As Jawan fever continues to grip the country, the cast and crew of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer on Friday came together for a star-studded press conference at Yash Raj Film Studios in Mumbai to celebrate the success of the movie. Here are seven memorable moments from the event.

Shah Rukh explains what Jawan stands for

Shah Rukh became emotional when he tried to convey the true meaning of Jawan. “Jawan is an emotion, Jawan is an Indian soldier, Jawan is an Indian mother, Jawan is an Indian girl, Jawan is an Indian vigilante.”

The Bollywood star went on to describe how Jawan reflects the strengths, weaknesses, resilience and resistance of common people. “And you have to understand that Jawan, many times, is very weak because he is all of us. And many times he is ready for a fight. Jawan is wrong many times, but very many times he is also right. Jawan sometimes will live in the darkness; sometimes, Jawan will be the one who will be emitting the light. And finally, all of us, and every Indian is Jawan, who is upright. Honestly, goodness, love and that's what the whole movie stands for,” he said.

Atlee’s memorable Zoom call with Shah Rukh

Director Atlee shared how he had pitched the script to Shah Rukh during the pandemic. "During the pandemic, I narrated this script to him over a zoom call,” he revealed. He went on to recall Shah Rukh’s response as the Bollywood superstar had told him, “I am class, you are mass.”

Atlee said he witnessed with awe how Shah Rukh’s portrayal of Vikram Rathore in Jawan marked a new phase in the actor’s illustrious career. He described Jawan as “a love letter of mine to Mr Shah Rukh Khan.”

Vijay Sethupathi’s high praise for Shah Rukh

Vijay Sethupathi, who plays the antagonist role in the film, reserved high praise for Shah Rukh. “Shah Rukh sir gives so much energy. He is a big man with a big heart… I get some ideas, and I try it, I’m like, ‘Sir, I’m sorry sir.’ He is like, ‘Do it’. So that gave me confidence. He is a person I love and respect. When he says, ‘You are doing good,’ it gives you confidence,” he said.

At Vijay's request, Shah Rukh even reenacted the iconic 'picture abhi baaki hain' moment from his film Om Shanti Om with Deepika Padukone.

Nayanthara's heartfelt message

Nayanthara couldn’t attend the press conference in person as she was with her mother in Chennai on the latter’s birthday. But she sent a heartfelt video message, saying, “I wish I could be there with you all. I'm overwhelmed with the love and support; it means the world to me.” Nayanthara also extended her thanks to Shah Rukh Khan and commended his energy.

How Deepika came onboard

Deepika Padukone revealed that she was in Hyderabad shooting for Project K when Shah Rukh and Atlee paid her a visit to offer her a role in Jawan. “They narrated the whole story to me and told me this very important part of Aishwarya. For me, it was not about the length of the role. It was the impact that this character is going to have on the entire film.”

Shah Rukh humorously remarked that he and Atlee had ‘tricked’ Deepika into thinking she would have a cameo role but the actress was actually one of the main characters in the movie. He also revealed that the idea of approaching Deepika to play Aishwarya’s role in Jawan came to him while she was filming Besharam Rang for Pathaan.

Aryan Khan convinced Shah Rukh to do Jawan

Shah Rukh shared how his son Aryan had encouraged him to say yes to Jawan for his youngest kid, Abram. “My elder son told me, ‘We knew when we were growing up what stardom in the air feels like because your films were big hits… but this little one (Abram) knows you are a star but has never seen and felt it in the air. So the next five films, work very hard, and make him feel it in the air. He will respect you, love you’.”

Shah Rukh and Deepika groove to Chaleya

The press conference arena of Yash Raj Studios turned into a dance floor when Shah Rukh and Deepika performed a live performance of the hit song Chaleya, composed by Anirudh Ravichander, from Jawan. Shah Rukh hugged Anirudh after the performance, sharing the moment with the composer.