Sikander Kher did not need to ask Shah Rukh Khan how he worked. Years of watching him closely on set taught him more than any conversation could.

Sikander Kher recalls Shah Rukh Khan’s generosity on Devdas set; says, "I learned about giving from him"

Sikander Kher recalls Shah Rukh Khan’s generosity on Devdas set; says, “I learned about giving from him”

Kher, who worked as an assistant director on Devdas, spoke about observing Khan on set, in an exclusive conversation with Variety India.

Watching Shah Rukh Khan at work

Kher said he chose to learn by observation rather than by questioning the star directly. “I did see Shah Rukh up close and personal. I could have easily asked him, ‘How do you approach a scene?’ But I had seen Shah Rukh for many, many years. As an actor, I just watched the qualities he brought to a film set,” he said.

He recalled being struck by the energy Khan brought to every shot and the sheer range of choices he offered his directors. “The energy he would bring on set was insane. It was crazy how many options he would give a director for a scene. I would actually see him giving the director so many options that the director would get confused because all his options were superb,” he said.

A lesson in generosity, not technique

For Kher, the real takeaway from those years was not craft but character. “As a co-actor, I learned about giving from him. I learned about security from him, not being insecure,” he said.

He added that Khan never appeared preoccupied with screen position or dialogue count. “He’s already a star. Why should a star be insecure? Why think, ‘I should stand in front,’ or ‘That line should be mine’? He would give away his lines because you have to make a scene. It can’t just be one person monologuing throughout the whole thing,” he said.

Shaping a career philosophy

Kher noted that his years as an assistant director shaped his own career, drawing on lessons from several people he has worked with. “I’ve tried to take the good from a lot of good people that I came across,” he said.

Kher was last seen in Baby Do Die Do alongside Huma Qureshi, and will next appear in Prahaar, a drama based on the life of public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Two decades on from Devdas, his account offers a rare, grounded glimpse into what made Khan’s presence on set so distinct.

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