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Rizwan Khan, who has made a name for himself on social media as a lookalike of Shah Rukh Khan, opened up about life as a celebrity impersonator, and recalled the many times that he has worked with SRK himself. Rizwan said that he has played SRK’s body double in a handful of films, as he recalled the difficulties that he has experienced because of the gig economy. Appearing on the web show Dumb Biryani, hosted by Arhaan Khan, Rizwan said that none other than Arhaan’s uncle, Salman Khan, helped him and several other celebrity lookalikes when things became difficult financially during the pandemic.
He said, “During the pandemic, things became so bad that I had to sell off some of my belongings because I didn’t have money for food. My wife was pregnant at the time, and there was no work. We have a union for celebrity lookalikes, through which Salman Khan sent Rs 2,500 to each member, along with ration. I’d like to really thank him for that gesture. And now, by the grace of God, I have a 2 BHK house, and everything that I had to sell during the pandemic I have bought again.”
Rizwan, who hails from Kalyan, said that he used work at roadside stalls at one point, but became a full-time celebrity lookalike after moving to Mumbai. He found work as Shah Rukh’s body double on films such as Mohabbatein and Chak De! India, and has also worked with the star on commercials. He said that he has also met SRK once, and that his heart nearly stopped when he got the call late at night. “I was terrified to meet him. I got the call at 2 am and they told me that I have a shoot with Shah Rukh sir. I was stunned… He knows me by name, I’ve done a lot of ads with him, every member of his staff knows me.”
Recalling an anecdote about playing SRK’s body double in Chak De, Rizwan said, “Some shots where he’s teaching hockey, that’s me, we shot at the Kurla sports club. I remember being called for the job, and it was Ramadan time, so Shah Rukh sir was supposed to arrive a little late. I’d reached earlier in the day, so they told me to get to work. As I went towards the set, all the bodyguards followed me because they mistook me for Shah Rukh sir! I made them all take rounds with me.”
Rizwan said that even though there are several lookalikes of Shah Rukh, he was the first one on the block. He is also the only lookalike to have actually worked with SRK himself, he said. “We don’t meet each other,” he admitted, acknowledging that they’d have nothing to do were it not for Shah Rukh and his stardom. “What does the future hold for somebody in this line of work? We don’t know. We take each day as it comes,” he said.
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