Arjun Kapoor began his journey in the film industry as an assistant director on the sets of Kal Ho Naa Ho. It was there that he had the rare opportunity to observe and interact closely with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, an experience he holds very dear. Recalling that memory on the Raj Shamani podcast, Arjun shared how profoundly it impacted him.
The actor said, “I was completely enamoured by the way he is. Some people are touched by Gods, some people have larger-than-life personas, they really transcend generations. I think the brain he’s got, it’s very unique and peculiar. I think he is even way ahead of AI. Just the way he understands, he has human compassion. He is meticulous, yet also has all the time in the world to be laid-back.He sits with you and looks you in the eyes while speaking…But at the same time, his awareness is so high that he knows exactly what else is going on around him).”
He added: “Even on a film set, he will show you respect because I believe his upbringing is amazing. He has suffered a lot of trauma, he lost his parents, so he has deep emotional empathy. He has always wanted to be more and more knowledgeable. He reads a lot, and when he speaks, it comes from a place of learning. He’s hungry, there’s a quest to be bigger and better. He is just a special human being.”
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Continuing his thoughts, Arjun Kapoor spoke about Shah Rukh Khan’s personal warmth and humility: “Even today, if I text him, he replies. No matter how busy he is, he will make sure to respond. There’s a personal warmth he always gives. He’s accessible to you, but he’s Shah Rukh Khan… yet he never lets you feel that distance. He is really inexplicable. He is timeless and larger than life, that’s part of his charm. Every time I have met him and spoken to him, he has left an impact on me. He connects with you, engages with you, something I don’t think I can do. But he’s able to look into your soul and speak to you.”
Reflecting on his cinematic legacy and his rise as an actor, Arjun spoke with admiration: “He has always been the common man who reached great heights and made you believe in the power of dreams. He is really that outsider who made you believe that one day I’ll buy Mannat… and he did that.”
