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When Shah Rukh Khan was ‘frustrated’ with Jagapathi Babu yet gave him the ‘biggest compliment’ of his life
Shah Rukh Khan and Jagapathi Babu might belong to different film industries but they shared a role in a well-known film. Here's what happened.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan shared a role with Tollywood legend Jagapathi Babu, which many might not remember. The Hindi star even gave him his ‘biggest compliment’ while recreating the role, revealed the Telugu actor on Honest Townhall. Jagapathi even asked Shah Rukh years later if it was true, to get confirmation.
When Shah Rukh Khan gave Jagapathi Babu his ‘biggest compliment’
Talking to fans at the townhall, Jagapathi revealed, “At the end of Anthahpuram, there’s a smoking shot, a death shot, which was repeated by Shah Rukh garu…the king Khan. Something didn’t work or I don’t know, it did not happen (in Shakti). So, he was very frustrated and he said something, which I cannot tell, it’s off the record. It was actually something really bad but it was the biggest compliment of my life.”
The actor also stated that years later, he asked Shah Rukh if it was true. “Afterwards, when I met him, I asked him if he really said that about me. He said (nods head), but sorry, I did not mean it. I told him it was the biggest compliment I had gotten.”
The role Shah Rukh Khan and Jagapathi Babu have in common
In Krishna Vamsi’s 1998 film Anthahpuram, Jagapathi played a petty thief named Sarai Veeraraju. When a woman named Bhanumati, played by Soundarya, runs away from her patriarchal marital home with her child, he agrees to help her in exchange for money. However, through the journey, his heart changes, and he sacrifices his life to save them.
When the film was remade in Hindi in 2002 by the same director, Shah Rukh played Jagapathi’s role, while Karisma Kapoor played Soundarya’s. He played Jai Singh while Karisma played Nandini.
Recent work
Jagapathi last starred in the 2025 Telugu films Ghaati and Mirai, as well as the Tamil film Anantha this year. He also hosted the Zee5 talk show Jayammu Nischayammu Raa with Jagapathi last year. He underwent a transformation and looks unrecognisable in his role in Buchi Babu Sana’s Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Peddi. The film will be released in theatres on June 4.
Shah Rukh last starred in the 2023 films Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki, as well as appearing in a cameo in Tiger 3. He made a cameo appearance in his son, Aryan Khan’s debut directorial, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, last year. He is now shooting for Siddharth Anand’s King with Deepika Padukone.
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