Shah Rukh Khan, who portrayed an alcoholic in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 hit Devdas, recently opened up about his method acting approach at the Locarno Film Festival.
He admitted that to immerse himself in the character, he turned to alcohol, a choice that had both positive and negative consequences.
“It may have helped, but I started drinking after the film, and that’s one downside,” he reflected, acknowledging that his performance earned him the Best Actor award the following year.
Looking back on his portrayal, Shah Rukh shared his vision for the character, created by Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1917.
“I didn’t want you to love him or hate him… I just wanted him to feel indescribable,” he said.
Bhansali’s Devdas was a remake of Bimal Roy’s 1955 version, starring Dilip Kumar, with Aishwarya Rai as Paro, Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi, and supporting roles by Jackie Shroff and Kirron Kher.
The film, produced by Bharat Shah’s Mega Bollywood, made a splash by premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. With a ₹50 crore budget, it grossed ₹99.88 crore globally.
Looking ahead, Shah Rukh Khan is preparing for his upcoming film King, a crime drama directed by Sujoy Ghosh, slated for release during Eid 2026, featuring a special on-screen collaboration with his daughter, Suhana Khan.