Filmmaker Karan Johar recently went down memory lane as he shared an image of his first on-screen appearance from 30 years ago. It was for Anand Mahendroo’s television serial, Indradhanush.
The picture shows Johar dressed in a school uniform, alongside actor Akshay Anand in the midst of an emotional moment. “My first appearance in front of a camera! It was for a television series called INDRADHANUSH! With #akshayeanand! I can’t believe this was 30 years ago,” said Johar on his Instagram page along with the picture.
Not many would know that it was during the screen test of this serial that Johar first met superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who he did not know then. Johar had recalled the encounter during a promotional event for his production, Ittefaq (2017) last October.
“I went for a screen test for a TV serial that I was acting in. It was called Indradhanush (1989). I was sitting in a room. It was 10 o’clock and the director was Anand Mahendroo. He hadn’t stepped out till about 2pm. Opposite me was a man who was drinking tea and doing crossword for four hours. I didn’t know who he was,” Johar had said.
He continued, “Anand Mahendroo walks out after four hours, goes across the room to this gentleman who was standing. He said, 'So sorry main late ho gaya'. But this man just stood up and said, ‘No no, it’s okay I like the tea in your office and I wanted to finish the crossword. And I don’t want to do this serial. I just came to tell you that'. He (Mahendroo) said, ‘You waited four hours to tell me you don’t want to do the serial?’ He said, 'Yeah, I just like the tea in your office'.”
After Khan left, Mahendroo took a dig at him. Johar said, “He said, ‘Look at that man. You know who he is?’ I said, ‘No, who is he?’ He said, ‘He is an actor called Shah Rukh Khan. He has done a serial called Fauji and he is stupid to let go (of the opportunity). Look at this man (while showing the picture of the other actor). I am going to make him a big star. He is going to do it. Shah Rukh Khan ka kuch nahin hoga [SRK’s career won’t go anywhere].”