Shah Rukh Khan, one of India's biggest cinematic icons, is known for his humility. Actor-director Tigmanshu Dhulia, who has worked alongside Shah Rukh in films like Dil Se and Zero, recently shared stories about the actor’s down-to-earth nature during an interview.
When Shah Rukh Khan slept on the floor of a bus
In a conversation with Mashable India, Dhulia reminisced about their time together on the set of ‘Dil Se’, sharing how Shah Rukh’s humility was evident even then, despite his superstar status. "He is such a humble person. I can’t even describe it. Even during Dil Se, when he was already a massive star, his humility shone through," Dhulia shared.
One particular memory from the shoot in Ladakh stood out for Tigmanshu. He recalled that since the crew was filming in remote locations, there were no vanity vans available. Instead of making any special demands, Shah Rukh would take a quick nap on the floor of the bus they were using during lunchtime.
“When we were shooting in Ladakh… with Mani sir, you would just travel on the roads and he would decide this is where he wanted to shoot. So during lunch, there were no vanity vans or anything so the bus we were traveling in, the passage where people walk, Shah Rukh would take a nap there during lunch for 30 minutes. But we (crew members) had things in the bus so we would keep going in and out. Sometimes, we would go over him to get to a jacket or something but he never objected to anything. He never said no one can enter the bus when I am sleeping. He could have done that. He is the star of the film. If he wants to sleep for 30 minutes, he should get that time undisturbed but that never happened,” Tigmanshu said.
Tigmanshu Dhulia on Shah Rukh Khan's humility
Later, Tigmanshu worked with Shah Rukh again in Zero, where he portrayed the actor’s father. This time, Dhulia got to witness Shah Rukh’s generosity on his own production set. Despite being the producer and the leading man, Shah Rukh went out of his way to make others feel comfortable. “During Zero, it was his home production and there were many other actors there. Shah Rukh was so respectful towards everyone. He would pick chairs for everyone. Ask them if they had had lunch, Yeh sanskar hain uske (These are his values).”
Dhulia remarked that someone of Shah Rukh’s stature doesn’t need to do such gestures, but the fact that he does is what sets him apart.