Shatrughan Sinha’s remarkable journey in Bollywood, from one of the industry’s most iconic villains to a headlining hero, is still hailed. In those days, it was considered near impossible for an actor to break out of the ‘villain’ mould. But Shatrughan accomplished that feat. He became one of B-town’s most beloved heroes, considered the only one who could rival Amitabh Bachchan’s magnetic presence on screen. Well, if there’s one thing that Shatrughan is known for besides his versatile performances, it’s his vigorous campaign against tobacco consumption. Recently, the veteran actor recounted an interaction with Shah Rukh Khan, who was always known for being a chain smoker.
Shatrughan Sinha recalls Shah Rukh Khan blaming his age as he struggled to catch his breath after a performance
Actor, Shatrughan Sinha has passionately campaigned against tobacco consumption for a long time. The actor even championed the cause during his tenure as the Health and Family Welfare and Shipping Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet. Well, the actor recently had a candid interview with Lehren Retro, during which he recounted an interaction he had with Shah Rukh Khan on the topic of smoking.
The Kalicharan actor recalled catching the Badshah of Bollywood panting and struggling to catch his breath after a stage performance. According to Shatrughan, Shah Rukh had blamed it on ageing, but the former pointed out that it was because of his smoking habit. In Shatrughan’s words:
“Shah Rukh was dancing on stage and me and my wife Poonam were sitting in front. I saw Shah Rukh panting and he looked at me and said, ‘Sorry sir. I think the age is catching up to me.’ I said, ‘It’s not the age, it’s smoking.'”
Shatrughan Sinha recounts his pact with Amitabh Bachchan to quit smoking together
Shatrughan Sinha also reflected on his own struggles with smoking and revealed that he had picked up the habit from watching the late Raj Kapoor on screen. However, the actor has since quit smoking entirely and hopes everyone else who consumes tobacco will do the same. That said, Shatrughan does feel some guilt over promoting smoking through his own films. He told Lehren Retro:
“Oh yes. I also feel guilty that I have a hand at promoting the smoking habit and present it with a style in films and I think my dear friend Rajinikanth also picked up the same style and presented it in his films.”
Shatrughan further discussed his personal experience with quitting smoking and shared an interesting tidbit about making a pact with Amitabh Bachchan to kick the habit. Shatrughan recalled:
“I myself used to smoke, but on one anti-tobacco day that the world celebrates every year, I asked, ‘What am I doing to myself?’ Then I decided to quit smoking and took no supplements. I really appreciate all the people who have quit smoking, like Amitabh Bachchan. We both decided to quit smoking together. He did it immediately but I could not quit at that time. Shashi Kapoor also had quit smoking, so there are many people like that.”
When Shah Rukh Khan announced that he had quit smoking at his 59th birthday celebration
For the unversed, Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 59th birthday on November 2, 2024, and during a special meet and greet with fans on the occasion, he made a huge announcement. The actor revealed that he had finally quit smoking, and this news was met with resounding applause from his fans. Shah Rukh confessed that even after quitting, he still felt breathless after performing. However, he showed his optimistic mindset when he said that he hoped to adjust to the change soon.
What do you think about Shatrughan’s revelations about smoking involving Shah Rukh, Amitabh Bachchan, and the late Raj Kapoor.
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