Archive · 14 Nov 2025
Dilip Kumar's 'slap' gave Shah Rukh Khan's career a 10-year boost, says SRK
Imagine a famous movie star named Dilip Kumar.
Another super-famous actor, Shah Rukh Khan, really looked up to him.
Once, when Shah Rukh was just starting out, Dilip Kumar gently tapped his cheek and told him to work hard.
Shah Rukh thought of this tap like a little 'slap' of good luck from a legend.
He even joked that this 'slap' helped his acting career for ten years!
Later, Shah Rukh Khan played a character that Dilip Kumar had played long ago in a famous movie called 'Devdas'.
This movie was a huge success and made Shah Rukh even more famous.
Shah Rukh believes that the initial 'slap' of advice from Dilip Kumar was a big reason for his success.
Shah Rukh Khan recalled Dilip Kumar giving him a light tap on the cheek and advising him to 'work hard' during the Zee Cine Awards 2001.
SRK humorously stated that this 'slap' from Dilip Kumar, a legendary actor, boosted his career for a decade.
The anecdote highlights the close bond between Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, with Saira Banu considering SRK like a son.
Shah Rukh Khan later starred in 'Devdas' (2002), a role famously played by Dilip Kumar in 1955, which became a cultural phenomenon.
SRK's successful career, which has made him the richest Indian actor, is humorously linked by him to this initial blessing from Dilip Kumar.
- Who
- Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan
- What
- Dilip Kumar metaphorically 'slapped' Shah Rukh Khan, which SRK credits with boosting his career.
- When
- During the Zee Cine Awards 2001, recalled by SRK.
- Where
- Zee Cine Awards 2001, Bombay (now Mumbai).
- Why
- Dilip Kumar advised Shah Rukh Khan to 'work hard' with a tap on the cheek, which SRK interpreted as a blessing that propelled his career.
- Event
- Zee Cine Awards 2001
- Shah Rukh Khan's Net Worth
- Rs 14,000 crore
- Dilip Kumar's Devdas Year
- 1955
- Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas Year
- 2002