Turkish star Hande Ercel denies calling Shah Rukh Khan ‘uncle’, says viral post dissing Bollywood icon is fake

Dubai: Turkish actress Hande Ercel took to Instagram to deny reports that she called Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan “uncle” in her Instagram story.

The viral post, which spread rapidly online, is fake, she claims.

The SRK-uncle saga began quite innocently. The narrative goes thus: She was filming her actress-friend Amina Khalil who was on stage to present an award along with Shah Rukh Khan.

A video showed her in the audience, smiling and recording the Bollywood icon. Fans quickly assumed it was a classic fangirl moment. Later, a screenshot circulated online showing the caption: “Who is this uncle?

Naturally, the icon's army of fans came to defend the Bollywood actor and expressed their disappointment with a barrage of trolls.

I was just filming my friend @aminakalilofficial. I am not his fan!! Please stop spreading false information!!” Hande refuted the altered post, calling it, “This is a lie!”

And now, a large section of SRK fans are happy with Hande's clarification.

“From Shah Rukh Khan fans, I thank you for clarifying this. SRK haters use everyone and everything to spread lies about him. Thank you for putting a stop to this hate campaign.”

Another added, “Respect to Hande Ercel for calling out fake narratives.”

For context, this isn’t the first time Shah Rukh has faced a global moment that went sideways.

At the Met Gala, an interviewer had no clue who he was, and designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee had to explain his relevance.

Shah Rukh doesn’t just catch a break during international appearances. Over 30 years, he has built a brand on romance, reinvention, and ruthless relevance. He has survived sabbaticals, family scandals, and box-office bombs that would have buried most stars.