In a career spanning more than 25 years, Shah Rukh Khan has romanced numerous actresses on screen, so much so that he is popularly referred in media as the ‘King of Romance’. His iconic pose (yes, the one with his arms spread out, urging you to run into his arms) has become a part of the Bollywood story, right up there with the flying saree ka pallu shot in the Swiss Alps.
Bollywood has always been known to be a glamorous industry with a shady side – the casting couch and lecherous co-star have been whispered about for decades. However, in this, SRK truly stands out. Actresses have praised his professionalism and his gentlemanly behaviour.
From Madhuri Dixit to Shilpa Shetty to Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bollywood’s leading ladies have always had words of praise for King Khan. “When I met him for the first time on the sets of the film (Anjaam), the first thing I noticed was a mop of hair falling all over his forehead making him look like a naive boy. But I never judge a book by its cover and Shah Rukh proved that with his acting prowess in the film. I don’t want to change anything about him but for one. Like everyone else, I’d want him to go little easy on the cigarettes. Also, Shah Rukh has always been very good with all his co-stars, especially the female actresses,” said Madhuri Dixit-Nene to DNA.
The actress who is most shipped with SRK is Kajol. Their chemistry is the stuff of legend and despite the fact that DDLJ came out decades ago, Raj and Simran are still #RelationshipGoals.
“My equation with him is an old one. I can’t explain it. He’s one of those friends whom I don’t call every day,” said Kajol in an interview to Filmfare. “The nicest part about Shah Rukh is that whenever we meet, there is always so much warmth, so much love. We pick up from we’d left off. There’s no discomfort or awkwardness. Our friendship has lasted so long because of this reason,” she added.
In the same report, Kareena Kapoor Khan called him the most chivalrous man in the industry, after Saif Ali Khan. “He puts a lot of energy in everything. His dedication to work is amazing. When he’s around, everything comes alive – even the dullest scene,” she said.
Khan started off as the anti-hero in films like Darr but today, he is remembered as Raj and Rahul. He’s set the bar really high just by doing the bare minimum, proving that you don’t need to be a neanderthal with millions of rupees to impress a woman. You just have to be a decent, ambitious and charming human being.
