Shah Rukh Khan captured the nation’s imagination when he broke out on the big screen in Raj Kanwar’s 1992 hit romantic drama Deewana. “He tried to convince me a lot to do Deewana,” said Avinash. Avinash further argued that till Deewana was only on paper at the scripting stage, he wasn’t sure whether it’d eventually translate into a hit film. Avinash also rejected Phool Aur KaanteAvinash passed on not only Deewana, but also what turned out to be Ajay Devgn’s debut film — Kuku Kohli’s 1991 hit action romance Phool Aur Kaante. He recalled being approached by Kohli’s young assistant director Rohit while shooting for Mahesh Bhatt’s 1992 horror fantasy Junoon.