I was recently in the theatre watching Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with my brother, discussing almost every scene with him or laughing out loud at funny scenes. All it took for me to shut up was Shah Rukh Khan‘s five minute cameo in the film. Because when SRK appears on the big screen, you just want to stop and stare. That’s the thing about him – he exudes an unavoidable charm and personality that immediately demands your rapt attention. He’s such a charmer, both on and off screen. We don’t need a special day to praise the actor but as he gracefully turns 51 today, we’ve collated a fun list of random fan experiences with the Badshah of Bollywood, as cited on Quora.
Check these out:
- I was a 16 year old kid when my cousin took me to the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati. After the shoot he shook hands with every single person sitting in the audience. He smiled at me, ruffled my hair and said “Hey we’ve got the same hair!”. The young girls on the sets threw themselves on him and all he could do was smile and say “I love you all too. God Bless You.
- I had iftaar just a few feet away from Shah Rukh. After namaaz he went and sat with Salim Khan and was listening to him with a lot of interest. A lot of fans kept coming and disturbing their conversation. Shah Rukh got up for all the fans who came at the table. Smiled, clicked a picture, and sat down again to listen to Salim Khan with the same interest. This happened at least a dozen times but he didn’t ask a single fan to wait for him to finish his conversation.
- My mum interrupted his break, while he was on the phone and taking his cigarette break and shoved me right next to him for a photo. However, he smiled at my mum and put his hands around me and I felt like the luckiest 6 year old in the world 🙂
- I met Shah Rukh Khan or rather I should say I saw him once during a cricket match that his son was playing in. I had joined summer camp at MIG cricket club. One day after our session was done, we were packing up to leave when one of our trainers informed us that he’d come to watch his son play in a cricket match as a part of his school team. Incidentally, that match also had Agni, son of VV Chopra (a Bollywood producer) playing on the opposing team. I happened to see him while collecting sandwiches from the coffee shop on the first floor (I always ate sandwiches after training). He was seated in the viewing box, eagerly waiting for the match to begin. It felt good to see him make time for his son despite his busy schedule. I did not get a chance to meet him though as entry to the box was restricted. And at some level, I didn’t want to disturb him. At the time, he was Shah Rukh the father, not Shah Rukh the superstar. So there it is. Not a typical meeting but a memorable one nevertheless.
- I met Shah Rukh Khan in Ahmedabad when he was here for the promotion of his movie Ra.One. I opted for being his chauffeur and got about 30 mins of road time with the actor. I told him my mother is a big fan of his and if he could be kind enough to speak to her. He agreed. My mother couldn’t believe she spoke to Shah Rukh! I think she must have been proud of having me as her son that day, that’s how happy she was! Then I took an autograph for a friend who is a die hard fan. And bid goodbye. Good chap this Shah Rukh.
- I had the privilege to work with SRK (on Happy New Yeardirected by wonderful Farah Khan). He is one of the most hard working, kind, attentive and talented person I have ever worked with. He remembers everyone’s name and role, has always a kind word for anyone, doesn’t matter what job they do. He is the last to leave the set, wanting to make sure everyone will go home to their loved ones safely and on time. He never complains, he is strong minded yet listens to other people’s opinions carefully. He is very passionate about his work, and he is clearly very much in love with his family. He really cares for quality and pays great attention to the smallest detail. To top it all, even after a hard day work he still has a smile for everyone and a great sense of humour.
And that’s why we love you SRK! Happy Birthday 🙂