Shah Rukh Khan once revealed the emotional reason he avoided visiting Kashmir for years. His late father had promised to show him the valley, but SRK eventually visited while shooting Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan once opened up about the deeply personal and emotional reason behind his decision to stay away from Kashmir for many years. The actor, who is now gearing up for the release of his much-awaited film King, had shared the story during an appearance on the popular quiz-based reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
An old video clip from the show has recently resurfaced online, bringing attention to SRK’s connection with Kashmir and his family roots. During the conversation with legendary host Amitabh Bachchan, Khan spoke candidly about his late father and the promise that had kept him from visiting the picturesque valley.
According to Shah Rukh Khan, his paternal grandmother was Kashmiri, giving the actor a personal family connection to the region. He recalled that his father had once told him that there were three places he should see in his lifetime — Istanbul, Italy and Kashmir.
However, Kashmir was different.
SRK explained that his father wanted to accompany him when he visited Kashmir and had specifically asked him not to see the valley without him. His father passed away when Shah Rukh was still relatively young, but the actor continued to honour that emotional wish.
Despite travelling extensively around the world and receiving several opportunities to visit Kashmir, Shah Rukh said he deliberately stayed away from the region. Even when friends invited him and his family travelled there for vacations, he chose not to go.
The actor eventually found himself facing that emotional dilemma when filmmaker Yash Chopra decided to shoot his film Jab Tak Hai Jaan in Kashmir.
Speaking about the opportunity, Shah Rukh revealed that he had previously refused opportunities to visit Kashmir, clarifying that his decision was not connected to political, geographical or any other external consideration. Instead, it was purely because of the emotional promise associated with his father.
For SRK, Kashmir was a place he had imagined seeing alongside his father. Since that was no longer possible, the thought of visiting the valley carried a powerful emotional significance.
However, Yash Chopra’s invitation changed his perspective. Shah Rukh eventually decided that accompanying the veteran filmmaker would be the right way to experience Kashmir.
The decision proved significant in both his personal and professional life. Jab Tak Hai Jaan, starring Shah Rukh Khan alongside Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, featured the breathtaking landscapes of Kashmir and became one of Yash Chopra’s final directorial projects.
The film also marked a particularly emotional chapter in Chopra and Khan’s long-standing professional association. Yash Chopra, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, passed away in October 2012, shortly after the film’s release. Jab Tak Hai Jaan consequently became his final directorial venture.
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Shah Rukh Khan’s old revelation continues to resonate because it highlights a lesser-known personal side of the superstar. Beyond his fame and decades-long career, his decision to stay away from Kashmir was rooted in his relationship with his father and a promise he carried for years.
His eventual journey to Kashmir with Yash Chopra therefore became more than simply a film shoot. It represented the fulfilment of an emotional journey that Shah Rukh Khan had postponed for a long time.
