Raees director Rahul Dholakia reveals Shah Rukh Khan ate mutton on set despite team’s refusal: “He ate by sucking bones”

Shah Rukh Khan sucked on mutton bones for Raees

On Shah Rukh Khan’s 60th birthday, the superstar’s fans and colleagues flooded social media with heartfelt memories, celebrating not just his films but his spirit on and off the screen.

Among the many stories shared, Rahul Dholakia, director of Raees, gave fans a peek behind the scenes, revealing how Shah Rukh truly became his on-screen character, Miya Bhai—sometimes in the most unexpected ways, even when it came to food.

Rahul recounted a scene where Shah Rukh was meant to eat mutton at a dhaaba. The actor’s team had suggested he stick to chicken instead, thinking it would be simpler and more manageable. But Shah Rukh, always committed to authenticity, had a plan of his own.

“He surprised me in every scene. The second scene was him sitting with Zeeshan Ayyub and eating at a dhaaba. He was supposed to eat mutton there. We were told that he wouldn't eat the mutton and that his food would come from Oberoi—the chicken,” Dholakia said.

“The scene didn’t work until he ate the mutton as it was meant to be eaten because he was Miya Bhai from the ghettos of Gujarat. He isn’t a sophisticated guy; he isn’t Shah Rukh Khan in that scene. I got my homemade mutton with bones and the fancy chicken from Oberoi as well,” he added.

When Rahul Dholakia suggested he eat the mutton, Shah Rukh insisted, “‘Mai toh mutton hi khaaunga na (I will eat the mutton only). That’s okay, you put the mutton there and don’t tell the team.’ Then, he ate that mutton like Miya Bhai would—tapping and sucking the bones. It became a very natural scene then, and that’s what adds to it.”

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Rahul also recalled their first script narration at SRK’s Mannat. “I met Shah Rukh at his house for the narration. At the interval point, he started asking a lot of questions; I was even wondering why he was asking so many. He read my mind right there and said that since he was doing this film, let's go through all the questions. I told him that there's a dialogue in my film that perfectly suits his personality. He remembered that line instantly and said, 'Baniye ka dimaag, Miya Bhai ki daring!'”

Released in 2017, Raees starred Shah Rukh Khan as a Gujarati gangster, alongside Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a pivotal role.