Zeeshan Ayyub spoke about Shah Rukh Khan's humility. (Photo: Shah Rukh Khan/Instagram)
Many actors have sung praises of Shah Rukh Khan’s hospitality — from the way he treats guests to how he makes them feel special, often personally walking them to their cars after visiting him at his Mumbai bungalow, Mannat. While actor Zeeshan Ayyub agrees with this sentiment, he believes Shah Rukh’s humility goes far beyond graciously treating actors and directors. According to him, it is most evident in how the superstar treats the working-class sections on his film sets and wherever he goes.
Zeeshan, who has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Raees and Zero, spoke about observing the actor’s behaviour toward doormen, junior artists and crew members, and how he consistently treats them with utmost respect. Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Zeeshan shared, “Many stars come to drop you at the gate but in my mind, I see how a star or any other person treats working-class people – those who are doing more physical work, who is doing more labour for less money. This is how I judge a human being and Shah Rukh never misses greeting these people.”
He further elaborated on how these small gestures stood out to him during their years of working together. “I have worked with him for 3.5 years in Raees and Zero and I have seen… Like if he walks out of a door and the doorman opens the door for him, even if he is engaged in a serious conversation, he will turn around, give all his attention to the doorman and say thank you to him. It is a sign of greatness.”
Zeeshan also recalled instances from film shoots where Shah Rukh personally addressed junior artists if a shoot ran longer than scheduled. Highlighting how rare such behaviour is among top stars, he said, “Actors and those who work in the same stream can open door for each other, this is basic hospitality but when he wants to extend half-an-hour of a shoot, he will go to the microphone and say sorry to his juniors and ask them, ‘Please, can you extend this shoot by half-an-hour.’”
Crediting Shah Rukh for embodying humility and kindness even after achieving immense success and popularity, Zeeshan explained how the actor never forgets the responsibility that comes with being the face of a project. “Juniors are already ready to do it, but Shah Rukh thinks that it is his film and it is because of him that the delay has happened and he sees it as his responsibility to go and ask people and request them to extend it. This gesture can only be done by a beautiful person, and I will give this credit to his parents. This doesn’t come from a person just like that, this is his upbringing,” he said.
