Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘don’t stop my revenue’ clip resurfaces online amid Dhruv Rathee’s criticism over paan masala endorsement

In the video, Dhruv Rathee said, “Shah Rukh Khan has now become a billionaire — you heard that right! According to reports, his net worth has reached USD 1.4 billion, which is around Rs 12,400 crore. Do you know how much that is? It’s hard to even imagine.”

My question to Shah Rukh Khan.@iamsrk pic.twitter.com/MZjCbsIkjx

— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) October 15, 2025

He went on to claim that the actor’s net worth alone could generate him an annual interest of Rs 500 crore. “Even if he flies business class every day, stays in hotels charging Rs 10 lakh per night all year round, and buys a private jet — it would still cost him just Rs 400 crore,” he added.

Rathee then posed a pointed question: “Isn’t this much money enough? If it is, then what compels you to still promote something as harmful as pan masala?”

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Continuing his critique, he said, “The real question is: Do you really need that extra Rs 100–200 crore? Look within yourself and ask honestly — what will you even do with so much wealth? Now think from another angle — if the country’s top actor stopped endorsing such harmful products, what kind of impact could that have on the nation?”

The video quickly went viral, prompting a wave of reactions online.

One user commented, “Shah Rukh Khan once said he would never stop earning money because he has seen days of poverty that he doesn’t want his children to experience, no matter what he has to do.”

Another wrote, “The question should be to the government — why isn’t pan masala and gutkha banned in this country? Just because the government earns high tax revenue from it?”

Meanwhile, a fan highlighted an old clip from Shah Rukh Khan’s interview with CNN-IBN, where he addressed similar criticism regarding his endorsement of Thums Up.

When asked, “The Health Minister has specifically named you and others, saying celebrities like you shouldn’t advertise soft drinks because they’re unhealthy and children start drinking them after seeing you,” Shah Rukh had responded, “I would appeal to any authority like that — ban it. Don’t let it sell in our country. If smoking is bad, stop the production of cigarettes. If you think soft drinks are bad, don’t allow them to be made. My logic is — you’re not stopping them because they bring in revenue. You’re not stopping certain products because they’re revenue sources for the government. Then don’t stop my revenue. I’m an actor. I’m supposed to do a job and earn from it. And very clearly, if you think something is wrong, stop it. What’s the problem?”