Not every superstar begins their career with the glamour of cinema lights. For Shah Rukh Khan, the journey started on the stage of Delhi’s Ramleela, where he used to play the role of a monkey in the Vaanar Sena.
In an old chat on 'Up Close and Personal with PZ', Preity Zinta pulled out this gem of a memory, much to the surprise of fans.
Preity Zinta, surprised, asked, “Mein aapko itne time se janti hoon, I never knew ki aap Ramleela mein Bandar ka role kiya hai. Is it true? (I’ve known you for so long, I never knew you played the role of a monkey in Ramleela. Is it true?")
To this, Shah Rukh Khan laughed and admitted, “Haan meri shuruwat hui thi Chabbara Sahab ki Ramleela thi Delhi ke andar aur main Vaanarsena ka hissa tha… aur meri lines bhi mujhe yaad hain. Main tumhein batata hoon—‘Bol Siya Pati Ramchandra ki Jai, Pawan Putra Hanuman ki Jai.’ Jai part main bolta tha.”
(Yes, my beginning was with Chabbara Sahab’s Ramleela in Delhi and I was part of the Vaanarsena… I still remember my lines. I used to say—‘Glory to Lord Ramchandra, Glory to Hanuman, the son of the wind god.’ I used to shout the ‘Jai’ part.)
Shah Rukh Khan’s Childhood Stage Memories
Shah Rukh Khan further recalled, “Aur tab se leke aaj tak 20 saal, 20 saal se bhi zyada ho gaye. I was very young when I used to act in Ramleela. Main shayari bhi karta tha kyunki hum Urdu speaking they. Toh break hoti thi scenes ke beech mein, toh main jaake stage ke upar sher bola karta tha—‘Ki humne tumhari yaad mein roo roo karke tub bhar diye, woh aaye aur nahaa ke chal diye.”
(And since then, it’s been more than 20 years. I was very young when I acted in Ramleela. I also recited poetry because we were Urdu-speaking. During breaks between scenes, I would go on stage and recite lines—‘I filled buckets with tears remembering you, then you came, bathed in them, and walked away.’)
He smiled remembering how people in the audience reacted, “Phir log awaaz karte they Arora sahab ki aur se Shah Rukh Khan ke liye 1 Rupiya. I was just a little kid who used to do this.”
(Then people would call out, ‘From Arora Sahab, 1 Rupee for Shah Rukh Khan.’ I was just a little kid doing it.)
Shah Rukh Khan even joked, “Yeah I started with Ramleela and I’ve not changed, abhi bhi main bandar ki tarah hi acting karta hoon.” (Yes, I started with Ramleela and I haven’t changed, I still act like a monkey.)
Preity Zinta quickly replied with admiration, “Bilkul nahin, you’re my superhero.”
From Ramleela to becoming Bollywood's Badshah
Shah Rukh Khan didn’t stop there. At another event years later, at press breifing of Got Talent World Stage Live, he spoke fondly about his Ramleela days. “In New Rajinder Nagar, there was a Ramleela. The director saw me and cast me as a monkey. Whatever role you get, it’s good enough as long as you’re on the platform,” he reflected.
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He laughed again, remembering how he would stretch the “Jai” line for effect: “I would say—‘Bol Siya Pati Ramchandra ki… Jai, Pawan Putra Hanuman ki… Jai’—all with a long tail behind me.”
For Shah Rukh Khan, those moments were more than just childhood fun. “It gave me confidence that I could stand in front of thousands of people and perform. Ramleela in Delhi is very big, and it gave me the courage I carry till today,” he said.
Also read: Sunny Deol resumes ‘Lahore 1947’ shoot after Aamir Khan’s creative inputs; release shifted to 2026
Ramleela to Becoming World’s Biggest Superstar
Today, Shah Rukh Khan is not just a Bollywood actor—he’s one of the biggest superstars in the world. From being called the “Baadshah of Bollywood” to topping global popularity charts.
His films have consistently broken box-office records, and his persona off-screen—whether as a producer, entrepreneur, or philanthropist—has only strengthened his image as a cultural icon.
What makes his journey even more remarkable is how it all began with a simple role in a local Ramleela, proving once again that no stage is ever too small when talent is real.
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