Karan Johar says Shah Rukh Khan would’ve agreed to Rocky Aur Rani cameo, but he didn’t have ‘the guts’ to ask him’: ‘He did Brahmastra for free’

Karan Johar said that after Brahmastra, he couldn't in good conscience approach Shah Rukh Khan to do a cameo in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, even though his team had the perfect idea for when the star could appear in the film.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | October 17, 2023 12:12 PM IST

3 min read

Karan Johar revealed why he didn't ask Shah Rukh Khan to do a cameo in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. (Pic: Karan/Instagram)

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Filmmaker Karan Johar has forged a long partnership with Shah Rukh Khan, both on and off camera. He started out in the film business only a few years after SRK, who showed confidence him him by agreeing to star in his first film as director, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Over the years, they’ve worked together on several occasions, but Karan admitted that he can’t overuse his friend card and get Shah Rukh to do cameos for him without question.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Karan spoke about Shah Rukh’s cameos in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and more recently, in Brahmastra. Karan said that after Brahmastra, he felt that he couldn’t approach Shah Rukh for another cameo in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, even though his team had already devised an idea for how Shah Rukh could appear in the film.

Also read | ‘There was talk that Shah Rukh Khan was arrogant’: Karan Johar recalls walking into their first meeting with preconceived notions about movie stars

Asked if he was tempted to do so, Karan said, “Very. The entire AD team will say that in Tum Kya Mile, they said that the best moment would be if you track away from Alia and Ranveer, and just go to Shah Rukh and Kajol singing the same song. They look at them, and Alia realises that this is pure love, because (Shah Rukh and Kajol) represent love. I said, ‘With what kind of guts do I ask Shah Rukh to not only do a cameo, but to go to Kashmir, and get into hair and costume’.”

Explaining the reason behind his reticence, Karan said, “Shah Rukh never says no to me. I have to pick and choose what I ask for. I remember when, as a team, we went to him to ask him to play that massive, impactful cameo in Brahmastra. At the end of the day, he looked at us and said, ‘It’s Karan, I can never say no’. I know that I can’t take that empowered feeling for granted and keep going back.”

For Rocky Aur Rani, Karan decided to ‘let it go’ because he would’ve been ‘too embarassed to ask him again’. Karan said that Shah Rukh gave him ‘nearly 12-14 days’ for Brahmastra, and ‘didn’t charge a penny’. “He’s king-hearted as well,” Karan concluded. Shah Rukh appeared as a scientist in Brahmastra, directed by Ayan Mukerji and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles. This was before he made his grand starring comeback with Pathaan, and then Jawan, both of which have grossed a combined total of nearly Rs 2200 crore worldwide.

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