Priyamani On Being SRK's 'Teacher' And Touring His Vanity, 'My Literal Expression Was Like, Wow...'

National Award-winning actress, Priyamani recently opened up about her warm and memorable bond with Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan. The actress, known for hit collaborations with King Khan in two of his memorable films, Chennai Express and Jawan, shared some wholesome anecdotes of her time with SRK, from playful games and late-night rehearsals to the surreal experience of dining in the superstar’s ultra-luxurious vanity van. 

Priyamani on helping SRK dance in Chennai Express

In a recent conversation with Humans of Bombay, Priyamani shared anecdotes from her experience working with Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan. One of the highlights of Priyamani’s Bollywood journey was grooving to the wildly popular track, 1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor in Chennai Express with Shah Rukh Khan. She humbly clarified that she did not teach him, but helped him. With great admiration for his dedication, Priyamani shared how he used to stay extra hours to rehearse his steps. In her words:

“I didn’t teach him dance, I was just helping him out with a couple of steps, especially with the Chennai Express thing, because for somebody like Shah Rukh Khan to do a high-energy song like this, especially with the South steps and the South style, was a little difficult to adapt…We used to shoot from six in the evening to six in the morning, and after pack-up, he used to bring in the choreographers’ assistants, stay on set for about half an hour to 45 minutes, learn the steps for the next day, and then go home... I mean, look — he is one of the biggest stars we have globally. He needn’t do that, but he did.”

Priyamani once again united with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Jawan, where they did the vibrant dance number, Zinda Banda. During the rehearsals, Priyamani experienced a surprising and emotional moment when Shah Rukh paused everything to reposition her in the dance formation. To her surprise, the superstar not only followed her instructions for the steps but also called her his ‘teacher’. Recalling such an incredible memory with one of the biggest global stars, Priyamani shared:

"Even during Zinda Banda, he was going on asking — ‘How would you do this step if this were you?’ And I’d say, ‘Sir, this is how we do it, you can do it like this’... He looked at me and asked, ‘Why are you standing there?’ Then he moved me to the front and told director Atlee, ‘This girl is my teacher—she’s going to stand right in front of me. Of course, I was embarrassed but also incredibly happy. He kept looking at me for cues and made sure I stayed by his side."

Priyamani shares her experience seeing Shah Rukh Khan’s vanity van

Priyamani recalled a memorable moment during the shoot of Chennai Express that truly stayed with her. After wrapping up a long schedule, Shah Rukh Khan invited her to dinner in his vanity van, an experience that left her wide-eyed. She said:

“On the 4th night of shoot, he (SRK) said, ‘Come, let’s have dinner.’ So we actually had dinner in his vanity, and that’s the first time I saw his vanity, and I was like, (gasp) My literal expression was like, ‘Wow!’... It’s like a house. And the best thing is — it’s very personal, you know — it’s got his pictures, and his family’s pictures…it’s very tastefully, very beautifully done.”

Priyamani, known for powerful roles across industries, expressed her desire to collaborate with Shah Rukh again. Given their mutual respect and unexpected student-teacher dynamic, their bond proves how deep relations are formed behind the screen!

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