Every actor has a list of co-stars they dream of featuring with, on the big screen. And then, there is Shah Rukh Khan. The Badshah isn’t merely a movie star; he could well be considered an emotion that’s personal to those who’ve grown up on a steady Bollywood diet. Evidently then, when Sanya Malhotra got the opportunity to work alongside King Khan in Jawan, she had to pinch herself to believe it was true.

“I am a huge SRK fan and was smitten by him when I was in school,” she chimes. Atlee’s directorial venture, however, is not her first association with Khan. She previously featured in his 2022 production, Love Hostel.

“I had my fan-girl moments; he was kind, and made me feel so comfortable,” she says of their association for Jawan that features a pan-India cast, including Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone, and Sanjay Dutt. 

Malhotra has had a fruitful year, so far. After Netflix’s Kathal, which premiered on Friday, she will be seen in the September release, Jawan. Up next is Sam Bahadur, which sees her alongside Vicky Kaushal and Fatima Sana Shaikh. “I have always tried to choose something that I haven’t done before. Every plot, look, and character is different from the last.”