Amitabh Bachchan praised Shah Rukh Khan’s resilience and ability to lift the confidence of people around him during a recent episode of . The moment came as Rajkummar Rao recalled how strongly Shah Rukh’s journey had influenced his own decision to pursue acting.
Rajkummar appeared on the special episode alongside and public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to promote their upcoming film . The episode aired on 25 September, with the trio winning ₹12.5 lakh, which was donated to Manobal, an organisation working with visually impaired children, according to The Indian Express.
During the conversation, Bachchan highlighted his personal experience of working with Shah Rukh.
The veteran actor said, “Sir, main batata hoon maine unke saath kaam kiya hai aur woh aise insaan hain ki woh kisi bhi baat par haar nahi maante, koi bhi samasya ho woh sirf bolte hain aur saamne wale ka confidence kitna badhaate hain.” (Sir, let me tell you, I have worked with him and he is the kind of person who never gives up on anything. Whatever the problem may be, he simply speaks up and boosts the confidence of the person in front of him.)
The remark carried added weight given Bachchan and ’s long professional association. The two first shared the screen in Mohabbatein (2000), followed by Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), where they played a father and son.
They later appeared together in Veer-Zaara (2004), Paheli (2005) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Shah Rukh also made a cameo in : Part One – Shiva (2022), in which Bachchan had a prominent role.
Rajkummar, meanwhile, spoke about the personal significance of Shah Rukh’s story.
The Stree actor said, “Sir, jaise ki woh khud Delhi se hain aur maine bhi kaafi kam umar mein soch liya tha ki mujhe acting karni hain. Aur ek aur baat Sir, mere mummy ke kamre mein humesha aapki ek poster hoti thi kyuki aap heen sabse number one rahe hain aur aap se hum sab inspire hue hain.” (Sir, since you are from Delhi yourself, I too had decided at a very young age that I wanted to act. There was always a poster of yours in my mother’s room because you have always been number one, and we have all been inspired by you.)
He went on to describe Shah Rukh’s path from a middle-class Delhi family to theatre, television and eventually stardom as a source of .
Rajkummar also recalled that when he first came to Mumbai for an acting opportunity and was not selected, he would stand outside Shah Rukh’s home, . The memory offered a glimpse into the actor’s own early struggles before establishing himself in Hindi cinema.
Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, stars Rajkummar as public prosecutor .
The film explores Nikam’s legal battles, including the prosecution connected to the Mumbai terror attacks. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on 16 October 2026, with its trailer set to launch at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on 29 September.
