Shah Rukh Khan’s surprise cameos in films sometimes manage to get more hoots and claps than the stars featuring in them. The buzz around Shah Rukh’s cameo as ‘Vanarastra’ in Brahmastra is only getting stronger with only two days left for the Ayan Mukerji film to hit the theatres.
While we wait to be surprised, here are eight memorable special appearances by Shah Rukh in Hindi films.
Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)
Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha may not have done well at the box office but Shah Rukh’s special appearance in the film was a heartwarming moment. Shah Rukh appears as himself in a scene, dancing to the song Mehbooba Mehbooba with a young Laal Singh as the child shows him the arms-spread-out move that is also SRK’s signature pose. This is followed by a montage of Shah Rukh’s iconic scenes from his films.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
R. Madhavan’s directorial debut, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, saw Madhavan play the role of Nambi Narayanan, the ISRO scientist who was wrongly accused of espionage. Shah Rukh Khan plays himself in this biopic, where he interviews Madhavan’s Nambi in an emotional scene. This cameo marked Shah Rukh’s return to the big screen four years after his 2018 film, Zero.
Shah Rukh Khan in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Tubelight (2017)
Two of the biggest stars of Bollywood come together in a heartfelt scene in the 2017 Kabir Khan-directed Tubelight, starring Salman Khan as Laxman ‘Tubelight’ Singh. Shah Rukh plays the role of a magician who goes by the name of Gogo, who inspires Laxman to perform magic on stage with him while the villagers laugh at him. Shah Rukh steals the thunder yet again as the magician who is kind to ‘Tubelight’, unlike everyone else, and makes him believe in himself.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
‘Ek tarfa pyar ki taqat hi kuch aur hoti hai, auron ke rishton ki tarah yeh do logon mein nahi batti, sirf mera haq hai ispe.’ Shah Rukh Khan stole the show with this dialogue and a three-minute cameo in Karan Johar’s romantic drama, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Shah Rukh played Tahir Taliyar Khan, the ex-husband of Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan).
(L-R) Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Ray Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Bhoothnath Returns (2014)
The second part of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Bhoothnath Returns, directed by Vivek Sharma, saw Shah Rukh Khan reprising his role as Aditya Sharma, father of Banku (Aman Siddiqui), who becomes friends with the friendly ghost Bhoothnath (Amitabh Bachchan). Shah Rukh’s role in the second part was way smaller than his role in the first, but his presence still managed to make an impression.
Luck by chance (2009)
Shah Rukh’s cameo as himself in Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut, Luck By Chance, still resonates with aspiring actors. In a scene with protagonist Vikram (Farhan Akhtar), Shah Rukh shares his insight on showbiz. He cautions Vikram that stardom is intoxicating and one must never forget one’s friends who were there when one was ‘nothing’. Watch the scene here:
Heyy Babyy (2007)
This comedy film, directed by Sajid Khan, saw Akshay Kumar, Fardeen Khan and Riteish Deshmukh as three playboys who suddenly find themselves as guardians to a baby, Angel. When Isha (Vidya Balan) reveals that she is the baby’s mother and tries to take away Angel, the trio plan to make Isha understand that no one would be willing to marry an unmarried woman with a baby. During the song Mast Kalandar, the duo of Akshay and Riteish pine for Isha’s attention, which is swiftly taken away by Shah Rukh’s entry as Raj (a reference to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), who also tries to impress Isha to marry him. The cameo was so well received that the song became a super hit and many went to watch the film just for Shah Rukh’s cameo.
Saathiya (2002)
The Rani Mukerji-Vivek Oberoi-starrer Saathiya, directed by Shaad Ali, turned out to be even more special with Shah Rukh’s cameo as Tabu’s husband, Yeshwant Rao. With just 10 minutes of screen time, Shah Rukh stood out as a loving and supporting husband.
