Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 60th birthday in a unique way, making it particularly special for his fans. Although he couldn’t go out on the balcony of his residence, Mannat, due to security concerns, Shah Rukh made sure to connect with his fans at a special fan event. During this event, he shared information about his career, his family life, and some of his most treasured films. A particularly special moment occurred when clips from his iconic films were shown and a still image of Chak De India moved him.
He then revealed, for the first time, the real 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 this sport, but had to abandon this dream due to injury. When offered Chak De India, Shah Rukh saw it as an opportunity to honor his father, and even shared this thought with the film’s producer, Aditya Chopra, saying, “Can you imagine the main karunga because I want to make it for my father.”
According to Bollywood Hungama, Shah Rukh Khan said after seeing a photo of 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 couldn’t play this sport. In a way, it was good as I became an actor.”
Shah Rukh added, “When I came up with this film, I realized that it could be a tribute to my father. I don’t like to give films more meaning than necessary. Entertainment films ke liye hai. But I remember telling Adi (Aditya Chopra) that ‘You imagine the main karunga because I want to make it for my father’. I can play a bit of hockey and so it was very interesting.”
For Shah Rukh Khan, being part of the Chak De India team was a truly memorable experience. He expressed his admiration for his co-stars and said that the girls in the film were exceptionally talented and showed great skill in playing hockey. She recalled a friendly soccer match in Australia where a women’s team easily defeated the men’s team by a large margin. Shah Rukh shared that they did not expect the huge success of the film. It was initially meant to be a somewhat different film, but it eventually became one of the most beloved and impactful sports films in Indian cinema.
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan’s Maula Mere From Chak De! India was originally made for THIS movie.
