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Exclusive | Shah Rukh Khan @ 60: From Imtiaz Ali and Gauri Shinde to Rahul Dholakia, Six Filmmakers Decode the Man Behind the Myth
He made desire philosophical, and fame human. On Shah Rukh Khan’s 60th, filmmakers who’ve worked with him remember how it felt to witness his becoming through the era he’s continued to define as his own.
It's surreal to say out loud: Shah Rukh Khan is 60. The superstar who made desire philosophical and fame human has given us countless memories down the decades, in life and on screen.
On SRK's 60th, those who’ve known him best remember how it felt to witness his becoming through the era he’s continued to define as his own. The Hollywood Reporter India spoke to directors to dissect the charm and craft of Khan, who has been on top of his game since 1992—and only goes bigger with his upcoming actioner, King.
Gauri Shinde (Dear Zindagi) talks about how, between linen shirts and ocean light, she watched Khan redefine tenderness in her film. Veteran Subhash Ghai (Trimurti, Pardes) revisits their iconic collaboration in the 1990s. Imtiaz Ali (Jab Harry Met Sejal) shares how the actor pitched his role between kindness and performance. Rahul Dholakia (Raees) reflects on Khan’s unmatched clarity, compassion, and command that powered the movie. Mansoor Khan (Josh) looks back at how he discovered SRK’s uncanny ability to make defiance feel deeply human. And Maneesh Sharma (Fan) remembers the film as the superstar's most self-aware performance — layered, meta, and magnetic.
Gauri Shinde
“I’ve always been his fan, long before I was his director. I first saw him in Fauji. Those dimples, that energy — he was irresistible.”
You say Shah Rukh Khan and you smile. I always do, and I still do. I often think about how lucky I was that he played Jahangir Khan. He was the only person I ever thought of for the role, there was no plan B. He has a very intellectual engagement with the craft. He acts with a director’s mind — with a deep understanding of film as a collaborative art form.
He doesn’t just see a role from his own character’s point of view but as part of the whole vision for the film. Playing Jahangir Khan was unique for him, and I saw him go beyond the standard acting approach to truly embody that character. He immersed himself in all its complexities and nuances without once losing the essence of being Shah Rukh Khan. That, to me, is what defines a star — someone who can blend the commercial and the artistic so seamlessly.
Star Power
When I was writing the character, I needed a therapist who felt utterly believable, someone whose words you’d trust. Shah Rukh has that rare quality. When he says something, you believe him. You feel comforted, you feel safe. He’s exactly the kind of person you’d want advice from — and that’s why there could never be a back-up for Shah Rukh Khan.
I remember the first day he came on set in Goa. Alia [Bhatt] and I had already been shooting, and he was joining us for his first scene. We were all waiting on the beach, slightly nervous — it’s Shah Rukh Khan, after all. Suddenly, we saw him through the trees, arriving on an ATV with Alia sitting behind him. It had nothing to do with the film, but it was such a cinematic entry. He stopped, grinned, and said, “Yaar, hero ki entry.” The whole crew burst out laughing, and the energy shifted immediately. He introduced himself to everyone, cracked jokes, and by the time I called “action,” he had completely transformed into Jahangir Khan.
When we first discussed his look, I remember he laughed when I told him I wanted him in linen. He said, “I’ve never worn linen in my life. You’re putting me in pajamas!’’ And I told him, “Just trust me.” He made fun of me the whole time but never once refused. Even now, he jokes, “Aapne mujhe pajamas pehna diye, mujhe kisi ne kabhi nahi pehnaye (You’ve made me wear pajamas, no one’s done that before).”
He also brought wonderful little details to the role. From the time I narrated the script, he had ideas. He’d ask, “Am I someone who collects bonsais? Do I fix bicycles for kids?” He emailed me about the look, about nuances. The eye drops, for example — that was his idea. Between sessions, you see him put them in; it became such a small but defining quirk of the character.
Fan Fare
On his last day of shoot, he’d already finished his scenes, but he stayed back until everyone else wrapped up. He sat quietly on set, watching, being supportive. Later, we found he’d sent gifts and personal notes to every department head and to Alia and me — handwritten messages that mentioned something unique about each person. That kind of warmth and thoughtfulness is rare.
I’ve always been his fan, long before I was his director. I first saw him in Fauji, where he played Abhimanyu Rai. We were all floored. Those dimples, that energy — he was irresistible. I’ve loved him since then, and then, of course, came the films that defined him.
What makes Shah Rukh so special is that he captured women’s imagination in a way no one else ever had. There was something so charming, so soft, so metrosexual about him — he was a woman’s man, not a macho man. He represented a kind of man we didn’t even know we were aspiring to, across India and now across the world. He made that sensitivity desirable.
As told to Anushka Halve
Subhash Ghai
“After the release of Pardes, I knew that he would have the biggest individual business in the entertainment industry.”
In one line, Shah Rukh Khan is a man who achieves the unachievable. In 1988, [director] Ramesh Sippy introduced me to him. I could see his confidence beneath all the nervousness, and I told Ramesh Sippy that this boy was going be a star one day. Today, he has made a superstar of himself.
I attended the mahurat (starting date) of his film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) and he was very courteous. He was taking care of his wife, Gauri [Khan], besides us, at a crowded event. I could sense that he was a family man. He was a smart, wise boy from New Delhi, who knew how to [make friends] with the industry veteran and their families. He still maintains his relationships with everyone, including politicians and billionaires. He can also laugh openly at his failures.
On Trimurti and Pardes
I signed him on in 1992 for three films at a lump sum price. He did Trimurti (1995) and Pardes (1997). The third film was Shikhar which I had to shelf due to unforeseen circumstances. I found Shah Rukh to be a very passionate and hard-working actor in Trimurti, but he really became a star and matured while filming Pardes. He worked very hard and also didn’t demand a script. He just trusted me completely, and the film went onto become a hit.
I saw him growing into a more global star from 1999 onwards. Besides his films, he then had endorsements and began attending the events. While [shooting Pardes], I remember telling him that he would open a big technical studio, and today Red Chillies is one of the best in the country. He’s become a successful producer. After the release of the film, I knew that he would have the biggest individual business in the entertainment industry.
He knows how to be humble and respect people but also be authoritative and stern in his dignified manner. Shah Rukh could always win anyone over, with his level of emotional maturity. He has a loving personality, and I’ve always admired the respect he’s had for his family, the care for his children, Aryan, Suhana and Abram.
As told to Ananya Shankar
Imtiaz Ali
“I had fallen ill in Portugal. Without even saying anything, he sent someone over with details of what to eat, which medicines to take, and he followed up with me about it.”
During Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), I remember most the kindness, magnanimity, openness, friendliness, camaraderie with which Shah Rukh dealt with me and with everybody. (There were) long conversations and hanging out; I remember [being in] Prague with him because I took him out to eat at restaurants and he said that he was having a great time eating the meat that I was ordering for him; later I realised maybe he said that just to make me feel better! He also got me a jacket because he realised I had not been paying attention to how cold it was, and I was very touched by that.
I also remember that I had fallen ill in Portugal. Without even saying anything, he sent someone over with details of what to eat, which medicines to take etc., and he followed up with me about it. He looked after me when I was sick, and all of this he did in a very silent, quiet way. I really appreciated that aspect of him.
It reminded me of those people whose origins are very hospitable, and you can see that in Shah Rukh. I was very lucky to have had the time with him, the quality of his presence and the attention. Obviously, you’ve heard that Shah Rukh gives that feeling to everybody and that is why people love him so much.
Character Sketch
There was a conversation about the backstory of [his character] Harry that only gets represented in bits and pieces in the film; there is no one scene per se where we see him going through the bad experiences that the character of Harinder is supposed to have had. So, we had a discussion on that, how he has these demons in his mind, and how he is disturbed by it. It suddenly appears in front of Sejal (Anushka Sharma) one night when he wakes up like that. We had spoken about all of that… and the rest Shah Rukh did.
Throughout the shoot, Shah Rukh was very disarming, and he never made us feel that he was any different from any of us. He is such a big star but does not carry his stardom into a conversation; that can work out differently at times, because the fact of the matter is I never kept in mind that there is Shah Rukh Khan in the film… and sometimes I feel that maybe I should have. Because there's also the expectation his fans have from a film of his, and I did not have all those calculations in my mind at all.
The question of how to handle a huge star didn’t arise, both on a personal and day-to-day basis and on the basis of structuring and presenting a film.
But it was extremely easy to work with him. He is the best co-star any other actor can have, and this I can say with total guarantee. He would wait to give the cues with full emotion and attention to everybody. Even new actors will sometimes not do that, but Shah Rukh has maximum energy and patience with the process of filmmaking. It’s quite amazing and even startling. He really is a person who is perhaps born to do this job.
As told to Gautam Sunder
Rahul Dholakia
“All things considered, the man is not bitter. He is so controlled in his emotions and thoughts.”
The first schedule was spectacular. We were both trying to understand what the other person was about. We shot the scene where Raees and Sadiq are eating mutton. They were deciding to start their own business, which is what the film starts off with. It was in that Bhatiyar gully type of a location, which was created on set. They had to eat oily mutton curry with bones and all. I was given clear instructions that Shah Rukh will not eat that, and his food will have to come from one of the five-star hotels, for his health. People usually do that while acting, and we have dummy food.
But I didn't want him to eat chicken for the scene. The bakras (goats) are also in the film, where he [Raees] buys those goats and tries them, on Mohammad Ali Road. So, the mutton and goat are interlinked in the film. I called my production designer and told them to get the food [from the hotel] and the mutton curry. If not Raees, then Sadiq (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) will definitely eat it.
I chatted with Shah Rukh, explained the scene, and told him that we've gotten chicken for him. And he said, "No, why? I should be eating mutton, right?" So, he told me to put the mutton over there. The way he removes the bone marrow in the scene is the most amazing thing. I was immediately like, "This man is going to be fun to work with!"
Top of the Class
Even the scene with Jaideep Ahlawat was memorable. Jaideep was quite nervous because Shah Rukh was intimidating on set. And I had to go tell him [Shah Rukh Khan] that. But he's doing nothing, okay? He's wearing his pathani (suit) and he's got his kajal and reading with his chashma (spectacles). He's not intimidating anyone, but just his personality and persona transcend into some other thing. Of course, he made it so easy for his actors. That's his beauty. He works so well with co-actors that it elevates everybody's performance.
He is very well prepared on set. He has done his homework and read the script many times. More importantly, he knows who he is as a character. For me, that's what acting is all about. If you know your character, you can improvise your lines and mannerisms. He will give you so many options to act out a scene. I have worked with actors who will say, "This is the only way I can do the scene."
He is one in a billion, I would say, in the performance industry. He is extremely respectful of people. He is a great human being, and consistently so. If you go to his house, he will come down to drop you off, no matter what, and ask whether you have a car. Not once, but every time and not to stand on formalities; he genuinely means it.
There is a tremendous clarity in his mind about a film and a character. The choice he makes may or may not work, but he doesn't shy away from consequences, which I think is a very good thing. He is like a leader. And then, of course, there is talent and love in him. What else is there in life?
Around the time of Raees, there were a lot of controversies around him; he was attacked from all sides, and there was the rise of false nationalism at the time. People were talking about how we were glorifying a Muslim don; there was a lot of hate around Mahira [Khan] and Shah Rukh Khan. All things considered, the man is not bitter. He is so controlled in his emotions and thoughts. He is a big family man. I remember for a few screenings of Raees, the entire family was there to watch it, not in the theatre but the edit room.
All of these characteristics add up to make you extremely unique. Of course, there has to be a bit of luck, like everybody says, but I'm not counting that at all because luck can be a double-edged sword. It depends on what you do with your opportunities.
As told to Sruthi Ganapathy Raman
Mansoor Khan
“If I were to make Josh today, I would cast him again. It may not be his most successful film, but performance-wise, it’s one of his most defining roles.”
There are so many iconic Shah Rukh Khan moments in Josh, but my favourite is a quieter scene where Max confronts his sister, Shirley (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). It’s a delicate moment. He has to convey that he suspects she’s dating a boy (Chandrachur Singh) from the rival gang — and that maybe he knows more than he’s letting on. Shah Rukh’s expressions and body language are powerfully subtle in that scene. There’s a tension between the siblings that hasn’t existed in the film until that moment.
Shah Rukh was my first and only choice for Max. I’d had him in mind since the days of my previous film, Akele Hum Akele Tum. I was convinced that no one else could play this part — and I still feel that way. If I were to make Josh today, I would cast him again. It may not be his most successful film, but performance-wise, it’s one of his most defining roles.
Most of Josh was shot on a set in Mumbai, which we dressed up as Goa. I remember vividly the first day of the shoot, my first scene with Shah Rukh. The moment he walked onto the set, the atmosphere changed — it felt electric. Later, my assistant, Vidhi, remarked that she too sensed that energy entering the room. He's a charismatic person, and that charisma spills onto the screen.
Max Pleasure
He’s also a deeply collaborative actor. Occasionally, he would say, “Ah, this won’t look good,” but if I explained why I wanted it a certain way, he would listen. Once you gave him a reason, he’d never argue. That mutual respect made directing him a pleasure. One of my most vivid memories of him is from the early part of the film, when Max and Shirley are on the motorbike, racing to reach home before the 12strikes of the church bell. At one point, Max spots Rosanne, his love interest, and rides straight toward her. We were shooting from her point of view, the bike coming straight at the camera. There were no stunt doubles or duplicates — both actors were clearly visible. The plan was for him to come dangerously close, then swerve away at the last second.
We did one or two takes, but on the final take, Shah Rukh cut it incredibly close. I was standing behind the camera; if he’d lost control, the cameraman and I could have been seriously hurt. But he handled it perfectly. He’s a supremely agile actor, and his sense of timing is extraordinary.
He also loves adding his own touches to a role. For example, there’s a scene where Max walks up to the church and finds two boys flirting with Shirley. Shah Rukh walks in, flicks a football with his foot, catches it, and tosses it aside — something he hadn’t told me he was going to do. It added to the coolness of the character.
Shah Rukh also has a stylish way of slapping, you know. In that scene, when he slaps the two boys, he knows when to look away, as if they are too small and inconsequential before Max. Another actor might have looked the boys in the face while slapping. These nuances come directly from him.
A character like Max is a ruffian, but Shah Rukh also brought out his vulnerability. That side of him surfaces in the sequence where he goes to meet Miss D’Costa during the carnival. He knocks on the door, says softly “Max Dias!” — and we cut. Through music and expression alone, you see him learn that he is illegitimate, a bastard, and that his mother was cheated. When we return to the carnival, Max is sitting alone under an arch. The carnival continues around him, but he’s staring downward. A brass section bursts through the music — pa pa pa pa! — and the sound hits him like a blow. He turns away and slams his fist against the wall. That’s how his hand is injured in the next scene.
As told to Shilajit Mitra
Maneesh Sharma
“The greyness Shah Rukh brought to Aryan’s character, that layering and nuance, was not only commendable but extremely gutsy.”
The very first day with Shah Rukh we shot Gaurav Chandna taking the Shatabdi [train] to Mumbai, and the ticket collector asks “Lagta kya hai tu Aryan Khanna ka (Who are you to Aryan Khan)?” and Gaurav replies “Fan”. The first dialogue Shah Rukh says is “Fan.” And he is playing a fan of, ostensibly, himself. There was a lot of excitement in the air that day — obviously for me it was a dream come true and even Shah Rukh was very excited to play Gaurav Chandna.
The greyness Shah Rukh brought to Aryan’s character; that layering and nuance to differentiate Aryan from Shah Rukh, was not only commendable but extremely gutsy of Shah Rukh, the actor.
My favourite scene from Fan was the first time Gaurav Chandna and Aryan Khanna meet — right before the intermission — where Gaurav’s character has a facet of Shah Rukh Khan’s pre-Mumbai days in Delhi, whereas Aryan reflects Shah Rukh the star, so them looking at each other is quite meta.
The last shot of Shah Rukh in Fan is the second-last shot of the film, when Aryan Khanna appears in front of the excited crowd on his birthday, and he is pensive as he is waving at his fans, thinking about Gaurav’s demise. It was a pretty interesting bookend compared to the first day on set.
With Due Process
Shah Rukh is a theatre actor. I’ve had the chance to see his process in other films as well; he understands physical space well and loves adding literal “theatrics” to the shot!
Sometimes the script is fully bound, sometimes it’s an idea — Shah Rukh worked with all types, but in all cases, he understands the director’s intentions, then adds his own nuance and maps it out throughout the three-hour arc of the film. He doesn’t necessarily talk about it, but you know he is always meticulously prepared. This also comes out in other aspects of filmmaking — especially in more technical, visual effects-heavy scenes. His science is on point. He will use the space, the blocking — but then along with this meticulousness there is an excitement and willingness to explore. He approaches every scene with a lot of energy and innocence.
What makes him charismatic on screen is basically everything about him off it. His on-screen persona — the charm, the passion, the madness — is just him. Yes, he is a star, a legend, but he is also an enigmatic person. He is very well-read, intelligent and witty. He is not only a sportsman, but an artist, and a great businessman.
Somewhere along his journey he became a symbol of love, a symbol of belief, and of a hardworking, curious soul. He has been an enabler of a million dreamers — that’s the energy and aura he inherently carries, which adds to his charisma. He still comes across as being someone you know and want to be like. And this all emanates from who he is as a person — that honesty, that warmth and intelligence, those dimples (!), that’s all him.
As told to Prathyush Parasuraman