Riteish Deshmukh Recalls Watching Shah Rukh Khan's Baazigar First Day First Show

The Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Shilpa Shetty starrer thriller Baazigar marked its 30th anniversary this year. Directed by Abbas-Mustan in 1993, the film remains a favourite among the audience and is appreciated for its gripping narrative and timeless music. Recently, Riteish Deshmukh shared his first-day, first-show experience of witnessing the magic of Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic thriller.

On X (formerly Twitter), a user, who wasn’t even born when Baazigar first hit the screens, expressed a desire to use a time machine to witness the audience’s reaction during a pivotal scene. Responding to this, Riteish Deshmukh recounted his own experience, recalling how the entire theatre fell silent during the unforgettable scene where Shah Rukh Khan’s character throws Shilpa Shetty off the terrace. He shared that the unexpected twist in the plot left the audience surprised. Intriguingly, when Deshmukh watched the movie again a month later, the same scene garnered applause from the audience.

He wrote, “Saw it FDFS and everyone was gobsmacked…silence in the theatre…no one saw it coming…saw it again after a month and shockingly the audience clapped at the same scene.”

On Baazigar’s 30th anniversary, Shilpa Shetty shared a heartfelt post on Instagram. She expressed gratitude for completing three decades in the industry and thanked the producers. She praised Shah Rukh Khan and called him a true Baazigar and her lifelong acting school. Shilpa also extended appreciation to the director duo, Abbas-Mustan, and acknowledged her co-star Kajol.

“Thank you Ratan Jain and Venus for being my guiding light. Blessed to have you in my life. Thank you SRK for being a true Baazigar and my acting school. As your co-actor but your fan then, now, and forever. Thank you, Abbas – Mustan for handling me with kid gloves and having more faith in me than myself. Kajol for befriending and teaching me the art of being fearless. Feeling blessed…I owe this to my audience! Here’s to another 30. If I knew that getting thrown off a building would give me 30 years of longevity, I would happily get pushed again After all, “Haar ke jeetne wale ko BAAZIGAR kehte hain!” Shilpa wrote.

Meanwhile, Kajol reminisced about the film’s milestones, including working with legendary choreographer Saroj Khan, meeting SRK for the first time, and collaborating with music maestro Anu Malik. She fondly remembered the generous treatment she received from Abbas Mustan and expressed gratitude to her co-actors Johny Lever and Shilpa Shetty. Kajol concluded her post by stating that every song and dialogue from the film brings a huge smile to her face.

Baazigar is adapted from the 1991 American romantic thriller, A Kiss Before Dying. The term Baazigar in English means gambler. This successful film played a key role in making Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan one of Bollywood’s most successful on-screen pairs.