After winning hearts with his breakout performance in Aryan Khan’s directorial debut The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Raghav Juyal is riding a wave of success. The actor has already signed on for two major films — Siddharth Anand’s crime action thriller King opposite Shah Rukh Khanand Srikanth Odela’s Telugu action drama The Paradise with Nani.What makes this journey particularly special, Raghav says, is his relationship with SRKdescribing it as humbling, inspiring, and a masterclass in mentorship.“He’s my mentor. You cannot compare SRK with anyone. He’s #1 and will always be #1. Because of The Ba***ds of Bollywood, he’s given me a huge role in a film. He observes how a man’s journey has been, the hold he has on his craft, and how much he’s worthy of trusting,” Raghav shared in a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan.
Memorable moment on the sets of King
Raghav recalled a memorable moment on the sets of King, where he was left overwhelmed by SRK’s humility and encouragement, “I did a scene on his set, after which the crew clapped for me. Such a big star came up to me, kissed me on the forehead, hugged me, blessed me, and said, ‘Kamaal hai.’ He knows he’s SRK, but still there’s not even 1% insecurity in him. I’ve worked with so many actors, but he’s the one who knows how to gauge someone’s talent. That’s why he’s the king.”Raghav also reflected on Shah Rukh’s aura, describing him as magnetic and nurturing, “If Shah Rukh sir is talking to you, you get captivated. You can’t do anything else. He feels like a fatherly figure. You feel like giving everything to that person.”
Life lesson beyond acting
Both The Ba***ds of Bollywood and King are produced under Red Chillies Entertainment, a connection Raghav calls destiny, emphasizing the significance of working with SRK both as a fan and a professional.“Raghav, don’t be a loose cannon,” Shah Rukh told him, offering a life lesson beyond acting. “What he meant was that I have a lot of responsibility. The livelihood of 500 people depends on you — from light men and cameramen to directors whose scripts have taken years to realize. Just because I feel like a star and can say anything to anyone, that could cause harm to others. Be aware of what you speak,” Raghav recalled. Raghav, a lifelong admirer of SRK, shared how the experience still feels surreal, “It’s a huge deal for me. I’m a jabra, diehard fan. All of us are fans, but I proudly claim I’m his biggest fan. I even belong to a family of SRKians — we’ve been making his fan accounts since the Orkut days. Whenever I’ve worked with him, it’s always felt like a surreal dream. This time was no different. I’m sure this will keep happening again and again.”
