Renu Chopra, wife of the late filmmaker Ravi Chopra, recently expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards Shah Rukh Khan for his immense generosity. She revealed that the superstar extended his support to her son Abhay Chopra’s 2017 film, Ittefaq, without even reading the script. The film, directed and written by Abhay Chopra, featured Akshaye Khanna, Sidharth Malhotra, and Sonakshi Sinha. Renu Chopra recalled that SRK not only backed the project but also refused to charge interest on the finances, declaring it as ‘haraam’.
During an interview, Renu recounted how several people stood by her during difficult times, and one of them was Shah Rukh Khan. She shared how their offices were adjacent to each other, which made collaboration seamless. “Now, Shah Rukh had only done guest appearances for us. When we had to make Ittefaq… Shah Rukh’s office and our office – we share a wall. And we just decided to do it with him. I asked him, ‘Main aa jaaoon?’. He said, ‘Nahi nahi. Aap nahi aaoge Renu ji, main aata hoon. That respect, ki aap badi hain! Maine kaha, ‘ Shah Rukh, aate aate 3 hafte ho gaye hain, ab main hi aa jati hoon’ (I asked him, ‘Should I come?’ He said, ‘No, no. You won’t come, Renu ji, I will come’. Out of respect, since you are senior! I said, ‘Shah Rukh, it’s been three weeks since you said that, now I will come myself’). Because he is such a busy man!” she shared.
She further added that Shah Rukh Khan welcomed them with warmth and respect. “He called me and made me sit and asked what I want. I said I do not have money to invest, and he said he will do it. I told him baaki mere bacche poori tarah se dil laga ke picture banayenge (I told him my children will put their hearts into making the movie). It was my younger son’s debut film Ittefaq. SRK said okay without reading the script. His funda was, ‘I’ll never back the horse, I’ll back the jockey’. He said if your son is backing it, I’ll back it,” she revealed.
Praising his generosity, Renu Chopra mentioned how even today, the financial aspects of the film remain fairly shared. “And when the picture wrapped up, like all other finances, there’s an interest rate. He said, ‘Nahi, ye haraam hai mere liye. Main nahi lunga.’ That is the kind of people I’ve met,” she concluded.
Ittefaq hit theatres in November 2017, performing well at the box office and garnering positive reviews from critics. Shah Rukh Khan’s selfless support remains a cherished memory for the Chopra family, highlighting his unwavering generosity and commitment to the people he believes in.
