Shah Rukh Khan Rejected 'Dilwale', Paving Way for Ajay Devgn's Iconic Comeback

• Ajay Devgn faced a string of seven consecutive flops after his initial success with *Phool Aur Kaante* and *Jigar*.
• The film *Dilwale* (1994) was initially offered to Shah Rukh Khan, who declined after a disagreement over the ending.
• Writer Karan Razdan then offered the lead role to Ajay Devgn, who accepted immediately, with Suniel Shetty and Raveena Tandon joining the cast.
• Filmmaker Subhash Ghai initially predicted *Dilwale* would fail, questioning Ajay Devgn's screen presence and Raveena Tandon's string of flops.
• Despite initial skepticism, *Dilwale* became a superhit, silencing critics and cementing Ajay Devgn's status as a leading Bollywood star.

Why It Matters: Shah Rukh Khan's rejection of *Dilwale* became Ajay Devgn's career-defining comeback film.