Shah Rukh Khan once revealed that director Mani Ratnam envisioned the beloved film Alaipayuthey—later remade as Saathiya—with him in mind during their collaboration on Dil Se.
In a candid interview during the promotion of Chalte Chalte, SRK discussed the interesting connections between Chalte Chalte and Saathiya. He noted that Saathiya was originally intended for him by Mani Ratnam while they were working on Dil Se. Although he didn’t explain why the collaboration didn’t materialize, fate brought him back to Saathiya when he made a brief cameo in the Hindi version, creating a memorable link between the two films.
In the same interview, SRK revealed that after Rani Mukerji was cast in Chalte Chalte, they sought a special screening of Alaipayuthey from Mani Ratnam. This was to ensure that Chalte Chalte would differ from Saathiya in both theme and execution, as it would be unwise to replicate the latter’s storyline.
Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film, King, directed by Sujoy Ghosh, is particularly noteworthy as it marks the big-screen debut of his daughter, Suhana Khan. She recently entered the entertainment industry with Zoya Akhtar’s OTT film The Archies. This project highlights the family’s growing presence in Bollywood.
King is set to feature Abhishek Bachchan as the antagonist, with Shah Rukh Khan playing a Don and Suhana Khan as his protégé. Abhay Verma, known for Munjya, will reportedly portray Suhana’s love interest. Additionally, SRK is expected to make a cameo in his son Aryan Khan’s directorial debut web series, Stardom.
