Arshad Warsi has accumulated plenty of stories from his long career in Hindi cinema, but his memories of Shah Rukh Khan stand out for their warmth and sheer unpredictability. As the two actors prepare to share screen space once again in ‘King’, Warsi opened up about his equation with the superstar and recalled an unexpected gesture involving Shah Rukh and his family.The actors first crossed paths on ‘Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaaye’ more than two decades ago, although Warsi’s involvement in the film was initially meant to be little more than a two-day special appearance. What followed, however, was an unusual turn of events that eventually saw the actor become the film’s protagonist.
Shah Rukh Khan’s warmth leaves Arshad Warsi impressed
Warsi described Shah Rukh as a consummate gentleman whose warmth and manners can genuinely catch people off guard. According to the actor, the superstar’s courteous nature extends to his family as well.Speaking to India Today, Warsi said, “I really like him. We all like him. Everybody likes him. He is the most perfect gentleman, and he shocks you with the way he is. Even his kids are so well-behaved.”He then recalled an incident from Poland that demonstrated the kind of gesture he was referring to. Warsi was staying in a hotel and expected filmmaker Siddharth Anand to visit him. Instead, he was surprised when Shah Rukh arrived with his family.“I was sitting in my hotel room, and Siddharth (Anand) was supposed to come and meet me. I told him, ‘Come over, and then we’ll go and meet Shah Rukh.’ Suddenly, I saw Shah Rukh, Suhana, Aryan, and everybody coming into my room to meet me. I was like, ‘This guy is too bad. He just embarrasses you.’ He is very, very well-behaved,” Warsi recalled.
Arshad Warsi and Shah Rukh Khan reunite after two decades
Warsi is clearly excited about sharing the screen with Shah Rukh again in ‘King’. He said the actor continues to possess the same qualities that impressed him when they first worked together.“My God, it’s a pleasure. Even after 35 years, he still has that quality. I would love to work with him. He is one person I would do anything for. It’s so nice to see him on a set and see the way he is. He is extremely courteous.”Their reunion comes after a first collaboration that was anything but conventional. Warsi revealed that his part in ‘Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaaye’ was originally intended to be a tiny special appearance.
Arshad Warsi’s two-day role in ‘Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaaye’
Director Samar Khan, who was a friend of both actors, had initially approached Warsi for a role that would require only two days of shooting.“I have never told this story in my life. I probably shouldn’t tell it,” Warsi joked.The actor agreed because the part was extremely small. He was supposed to play an airport manager whose job was essentially to inform passengers that their flight had been delayed.“I said okay because I only had two days of work. I was supposed to play a manager at the airport. A plane comes in with all these passengers and then breaks down. My job was basically to tell them, ‘When the plane is fixed, you can go.’ I had nothing else to do.”Shah Rukh was also initially expected to make only a brief appearance. His character was supposed to sleep through most of the proceedings before waking up towards the end, revealing his identity to the audience.“Shah Rukh was also supposed to make a special appearance. His character keeps sleeping through everything, and right at the end he wakes up, and you realise it is Shah Rukh. That was the scene,” Warsi said.
How Arshad Warsi’s special appearance became the lead role
Once Warsi began shooting, however, the scope of his character started expanding. What began as a favour for a friend gradually turned into a much larger role.“Samar then told me, ‘Do one more scene.’ After that, suddenly he made me the hero of the film. I saw my photograph on the poster, and I was like, ‘What happened?’ He just kept extending the role,” Warsi recalled.The director eventually added another storyline involving Mahima Chaudhry, giving Warsi’s character a romantic backstory that had not been part of the original plan. What was supposed to be a two-day special appearance ultimately became a six-day shoot and a full-fledged lead role.“I asked him, ‘What am I doing in this?’ He said, ‘You had an affair with her in college.’ I said, ‘Where is this coming from?’ And that’s how I became the hero of the film.”
Arshad Warsi reveals he was not paid for the film
The story took another unexpected turn when Warsi revealed that he did not receive payment for ‘Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaaye’. Since he had initially agreed to the project as a favour to a friend, there was no fee involved.“No, I wasn’t paid. I had come because it was supposed to be a special appearance for a friend. But I ended up doing the entire film. Instead of shooting for two days, I shot for six days. One thing led to another.”
‘King’ brings Arshad Warsi and Shah Rukh Khan together again
Warsi and Shah Rukh will now reunite in Siddharth Anand’s ‘King’, a much larger-scale collaboration that also features Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan in key roles, along with an ensemble cast.