Shah Rukh Khan and Jackie Shroff as ‘Devdas’ and ‘Chunni Babu’ in the globally acclaimed 2002 film, Devdas, were a classic duo. The two actors have been paired together in many different films as well. Jackie has also seen him grow from being a known actor in the 1993 released film, King Uncle to growing into the ‘Badshah of Bollywood’. Recently, he revealed that being at the top is lonely, and Shah Rukh’s ‘akelapan’ is something that has remained unchanged.
Jackie Shroff reveals what he observed about Shah Rukh Khan’s growth in the industry
When Jackie and Shah Rukh got together for their first film, King Uncle, the latter was still a newcomer in the industry. Jackie, on the other hand, was one of the most bankable actors of that time. A few years later, when they both appeared in Devdas, Shah Rukh had become a global icon. Recently, in an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Jackie Shroff revealed that from King Uncle to Devdas, he has noticed Shah Rukh Khan‘s ‘akelapan’. The veteran actor stated that the young SRK was charming, respectful, but aloof. And since he was also aloof, Jackie liked those vibes of Shah Rukh. In the interview, he said:
“Akelapan. Har actor ko ek lonely feel hona chahiye, mere ko bola tha ye kisi ne. So I saw him sitting out there, on his own. He was playing my younger brother. And he was respectful, focused on his work, he was charismatic, he was charming. But aloof. Like I was aloof, he also aloof. I liked those vibes.”
Jackie Shroff said that Shah Rukh Khan’s vibes were unchanged during Devdas as well
By the time Jackie and Shah Rukh worked on Devdas, the latter had already become a superstar. However, the Ram Lakhan actor revealed that his personality remained unchanged. Jackie said that before Devdas, he had done several films with Shah Rukh. So their bond remained unchanged during this films’ shooting as well. Jackie called the actor his younger brother and stated that Shah Rukh was the same boy he had observed sitting alone in a corner. Additionally, the role of ‘Devdas’ matched well with this aloofness, stated Jackie Shroff. He said:
“Devdas se pehle bhi humne kayi films ki. One 2 Ka Four kiya aur ek-do films aur. Par Devdas mein normal tha. Mere liye toh mera bhai tha, chhota bhai jo maine dekha. Wohi ladka jo maine dekha tha ki akele kone mein baitha hai. Role bhi waisa tha Devdas ka, aur main jaisa hoon waisa hi tha uske saath.”
Talking about Shah Rukh Khan’s status as the top superstar of the Indian film industry, Jackie Shroff said that it is lonely being at the top. The veteran actor explained this through a metaphor of reaching the summit of Mt. Everest. He stated that being at highest peak of Everest, a person only has their shadow, otherwise its lonely at the top. Jackie Shroff also said that Shah Rukh is as lonely as he is happy. He also praised the superstar and called him the king who went up from the bottom and is now holding onto the peak. Jackie Shroff said:
“Bohot acha ladka hai… bohot deep hai… jitna khush rehta hai, jitna dikhata hai, utna hi akela hai. Raja hai na… toh aap pahad ke upar jaake dekho… bottom se aaya hai aur aaj choti ko pakad ke rakha hai… aur apne aap ko badshah ki tarah rakha hai.”
What are your thoughts on Jackie Shroff calling Shah Rukh Khan lonely and discussing his ‘akelapan’?
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