Two Films, Two Debuts – One Became King Khan, the Other Disappeared. What Happened?

By Sharad Rai

Bollywood’s journey to success is like a game of snakes and ladders — unpredictable and filled with twists. You never know who will rise to the top or who will fade into oblivion. A perfect example is from the year 1992, when a film production company launched two films simultaneously. One introduced a newcomer who is now the superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and the other launched a debutant named Neeraj — whom hardly anyone remembers today.

Flashback to the 1990s

Actress-turned-producer Shabnam Kapoor, along with two other producers, decided to make two films at the same time. One starred Jeetendra, Rekha, and Armaan Kohli and was titled Insaaf Ki Devi. The other, titled Deewana, featured Rishi Kapoor, Divya Bharti, and Armaan Kohli. So yes, Armaan Kohli was cast in both.

However, a dispute arose between Shabnam Kapoor and Armaan Kohli, who was the son of renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Kohli, known for multi-starrer blockbusters. Due to their differences, Armaan walked out — or was removed — from both projects. This led to the casting of two new male leads.
In Insaaf Ki Devi, opposite stars Jeetendra and Rekha, a new boy named Neeraj was introduced. Meanwhile, in Deewana, which was originally started with Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti, the role went to Shah Rukh Khan. At the time, SRK was a known face on television and was already set to debut in Hema Malini’s directorial Dil Aashna Hai.

Who Were the People Behind the Projects?

In Insaaf Ki Devi, Shabnam Kapoor took credit as the producer, along with B.S. Shaad. It was directed by S.A. Chandrasekhar. The excitement was high — after all, Rekha and Jeetendra were reigning stars, and expectations from the debutant Neeraj were equally high.
In contrast, Deewana starred Rishi Kapoor, whose career had cooled down, and Divya Bharti, who was often seen as a “Sridevi copycat.” Shah Rukh Khan, though popular on TV, was new to cinema. The producers of Deewana were Shabnam’s husband Lalit Kapoor and Guddu Dhanoa, and the film was directed by Raj Kanwar.

Then Came the Twist of Fate

While Shah Rukh Khan was meant to debut in Hema Malini’s Dil Aashna Hai, that film kept getting delayed. Rumors even suggested Hema was upset with Shah Rukh and not on speaking terms with him.

Meanwhile, Raj Kanwar’s Deewana was completed and released — making it SRK’s official debut on the big screen. The film turned out to be a superhit. Shah Rukh played a passionate and slightly negative lover who enters the life of a widow (Divya Bharti) after her husband (Rishi Kapoor) goes missing. His performance stole the spotlight, even more than Rishi Kapoor’s. From a TV actor, Shah Rukh transitioned to a silver screen star overnight.

The film that the producers had pinned their highest hopes on — Insaaf Ki Devi — released first due to Rekha’s title role and strong market presence. But it flopped at the box office. As for Neeraj, who was launched with such expectations, his entry went almost unnoticed. The film bombed, and with it, so did his career.

When a film succeeds, so do its stars. And stars shine only when fate allows it. While one newcomer’s career rocketed to superstardom, the other faded into obscurity — despite similar beginnings, similar planning, and the same time frame. Truly, the rise in Bollywood is like a game of snakes and ladders — one roll of the dice can change everything.

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