Nikitin Dheer Recalls Shah Rukh Khan's Kindness During Chennai Express: 'I Was Sitting In A Corner And He...'

Actor Nikitin Dheer shared his experience working with Shah Rukh Khan on Chennai Express. He recalled how Shah Rukh made him feel comfortable on set and ensured he was included in promotions. Nikitin noted that unlike other lead actors who often cut his scenes out of insecurity, Shah Rukh was different, showing both dedication and graciousness.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Nikitin mentioned that Shah Rukh told him a hero is only as strong as the villain and encouraged him to give his best in action scenes. Despite having a shoulder injury and needing surgery, Shah Rukh did the stunts himself and insisted Nikitin not hold back. Nikitin remembered, “On the first day, I was quite taken aback because I was an unknown. Deepika Padukone was there with her entourage, Shah sir was there with his entourage, and Rohit Shetty’s sets are huge. I would sit in the corner and do my thing, but the magnanimity of Shah Rukh Khan… Instead of calling me to him, he brought his own chair next to me and sat down. I’ll never forget it.”

In one scene, Nikitin had to grab Shah Rukh’s cheek and say, ‘Tu apne aap ko bada hero samajhta hai kya (Who do you think you are)?” Nikitin was anxious about the scene, but Shah Rukh told him not to hold back. “Do whatever you want, however you want to do it. The more intimidating you are, the better the scene will be.”

Nikitin shared that Chennai Express was the first time he was included in a film’s promotions. Being big, he usually stayed behind everyone else. He said, “I was totally dumbfounded by the audience’s reaction at the trailer launch, because I was a nobody. I was standing behind everybody because I didn’t want to block the crowds’ view, but then, Shah sir grabbed me by the hand and pulled me forward. He said, ‘Out of these 1000 people, even if 20 come for your character, it’s a good thing’.”

He finished by saying, “When you work with stars of his stature, you realise one thing. It’s easy to become a star, but to maintain that stardom for years is a different level of accomplishment.”