Aamir Khan on naming his dog Shah Rukh Khan: When our careers started there was competition between us

Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan rivalary

Bollywood star Aamir Khan recently talked about one of his most well-known and controversial past incidents: the notorious joke about calling his dog "Shah Rukh."

The remark generated a lot of controversy and conjecture regarding a purported rivalry between Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.

In retrospect, Aamir now calls that time a "childish" phase and describes how their tense relationship has since developed into a true friendship.

In a candid interview with The Lallantop, Aamir reflected, “Actually ek period tha jab Shah Rukh aur main ek dusre ke liye kaafi kuch bol rahe the. Shayad woh naakhush the mujhse (Actually, there was a time when Shah Rukh and I used to say quite a lot about each other. Maybe he was unhappy with me,) because I don’t talk about others in my interviews. Anyway, let’s leave all that behind. Shah Rukh is a good friend of mine. When our careers started, there was natural competition between us. But that faded away 10–15 years ago, at least from my side, and I think from his side as well. It was childish behaviour.”

He went on to share some light-hearted moments between the two stars: “Shah Rukh aksar mujhpe mazak karta rehta hain naa har saal jab award function hota hai, main toh jaata nahi hoon. Toh har saal mazak woh mujhpe karte rehte hain (Shah Rukh often jokes about me every year during award functions, since I don’t attend them. So every year, he keeps making fun of me.)”

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Once perceived as intense rivals — especially with blockbusters like 3 Idiots and My Name Is Khan releasing just months apart — Aamir and Shah Rukh’s relationship has softened over time. Aamir also spoke fondly of the camaraderie they share off-screen, often in the company of fellow superstar Salman Khan.

“We often make plans to catch up, and we never stop at one drink. It’s usually till morning, 7 am, not just with Salman but with Shah Rukh too. This has happened eight to 10 times till now,” he revealed.

Salman Khan recently revealed that all the three Khans are planning to go on a trip together and looking for a place where 'nobody knows them'.