Abhishek Bachchan has described Shah Rukh Khan as an elder-brother figure who has repeatedly backed his career, including on the upcoming film King. Speaking with BBC Asian Network, Bachchan traced a relationship that began long before he entered the movies and has now become part of one of the year’s most anticipated Hindi releases.
A bond that started over Sunday cricket
Before he was an actor, Bachchan spent Sundays at Uday Chopra’s house. The regular group included Chopra, Sikander Kher and Hrithik Roshan, and the afternoons often turned into cricket games. Shah Rukh Khan would sometimes join them.
Those casual meetings doubled as an informal classroom. Bachchan said he has “immense love and respect” for Khan and has always treated him as an older brother rather than only a co-star.
Support that goes beyond encouragement
Bachchan was specific about how far Khan’s support has gone. Rather than limiting himself to advice, Khan has taken direct responsibility for Bachchan at several points in his career.
“He’s been so, so supportive of me and my craft and my career, and has literally taken, like, personal responsibility several times, including now in ‘King’ as well,” Bachchan said.
The phrasing is notable in an industry where backing and mentorship are real but rarely named so plainly. It also gives King a second layer: the film is not just another big-ticket title but the latest instance of a long-running professional bond.
The answer that changed how he chooses
After one of those cricket sessions, Bachchan asked Khan which of his own films was his favourite. The answer was the one he was making at that moment. If the film in front of him was not his favourite, Khan reasoned, why would he be doing it?
Bachchan said the perspective shaped his own approach. “The one I’m doing right now has to be my favourite,” he said. Past work, by implication, is past.
What this means for King
- Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna – an earlier shared screen credit.
- Happy New Year – a later collaboration between the two.
- King – directed by Siddharth Anand, scheduled for December 24, 2026.
Their screen history may be sporadic, but the relationship behind it appears continuous. For audiences, that makes King a test of a mentorship stretched across decades, not merely a festive-season release. It also offers a simple working rule for anyone choosing a project: if the thing you are about to start cannot be your favourite, the decision deserves another look.
Source: News18
Comments