Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone at WAVES Summit 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Bringing glamour and humour to the inaugural day of the WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone settled down for a fireside chat about their intertwined careers and journeys. The chat was hosted by filmmaker and talk show host Karan Johar.
Deepika, one of the leading female stars of Indian cinema, debuted opposite Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen in Om Shanti Om (2007). She was 21 at the time. They later teamed up on memorable films like Chennai Express, Pathaan and Jawan. Their onscreen pairing and breezy chemistry has been widely appreciated by fans.
During the session, entitled ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler’, Shah Rukh Khan called for more exhibition space for Indian films and cheaper tickets.
“I still believe the call of the day is a lot more theatres, small theatres in small towns, cheaper theatres so that we can show more films to people in every corner of the country,” Shah Rukh Khan said.
The 59-year-old star shared that he does not indulge in overworking or overthinking. “When I am not on the sets, I don’t do anything. I am in a meditative state,” the actor said, adding that when he was young, he was “brash” but also gutsy.
“I believe when I was brash, overconfident, reckless, and a lot more stupid. I’m happy I was like this otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen the path I did with such wonderful people. I was a little gutsy also. Thank you, young Shah Rukh Khan for being so cool,” he said.
Deepika Padukone looked back at her 18-year-long journey in the entertainment industry.
“Today when I look back at the journey… For an 18-year-old to move to a big city… It was a big decision to make. Those little things, having to navigate life with trial and error. Overall, when I look back I say not bad, well done.
“I am actually going to tell myself I have done pretty well. You don’t really sit back and look at the journey. I don’t celebrate the moments too much. I look at things in a straightforward way,” Deepika said.
Praising his co-star of many films, Shah Rukh Khan said her ‘best role’ will be as a great mother to her daughter Dua. Deepika is married to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.
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“The role she is going to play the best, is that of a mother, to Dua. She is really going to be a wonderful mom,” SRK said.
Deepika is expected to reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in King, the actor’s next.
(With PTI inputs)
Published – May 01, 2025 05:59 pm IST
