This 90's actor was the original choice for Deewana, which launched Shah Rukh Khan's career: Where is Armaan Kohli now?

Armaan Kohli lost out on doing Deewana as his father Rajkumar Kohli who was producing Virodhi, insisted that Virodhi be released first.

Published on: Aug 16, 2026, 17:50:55 IST

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Many actors make a smashing debut in the film industry but struggle to match up to that standard in the next few years and are ultimately left behind. The 90s were a tumultuous time in Bollywood when the younger generation of actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar were vying for the best of the lot. Among this crop of talented actors was Armaan Kohli, who was originally offered Deewana.

However, as fate would have it, Shah Rukh Khan ended up getting the role that launched his career as a lead star in the industry.

About his career

The son of filmmaker Rajkumar Kohli and actress Nishi, Armaan started his career as a child actor in his father's films like Badle Ki Agni (1982) and Raaj Tilak (1984). He then went on to make his debut as a lead in Virodhi (1992), directed by his father. Although he starred in several other films like Dushman Zamana (1992), Anaam (1992), and Aulad Ke Dushman (1993), Armaan struggled to maintain a streak of success.

However, even as Armaan was being eyed for the role in Deewana, he could not take on the role as his father insisted that Virodhi be released first. Armaan was simultaneously dropped from the project, and the role went to Shah Rukh Khan. Deewana became a runaway hit and launched Shah Rukh Khan’s career.

Armaan in a 2015 interview spoke about not doing the film, and how he has no regrets. Asked if he looks back and wonders if life would've been different if he'd done Deewana, he told Bollywood Hungama, "If we start thinking about the past and what we could've done, our life will be hell. So generally I don't sit and regret and think about, 'Oh, I should have done that, if I had done that then this would have happened'. I wish I had thought that way. I would have been somewhere else, for sure. But, as I said, there is no regret. If I lost Deewana, Mr Shah Rukh Khan got Deewana, and he's the superstar of the country. I'm pretty okay with that."

Shah Rukh even admitted in an appearance on the show Yaaron Ki Baraat in 2016 that he owes his career to Armaan, who even featured on a poster for Deewana before Shah Rukh replaced him at the last minute after Armaan had shot a schedule for the film. "Armaan Kohli is responsible for me being a star. He featured on the Deewana poster with late Divya Bharti. I still have that poster. Thank you for making me a star," Shah Rukh said.

Stint on Bigg Boss

Armaan made a comeback on Television years later with Salman Khan-hosted Bigg Boss 7. He was infamous for his volatile temper on Bigg Boss 7 and was even arrested while on the show after Sofia Hayat filed a complaint against him for hitting her with a mop. He was later released on bail. He also made headlines for his relationship with Tanishaa Mukerji. He was also arrested for illegal possession of 41 liquor bottles. In 2021, the NCB also arrested him in a drug-related case.

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A post shared by Armaan Kohli (@armaankohliofficial)

Armaan now lives a private life away from the glitz of the film industry. He also occasionally shares his thoughts on his official Instagram account. His last post was on the death of Bollywood icon Dharmendra. It featured a picture of Dharmendra with his father. "Dharam Uncle — you will be missed forever and will always remain in our hearts. And to my father… I miss you so, so much. I still don’t know how to repair my heart without you," he wrote in the caption.

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