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SRK's Mentor Defends Bollywood's Warm Welcome for Outsiders
6 Nov
Summary
- Viveck Vaswani, who gave SRK a home when he arrived in Mumbai, reflects on Bollywood's support
- Vaswani disputes Aryan Khan's dark portrayal of the industry in his debut series
- Vaswani says SRK was treated with "kid gloves" and given opportunities as an outsider
In November 2025, veteran actor-producer Viveck Vaswani has reflected on the warm welcome Shah Rukh Khan received when he first arrived in Mumbai, in contrast to the dark portrayal of Bollywood in Aryan Khan's recent debut series.
Vaswani, who provided SRK with a home when he was starting out, says the industry treated the superstar with "kid gloves" and gave him opportunities despite being an outsider. He recalls how SRK was supported by figures like Aziz Mirza, Nirmala, and Vaswani's own family, who all welcomed him with open arms.
However, Vaswani was left unsettled by Aryan's series, which depicted the film industry as a "gutter" filled with "bad people." He questions where this negative perception came from, given SRK's smooth start and the affection he received. Vaswani wonders if he or others may have inadvertently hurt Aryan to make him view Bollywood so harshly.
Despite his disagreement with the show's tone, Vaswani praised Aryan's debut effort, singling out strong performances from Emraan Hashmi and Bobby Deol. But he remains puzzled by the decision to portray the industry in such a dark light, when SRK's own experience was so positive.
