Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday attended a prayer meeting in memory of the late Kundan Shah.
Khan spoke from the heart at the event, which was attended by Aziz Mirza, David Dhawan, Satish Shah, Ashoke Pandit and Saeed Mirza among others.
“It is one of the greatest losses of my life. I was 25 when I came to Mumbai, I have stayed in Kundan’s house, I have been fed by his family and taken care of by them. I remember when I was leaving Delhi, my theatre friends told me when you meet Kundan Shah, touch his feet and give him a hug,” Khan said.
“I am who I am not just because I have learnt from him, but because I have got so much from perhaps one of the greatest directors of our time in the Hindi TV and film industry,” he added.
He also recounted how Shah was unhappy with his work in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, and constantly tried to bring out the best in him.
“Many a times he shouted at me... He came to hit me... He’s made me take at least 100 retakes... He never worked with me again. He was very honest,” Khan said.
The actor last met Shah around five to six months ago at a book launch. It was only around a week before the director died that Khan had told his wife Gauri of his desire to meet him again.
“I have some posters of two, three films in my house. One of them is Mughal-e-Azam and it is signed by Dilip Kumar saab. One is that of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, which Kundan had refused to sign for a long time. Just six to seven days ago, I told my wife I will go and get it signed by Kundan... And he left the world without signing that poster for me,” he said.
“But his memories, love and the way he treated me will always be with me... Every time he came to hit me, every time he shouted at me, fed me at his house, told me how bad I am, every time he told me how I’ll never do good work in my life, reminded me of my mother,” Khan said.
“I’ll miss Kundan like my mother that I didn’t have for the longest of time,” he added.
Satish Shah and Saeed Mirza, who worked very closely with Shah, also paid tribute remembering their good times with the director.
Shah, who also helmed Khan film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Preity Zinta’s Kya Kehna, also made TV series like Nukkad and Wagle Ki Duniya. He was 69.
