Arjun Rampal says Shah Rukh Khan has ‘seen a lot in life’, highlights SRK’s X-factor: ‘He has a tremendous amount of depth’

Beyond the realm of the silver screen, actors Arjun Rampal and Shah Rukh Khan shared a strong bond in their personal lives as well.

Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal at the music launch of their film Ra.One. (Express file photo)

There’s no doubt that Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Rampal make a formidable duo, often driving a film to great success when they appear on screen together. Interestingly, though, they rarely played on the same side in most of their films: if one took on the role of the protagonist, the other usually played the antagonist, as seen in blockbusters like Don (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Ra.One (2011). The only exception here’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), where Arjun played a minor role.

Beyond the realm of the silver screen, the two actors shared a strong bond in their personal lives as well. Arjun recently opened up about their relationship while praising Bollywood’s Baadshah. “Shah Rukh has a tremendous amount of depth in him,” he said while appearing on a recent episode of The Ranveer Show. “He has seen a lot in life, too. He has made a tremendous amount of sacrifices. He is brilliant in the way that he can foresee things. His foresight is incredible. He is extremely hardworking too,” Arjun added.

“What you can take from him is… a little bit of everything: good qualities, how he conducts himself, and his good habits. If you can create a lot of good habits that outweigh your bad habits, then you grow in a particular way, and when you keep doing it, you become a natural. Eventually, that becomes your personality. Shah Rukh is very good at converting those great habits into part of his personality,” he added.

Recalling their first meeting, Arjun mentioned that it happened through his former wife Mehr Jesia and Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri Khan, who’re good friends. “We just bumped into each other once or twice initially and exchanged greetings,” he said. Arjun, who was last seen in the box office bomb Crakk (2024), is currently gearing up for the release of the period war romantic drama The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, in which he plays the lead role of Sidhnak Mahar Inamdar, a Mahar warrior.