Juhi Chawla, who has shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan in numerous films, recently offered a fascinating glimpse into his acting process during an event at the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She revealed the backstory behind the famous line ‘I love you K-K-K-Kiran’ from their 1991 hit romantic thriller, Darr.
“Maine yeh notice nahin kiya tha (I hadn’t noticed it), but Shah Rukh was observant. Yash ji thoda haklate the aur Shah Rukh ne bataya ki unhone woh wahan se pick kiya tha (Shah Rukh once revealed that he picked up K-K-K-Kiran from director Yash Chopra, who used to stammer a little). He said, ‘I am going to use it in the film’ and wahan se unhone woh shuru kiya (he started it from there), and thank God for that,” Juhi recounted.
Darr, directed by the legendary Yash Chopra and produced under his Yash Raj Films banner, features Shah Rukh as a persistent stalker dangerously obsessed with Kiran, played by Juhi Chawla. Kiran is married to Sunny Deol’s character, making Shah Rukh’s role as the anti-hero both compelling and terrifying. This film significantly bolstered Shah Rukh’s reputation as an actor capable of successfully portraying complex and darker characters.
In the Netflix India docuseries The Romantics, released last year, Shah Rukh Khan reminisced about the development of his character in Darr. He explained that the idea of his character’s stammering, which became iconic, emerged from in-depth discussions with Aditya Chopra, Yash Chopra’s son, who served as an Assistant Director on the film.
Shah Rukh elaborated, “I had a classmate who had a stammer. And then we did some little study, some BBC documentary or something where they talked about that people’s minds become aware to one sound, and it’s like a sharp current.”
These insights reveal the depth of thought and observation that went into creating one of Bollywood’s most memorable characters, showcasing Shah Rukh Khan’s dedication to his craft and his ability to transform real-life observations into iconic cinematic moments.
