Rs 200 crore man shares the 'lesson of a lifetime' he received from Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan
is not only known for his iconic performances in
Indian cinema
but also for the graciousness and warmth he extends off-camera. His humility has often left a lasting impression on those who have had the privilege to work with him. One such individual is Viraj Bahl, the entrepreneur behind Veeba and a former judge on Shark Tank India. He recently recounted his unforgettable experience of shooting a commercial with the legendary actor, calling it a deeply transformative moment in his professional journey.
An Encounter That Transcended Fame
During a podcast discussion, Viraj described how just a few days working alongside Shah Rukh Khan felt like a masterclass in leadership, kindness, and humility. What struck him the most wasn't Khan's stardom but the way he treated people around him—with genuine attentiveness. From learning the names of crew members to personally greeting everyone with warmth, Shah Rukh's conduct set a powerful example. Though Viraj doubted whether the actor even remembered him afterward, the impression Khan left behind was indelible.
The Moment That Defined True Nobility
Viraj shared a poignant moment from the set that further cemented his respect for Shah Rukh. Typically, brand ambassadors commit only a set number of hours for promotional shoots. During their advertisement shoot, the allotted time had passed, and the director was ready to call it a day despite some parts being left unfinished. Hesitant but hopeful, Viraj approached the superstar to explain the situation. To his surprise, Shah Rukh gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and agreed to continue the shoot without hesitation. That gesture—calm, compassionate, and unforced—left a profound emotional impact on Viraj.
Lessons That Outlast the Lights
What Viraj took from those few days went far beyond a successful shoot. It was an education in character. He realized how important it is to honor others with respect, regardless of one's status. While he humbly accepted that he may never achieve the monumental success that Shah Rukh has, he hoped to mirror at least a fraction of the actor's grace and grounded nature. That, for him, would be true success.
Looking Ahead: The Star Shines On
Professionally, Shah Rukh Khan continues to dominate the big screen. His upcoming projects include King, where he will share the screen with his daughter Suhana Khan, and the much-anticipated
Tiger vs Pathaan
, co-starring Salman Khan. But beyond the cinematic buzz, stories like Viraj's continue to reveal the depth of a man whose greatness lies just as much in his humility as in his fame.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
24 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Coolie Extended Opening Weekend India Box Office: Rajinikanth's crime thriller rakes in Rs 44 crore on Sunday, crosses excellent Rs 230 crore mark
Rajinikanth's latest outing, Coolie, helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, has registered an outstanding opening weekend at the Indian box office. However, the movie has witnessed a downward trajectory, which should be a major concern for the makers. Coolie debuts with Rs 230 crore gross in India Opened with Rs 75.50 crore gross at the Indian box office, Coolie turned out to be the second bigggest opener of Kollywood cinema after Thalapathy Vijay's Leo. The movie registered a good hold on its second day (Independence Day) and collected Rs 63.50 crore. It further raked in Rs 47.50 crore on Saturday, taking three-day cume to Rs 186.50 crore gross. As per estimates, the crime drama added Rs 44 crore to the tally, bringing the total cume to Rs 230.50 crore gross in India. Coolie to miss Rs 1000 crore mark; eyes an end at Rs 500 crore worldwide Coolie was seen as a strong contendor to emerge as the first Rs 1000 crore grosser for Kollywood cinema, unfortunately the trend is depicting opposite story. The movie has witnessed a downward trajectory in its opening weekend. The Tamil version has already started to collapse, now all eyes on Telugu and Hindi dubbed versions. Going by the current trends, Coolie is likely to finish its global theatrical run around Rs 500 crore, depending on how it performs on the weekdays. The Rajinikanth movie will emerge a Clean Hit by the end of its theatrical journey. Coolie in cinemas Coolie is now playing in cinemas. Tickets can be booked from the online web portals or you can grab them from the counter itself. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
Pink Villa
24 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
War 2 Extended Opening Weekend India Box Office: Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR film adds Rs 36 crore on Sunday, hits Rs 200 crore mark
War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR, and Kiara Advani, continues to witness a poor theatrical run at the box office. The movie recorded another drop of 5% on Sunday, bringing the total cume hits the Rs 200 crore gross in India. War 2 adds Rs 36 crore to the tally, cume hits Rs 200 crore Bankrolled by Yash Raj Films, War 2 debuted with Rs 59 crore gross in India. It further witnessed a jump on Independence Day and collected Rs 67 crore. The movie fell flat on Saturday and dropped heavily by over 56%, grossing Rs 38 crore. As per estimates, War 2 could add another Rs 36 crore to the tally, bringing the total cume to Rs 200 crore gross at the Indian box office. Mounted on a huge budget, starring two big stars, being part of India's most successful cinematic universe, still War 2 failed to repeat the successes of other spy-verse films. The Ayan Mukerji directorial met with mixed to negative word-of-mouth, which hampered its box office potential from the opening day itself. The Telugu version has already crashed. All eyes are now on its Hindi version. The Hrithik-NTR movie is expected to witness a big drop on its first Monday. The movie is heading for an unfortunate end at the Indian box office, becoming the first big flop of YRF spy universe. The Day Wise India Gross Collections Of War 2 Are As Under War 2 In Theatres War 2 plays in theatres now. Tickets for the movie can be booked from the box office or from online ticketing applications. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Reddy and setting Indian motor racing on the speedway
What's the most attention-grabber way to introduce Akhilesh Reddy? Call him India's Bernie? Reddy laughs at the suggestion and says, 'yes, you can say that'. (Think circuits, lanes and pits and you'll work out which Bernie). How about his own definition of what he's been up to for the past three years – 'more of a madness' – heading into its fourth edition this week? Let's put a price on the madness – a spend of about €50-60 million (approx. ₹50-60 crore) over three years. The Indian Racing League (IRL), the world's first city-centric, gender-neutral motor-racing franchise competition is the flagship event, one of the festival's three categories of races. (HT) Questions ranging from 'what', 'whatever for' and 'why on earth' come rushing. But Hyderabad-based Reddy is linked to creating, he says, ecosystems, pathways, and with it, an awareness of Indian motorsports at a time he believes is just right for his investment in finance, energy and emotion into his thought-through madness. This weekend marked the start of the Indian Racing Festival, a season of five racing weekends, owned and promoted by Reddy's Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL). The Indian Racing League (IRL), the world's first city-centric, gender-neutral motor-racing franchise competition is the flagship event, one of the festival's three categories of races. The IRL has six teams, with combination of superstar/businessmen owners – the Goa Aces (John Abraham), Kolkata Royal Tigers (Sourav Ganguly), Kichas Kings Bengaluru (Bengaluru-based movie star Kichcha Sudeep), Speed Demons Delhi (Arjun Kapoor), Hyderabad Blackbirds (Telugu film star Naga Chaithanya), and the Chennai Turbo Riders who are owned by Dr. Swetha Sundeep Anand of the Accord Group of Hotels, headed by its director Ranjith Amizdhan. Each team fields four drivers, two per car, including one woman. The first three races will take place on Coimbatore's Kari Motor Speedway (Aug 15-17 and Oct 3-5) and the Madras International Circuit (Aug 22-24). The venues for the last two weeks are not yet announced but they could feature that rare sighting: an Indian street race, like the one held in Chennai in last year's IRL. Besides Indian drivers, this year's IRL features 2016 Le Mans winner Neel Jani, who test drove for Sauber F1, and GP2 winner John Lancaster. The women drivers include Alexandra Herve, who finished third in the 2023 Formula Renault Cup championship, Laura Campos Torras, a product of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Reddy says, 'Motor racing is gender neutral and I wanted to push boundaries, putting men and women in the same category, and have them compete on the same platform. I want Indian girls to get into motor sport and want to participate.' As a teenager, Reddy, 39, had to be a part of the sport, 'but it was really unreachable… We didn't have opportunities, nothing was available, nobody had really pushed towards the sport.' He says Kari was the only proper race track then with at the most three-four karting tracks in the country. The IRL was devised to create an extra layer of public knowledge and familiarise people with the sport. Running alongside IRL is the pathway that Reddy believes will crystallise as the decade rolls over. RPPL has the FIA licence via the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to run Formula 3 and Formula 4 in India. These are the first steps aspiring drivers must aim for after karting to make careers in international single-seaters. In 2023, as part of the Festival, RPPL held India's first F4 races alongside IRL. The Formula LGB Series (F4) of the JK Tyres National Racing Championship – an entry-level single racing platform – is also part of it. F3 will come into the programme only after FIA releases its latest Generation-2 F3 car. Reddy obtained licences for these two categories because, 'after karting, we don't have a ladder for our youngsters to get into motor sport…' Before 2023, Indian drivers needed to travel to Europe or the Middle East to race, spending between 150,000-180,000 Euros ( ₹1.5-1.8 crore) a seat. The Indian F4 seat costs only ₹50-70 lakh, he says. Reddy believes his timing to dive into creating motor racing opportunities in India is right as 'there are 3-4 karting tracks in every city'– three in Chennai, five-six in Hyderabad and 3-4 in Bangalore. The younger generation is also drawn to motor sport first lured by F1. By the time they enter working/earning adulthood, Reddy believes he will be at the stage 'where the whole league would be established'. More race weekends, 'year-round championships with 12 weekends, pre-monsoon and post monsoon.' He anticipates that IRL Season Four could come close to marking the turnaround. 'When I got into this, I had made up my mind that this league will take at least five-six years to stabilise – in its running costs.' He hopes the league becomes 'self-sustainable probably by next summer, next year'. His dream is 'by 2033 or 2034, we see at least one kid who has driven in RPPL… at least one female Indian driver in Formula 2 grid by 2032 or 2023.' And the Indian Bernie (Ecclestone) parallel? Many may dispute but Reddy is the man on the start-finish line owning and flagging off the races.
