‘Shah Rukh Khan’s Mannat had robots lying around’: Dunki actor Vikram Kochhar recalls visit, being treated to cake baked by AbRam

Actor Vikram Kochhar, who played Buggu in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki, spoke about visiting Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat.

New Delhi | December 28, 2023 02:37 PM IST

3 min read

Vikram Kochhar played a supporting role in Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat.

Actor Vikram Kochhar, who appeared in a supporting role in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki, spoke about his experience visiting the actor’s famous Mumbai mansion, Mannat. He said that Shah Rukh’s younger son, AbRam, had baked a cake for the guests, and also remarked about how lived-in Mannat felt. Vikram appears in the film as Balinder ‘Buggu’ Lakhanpal, a member of the core group of friends that Shah Rukh’s Hardy hangs out with in Punjab.

Vikram said that he was invited to Mannat after being cast in the film, and the magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on him, especially when he noticed crowds outside the Mumbai landmark. He said that only some years ago, he was a member of the same crowds, and he couldn’t help but feel proud at being invited inside the property’s doors.

Also read – Shah Rukh Khan responds to fan who asks if Dunki’s budget is Rs 85 cr or Rs 350 cr: ‘Jiska business hai use karne de’

In an interview with Home Bollywud, Vikram said, “Shah Rukh sir welcomed us very warmly, fed us amazing snacks. We met his son, AbRam, who was baking a cake that day. He served us the cake he’d made. He’s a very cute and sensible kid. In fact, calling him a kid feels odd.” Vikram said that the visit took place two years ago, and that even after being invited, he wasn’t sure if he was actually supposed to enter the property.

Asked what the house is like on the inside, Vikram said, “It was better than I’d ever imagined. It’s a very comfortable space, and a lot of it has to do with the way Shah Rukh sir hosts his guests. It feels like a lived-in place. Sir loves robots, he’s fascinated by technology, that’s why his films have a lot of VFX… Robots were lying around in his house, and he started telling us about them. Everything had a purpose, everybody was taken care of. It was all very nice, the exhausts and ACs were all proper and nice.”

Previously, in another interview, Vikram had remarked about the ‘airport-style security’ at Mannat. He told Showsha, “I was starstruck to see Shah Rukh Khan… The house is amazing and we went into the lift; there were a lot of security checks. There’s a huge hall, big entrance, lobby, then after that it was just like an airport security kind of a thing… or the one you do when you enter inside a five star hotel. Everything gets scanned.”

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Dunki opened to mixed reviews. Amid a box office clash with Prabhas’ Salaar, the film’s collections have been seen as underwhelming, especially when compared to Shah Rukh’s two previous 2023 hits, Pathaan and Jawan. Also starring Taapsee Pannu, Boman Irani and Vicky Kaushal, Dunki has made nearly Rs 300 crore worldwide in a week of release.

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