An 80’s clip of SRK hosting a Doordarshan show surfaces online

Shah Rukh Khan’s inspirational journey from streets of Delhi to a Bollywood billionaire is well documented. But very few, including his die-hard fans, know that the journey didn’t just start from his TV show ‘Fauji’.

The ascension to the ‘King of Bollywood’ was actually spurred by a host of 90’s shows. Apart from ‘Fauji’, the actor regularly appeared on other shows, including hosting a few TV programmes on Doordarshan.

Although he made his television debut with ‘Fauji’ in 1989, he had shot for ‘Dil Dariya’ a year before, but it got delayed. He also starred in ‘Circus’ and Mani Kaul’s mini-series ‘Idiot’ in 1991.

Now, since there was no YouTube or TV recording back then, most of the old footage has piled up and got lost under the debris. But, one such video recently surfaced after a YouTube user, Siddhartha Mazumder, posted a rare video of Shah Rukh Khan hosting a Doordarshan program. The video’s description reads, “Late 80’s video. Rare Doordarshan Program. Shah Rukh Khan as TV Presenter with guest Kumar Sanu. Kumar Sanu is singing an unreleased song.”

SRK is only in the video for about 25 seconds, during which he introduces and invites Kumar Sanu on stage. Who, at the time, knew that both SRK and Kumar Sanu would become icons in their respective fields in the coming years.

The ‘Fan’ actor made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with ‘Deewana’, which also starred Divya Bharti and Rishi Kapoor. In fact, after that he started doing lead roles in films, Sanu lent his voice for many of his songs including Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam, Baazigar, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen, Ae Kaash Ke Hum and Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain.

If you’re a fan of SRK, then this is a short trip down memory lane of his humble beginnings.