Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 60th birthday in a unique way, making it particularly special for his fans. Although he was unable to come at the balcony of his residence, Mannat, due to safety concerns, Shah Rukh ensured he connected with his fans at a special fan event. During this event, he shared insights into his career, family life, and some of his most cherished films. A particularly special moment happened when clips from his iconic movies were shown, and a still from Chak De India made him emotional.
He then revealed, for the first time, the true motivation behind his decision to accept the role in the film: it was a heartfelt tribute to his late father, Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, who had a great passion for hockey. Shah Rukh explained that his father had once dreamed of representing India in the sport but had to abandon this dream due to an injury. When Chak De India was offered to him, Shah Rukh saw it as a chance to honour his father, and he even shared this thought to the film’s producer, Aditya Chopra, saying, “Yeh picture main karunga because I want to do it for my father.”
According to Bollywood Hungama, Shah Rukh Khan said after watching a still from Chak De India during the fan event, “This sport is very important to me. My father used to play. I really wanted to be a hockey player and try to play for India. Then I suffered an injury and I couldn’t pursue the sport. In a way, it was good as I became an actor.”
Shah Rukh added, “When this film came to me, I realised that it could be a tribute to my father. I don’t like to give films more meaning than necessary. Films entertainment ke liye hai. But I remember I told Adi (Aditya Chopra) that ‘Yeh picture main karunga because I want to do it for my father’. I can play a little bit of hockey and hence, it was very interesting.”
For Shah Rukh Khan, being a part of the Chak De India team was a truly memorable experience. He expressed his admiration for his co-stars, saying that the girls in the film were exceptionally talented and showed great skill in playing hockey. He recalled a friendly football match in Australia where a women’s team easily defeated the men’s team by a huge margin. Shah Rukh shared that they had not expected the film’s huge success. It was initially meant to be a somewhat different movie, but it eventually went onto become one of the most cherished and impactful sports films in Indian cinema.
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan’s Maula Mere from Chak De! India was originally made for THIS film
