'He arrived on set despite inner pain': Girija Oak on working with Shah Rukh Khan

Actress Girija Oak, who acted with Shah Rukh Khan in the film Jawan, has shared her experience of working with the actor during the time his son Aryan Khan was involved in a drug-related case. Speaking in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Girija said she was deeply impressed by Shah Rukh Khan’s behaviour on the film set despite the serious personal difficulties he was facing.

Girija said that for nearly three to four months during the case, Shah Rukh Khan neither appeared in public nor took part in the shooting of Jawan. "During that period, he was rarely seen. He returned to the film set only when the case was nearing its end. He made sure that his personal problems did not affect his work and behaved on set with the same calmness as before," Girija said.

Girija recalled that several allegations and criticisms were directed at Shah Rukh Khan at the time. "Some people even criticised his act of offering prayers at the funeral of Lata Mangeshkar. Despite facing such criticism, Shah Rukh Khan never lost his temper on set, never raised his voice at anyone, and always remained composed. Even while going through deep personal pain, he arrived on set on time and completed his scenes with dedication," she said.

Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 3, 2021, following a raid on a luxury cruise off the Mumbai coast. The investigation and arrest were led by then NCB officer Sameer Wankhede. Aryan spent around 25 days in jail before being granted bail. In May 2022, he was cleared of all charges due to a lack of evidence.

Later, corruption allegations were raised against investigating officer Sameer Wankhede. Girija Oak also said that during the nearly two-year-long shooting of Jawan, she got to know Shah Rukh Khan closely and found his personality to be exemplary.