Ayan Mukerji says when he became an assistant director he chased Shah Rukh Khan films: ‘He was my life’

In the big scale epic-fantasy-adventure, Shah Rukh played a scientist and a member of the Brahmansh who wielded Vanarastra. His appearance was one of the biggest talking points of the film, with fans demanding a spin-off of his character from the makers.

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Ayan Mukerji said he feels connected to Shah Rukh Khan, who turned 57 today, in a deep way. “We all have certain actors and stars in our life that we are very attached to. Shah Rukh Khan was my whole life. It was like for me, Shah Rukh Khan was from number one to 100.

“When I became an assistant director, I chased films that Shah Rukh Khan was a part of. So I’m a huge Shah Rukh Khan fan and have been touched by his magnetism in a very deep way,” he said.

In the Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra, Ayan Mukerji said he was most anxious to direct Shah Rukh Khan but acknowledged that the superstar came on board instantly when he heard the idea and understood his vision with ease.

“It was a huge moment for me, when somehow, the dots connected and when we went to him to say, ‘Will you do this special appearance?’, he agreed. I was super nervous directing him more than anybody else because when you idolize someone too much, it can almost become hard to work with them.

“You feel like, ‘How will I direct him, he is a master’, but he is a very kind, generous and extremely intelligent human being. So I think he could understand my personality in two minutes and still found a way to work around it,” Ayan said.

Today, Ayan Mukerji said, when he sees Shah Rukh Khan, it feels like he “can’t really look him in the eyes”. “I feel such a sense of gratitude for the fact that he just agreed to come in and do a sequence for Brahmastra and just help us. It was just a very large harder thing to do, I respect and love him and I’m eternally grateful for it,” he added.