Shah Rukh Khan's Mother Was "Critical," Yet He "Landed Up" For Shoot, Recalls Maya Memsaab Director

Image was posted on Twitter. (Courtesy: srkian_rutu )

Shah Rukh Khan's Maya Memsaab completed 30 years of its release on Sunday, July 2. The film, directed by Ketan Mehta, also featured Deepa Sahi, Farooq Shaikh and Raj Babbar. Maya Memsaab is based on the classic novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. On the special occasion, Ketan Mehta shared his experience of shooting with “newcomer” Shah Rukh Khan. The director gave a shout out to SRK's commitment towards work. Recalling the sequence that was shot in Shimla, he told Bollywood Hungama, “We blocked the entire Mall Road for a scene at night where Shah Rukh and Deepa Sahi fight on the street. It was challenging yet very exciting to film those sequences. Hats off to Shah Rukh Khan. His mother, at that time, was in a critical situation. The entire unit had reached Shimla. Not wanting to delay the shoot, he landed up. I am grateful for his positive energy.” Shah Rukh Khan's mother Lateef Fatima passed away in 1991. Maya Memsaab was the “first film SRK shot for”, Ketan Mehta added.

Though the film was released after Deewana and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.

Ketan Mehta said that Shah Rukh Khan's energy was “simply infectious”.

“He [Shah Rukh Khan] was full of energy and wanted to prove himself. He had positive energy for the whole shoot,” Ketan Mehta was quoted as saying.

The director also revealed that Shah Rukh Khan was recommended by the famous filmmaker-writer duo Aziz Mirza and Saeed Mirza.

“He [Shah Rukh Khan] was doing a television show for them [Circus]. We were looking for a newcomer. He came and I realised that his energy was simply infectious. It was an instant liking and we decided to cast him. The snowstorm was the first scene that we shot for,” Ketan Mehta said.

Maya Memsaab, one of the “first feminist films to come out of India”, had opened to an amazing response, he added.