'Shah Rukh Khan could have been scientist or athlete': Asoka co-actor and childhood friend reflects on King star's childhood, teenage days
Before becoming a superstar, Shah Rukh Khan was a regular boy from Delhi who studied at St. Columba's School. In a recent interview, his Asoka co-star and childhood friend Rahul Dev, who was his senior at school, reminisced about SRK, describing him as a natural star and an all-rounder who excelled in everything. Rahul added that Shah Rukh could have been anything, a scientist, an athlete, or more.
In an interview with SCREEN, the actor reminisced about meeting Shah Rukh Khan occasionally for cricket practice and during school matches at St. Columba's. When asked about SRK's school days, Rahul Dev described him as exceptionally talented in every area.
He mentioned that Shah Rukh excelled academically and was a key player in various school sports teams, including football, cricket, and hockey. Additionally, he praised SRK's skills in gymnastics and sprinting, calling him truly blessed.
Rahul further mentioned that their school nurtured remarkable talent, noting that having a top leading actor like Shah Rukh Khan was just one example. He added that many of his former schoolmates have gone on to hold prominent positions in various fields.
Shah Rukh Khan was not only recognized for his achievements in sports and academics but was also an active participant in the school's dramatics team.
Rahul Dev recalled that Shah Rukh often took on the lead role in plays and school functions, suggesting that acting seemed to be a natural fit for him. However, he added that Shah Rukh's talents were so versatile that he could have excelled in any field, be it as a scientist, athlete, or anything else, highlighting his all-around abilities.
Meanwhile, on the professional front, Rahul Dev was recently seen in the Tamil film Good Bad Ugly alongside Ajith Kumar. Shah Rukh Khan, meanwhile, is currently busy shooting for Siddharth Anand's King, which will also feature his daughter Suhana Khan making her theatrical debut.
The movie also stars Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, and Abhay Verma in pivotal roles. King is being touted as a fast-paced action thriller and is scheduled for release in 2026.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
2 hours ago
- Pink Villa
‘Shah Rukh Khan can romance pillars': Sushmita Sen recalls magical moments from Main Hoon Na shoot
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is one of the most adored actors in the industry. He has a huge fan following not only in India but outside the country as well. Whoever meets SRK, gets mesmerized by his kindness and gentlemanly behavior. Even his co-stars can't stop praising him. He is also known as the romance king and the reason is evident in his films. Let's look back at the time when his Main Hoon Na co-star Sushmita Sen opened up on magical moments from the sets and shared that he can even romance pillars. Yes, you heard that right! Back in 2020, in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sushmita Sen reminisced about her experience working with Shah Rukh Khan on Main Hoon Na, describing it as truly unforgettable. She highlighted how SRK was not just a co-star but a caring presence on set, always ensuring his female colleagues felt comfortable and well looked after. His thoughtful and graceful approach made everyone feel at home, turning the shoot into a magical experience. She added, 'SRK had once said that he can romance pillars and that is true. Some of the most magical moments in Main Hoon Na were not scripted, SRK made them come to life.' The actress further shared, 'Like in the introduction, he is not supposed to come on in his scenes and open his arms when Chandni walks in. He did that on the spot and it became iconic. Like that there are lots of lovely moments. He is one of my most loved co-stars, I am a big fan of SRK too.' Meanwhile, on the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in the much-awaited film King. He will star alongside his daughter Suhana Khan for the first time. Apart from them, the film also has a star-studded cast including Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Abhay Verma, Saurabh Shukla, and more in key roles. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film is reportedly set to release in theaters during the last quarter of 2026, sometime between October 1 and December 31.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Baba Sehgal Says South Industry Took Him 'Seriously': 'Bollywood Was Very Insecure With Me'
Last Updated: Baba Sehgal shared in 1998, he received a threat call from the underworld. At the time, such calls were common in the industry, but the rapper never expected to be on their radar. Popular rapper and music artist Baba Sehgal has opened up about his difficult relationship with the Hindi film industry, claiming that Bollywood was never fully supportive of his talent. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the singer revealed that the South Indian film industry treated him with far more respect and seriousness. 'South took me seriously," Baba Sehgal said, referring to his extensive work in regional music. 'I have done more than 250 Telugu film songs, 35–40 Tamil songs, and over 25 Kannada songs. Not only rap, I think the Telugu industry is my 'jungdata' (warrior). Bollywood was very insecure with me, right from the beginning." He explained that his straightforward personality might have clashed with Bollywood's expectations. 'Music directors would call me, but maybe they didn't like my body language or the way I spoke. Maybe I was too upfront," he shared. Baba rose to national fame in the early 1990s with Indipop hits like Thanda Thanda Paani, but his non-film success, he believes, made the Hindi film music circuit uncomfortable. In a striking revelation, Baba also shared that in 1998, he received a threat call from the underworld. At the time, such calls were common in the industry, but the rapper never expected to be on their radar. 'The underworld was very strong in 1998. I never thought I'd get a call because I was just a singer. But somehow, I too got one," he recalled. 'That time was very stressful – for me and for my family." According to Baba, the call wasn't about money but rather a directive to stop singing. 'They told me to stop making music. The tone wasn't very aggressive, but it was serious," he said. 'They used to call at night. It was a terrifying phase." Despite the threats, Baba continued to chart his own musical journey outside of Bollywood, relying on the support of his fan base and the South industry. He also spoke about the overall instability in the entertainment world during the late '90s. 'It was a confusing time. Non-film music crashed, remixes came in, and the underworld had entered the scene. The whole industry was shaken not just me," he said. First Published:
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Baba Sehgal Takes Dig At AR Rahman-Mani Ratnam's Roja Song: ‘Cheap Lyrics; They Didn't Like Me'
Last Updated: Baba Sehgal recalled how he was approached for the Hindi version of the Tamil song during a performance in Chennai. Baba Sehgal, one of India's earliest pop icons, recently opened up about his involvement in the Hindi version of Roja's popular track Rukmani Rukmani. The song, composed by the now-legendary AR Rahman for Mani Ratnam's 1992 film, has become iconic over the years. But Baba's experience with the song, as he reveals, was far from rosy. In a candid chat with Siddharth Kannan, Baba Sehgal recalled how he was approached for the Hindi version of the Tamil song during a performance in Chennai. 'I had a show in Chennai. Somebody from the organising team told me that some director wants to meet me," he began. 'There was an assistant director who came and played Rukmani Rukmani's Tamil version. I didn't pay much attention to it and just said 'yes' to the song. AR Rahman was also there. He was very young at the time." Baba went on to narrate how Rahman and team visited him at his hotel, requesting him to help release the song. He said, 'I called my friend Atul and gave them Shashi Gopal's number from Magnus Sound. They connected and eventually decided to do a Hindi version, on one condition that one song would be sung by me. I understood then that AR Rahman and Mani Ratnam didn't really like me." Things took a turn when Baba received the Hindi lyrics. 'When I saw the Hindi lyrics, I was like, 'Kitne vahiyat lyrics hai yaar. Kisne likha hai ye?' (How cheap are these lyrics? Who wrote this?). The problem is, when we listen to songs in another language, they sound fine. But in our own language, we grasp the meaning. I don't think Rahman or Ratnam knew what those Hindi lyrics meant." Despite his reservations, Baba sang the song alongside Swetha Shetty. But he later learned that the makers originally wanted classical singers for the track. 'It was a forced thing. I was not at all convinced with the lyrics. They were very cheap, I feel," he added. Baba also revealed that this song turned out to be his only collaboration with AR Rahman. 'Another lady was called to sing the female lines. Later, I told Swetha Shetty to sing those too, and she nailed it. That was my first and last song with Rahman. Language was a problem. We never met after that." First Published:
