Eid 2026, where he will share the screen with his daughter, Suhana Khan.

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