Atlee on working with Shah Rukh Khan: ‘I was as comfortable as Aryan Khan would have been’

After delivering a string of blockbusters with South star Vijay, Atlee made his much-anticipated debut in Hindi cinema with Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film enjoyed a historic opening and continues to set new box office records. In a recent interview, Atlee discussed his transition from Tamil cinema to Hindi cinema and the comfort he found working with Shah Rukh, even saying that he was as comfortable as SRK’s son, Aryan Khan, would have been if he would have directed him.

In an interview with Film Companion, Atlee emphasised the warmth and hospitality he received from SRK, stating, “He’s a man of love and heart. He really welcomed us. He was loving me like anything. So I have to give it back with great love. So I always used to say, ”Sir, how much I love you, you will only know when the film releases.’ ‘I know sir,’ he used to say. But as a joke I always used to say this. I think I didn’t have any discomfort working when I crossed my comfort zone. My mindset was whether I’m taking a risk or I’m taking the correct call. But when I came here, when I came to Bombay, when I met Shah Rukh sir, when I started working with him, I didn’t see any difference. I just worked with the same technician, same team, with which I had worked on my previous film.”

He added, “You have to ask Shah Rukh sir whether he was comfortable. Because we were talking in Tamil. We were talking in Telugu and Malayalam. But he is a king by himself. I know that. And he was enjoying the process. He was just going behind everyone and saying, ‘Let’s do it.’ I’m not just saying this for the sake of an interview. If Aryan had directed Shah Rukh sir, how comfortable he would have been, I was in that zone.”

Also read | Atlee on Jawan’s multiple plot lines being ‘too much to digest’, killing puppy, overuse of slow-motion and violence

As of Saturday, Jawan has amassed a remarkable global collection of Rs 979.08 crore. The film has minted Rs 546 crore in India till date. Alongside Shah Rukh Khan, the movie features Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in pivotal roles. Jawan was released worldwide in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on September 7.