Shah Rukh Khan may be one of Bollywood’s biggest superstars and producers, but according to Saif Ali Khan, he prefers staying away from film sets when producing movies. At the trailer launch of Kartavya, Saif opened up about working with producer Shah Rukh and revealed why the actor never visited the sets during filming.
The revelation quickly grabbed attention because SRK is known for being deeply creative and involved in filmmaking. However, Saif explained that SRK intentionally avoids interfering in a director’s process and believes filmmakers should have complete creative freedom.
Saif Ali Khan Opens Up About Producer Shah Rukh Khan
Produced under Red Chillies Entertainment, Kartavya marks another collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan after cult favourite Kal Ho Naa Ho. The two actors have also famously hosted the Filmfare Awards together several times.
Speaking about his bond with Shah Rukh Khan, Saif said, “I’ve had a lovely and long association with Shah Rukh. He’s someone I look up to in many, many ways. I had a short meeting with him. He said there’s a lovely script and that he’d like me to hear it and do the film.”
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Saif further shared that their interactions during the shoot remained limited. “I went through the process of listening to it and meeting the director (Pulkit). Once we finished the shoot and Shah Rukh watched it, he said it’s a lovely film. He’s very happy with it. That was pretty much the limit of my interaction with him.”
Shah Rukh Khan Believes Directors Need ‘Freedom To Operate’
During the media interaction, Saif Ali Khan revealed that Shah Rukh Khan never came to the sets of Kartavya. According to him, SRK believes too much producer presence can sometimes become overwhelming for a director.
Saif explained, I didn’t meet him on set because he’s one of the producers who believes that a director is free to operate and make the film that he wants to make. Sometimes, some kinds of presence can be overwhelming on sets, and he understands that,” Saif explained.
He continued, “He gave us a lot of room to make the film that we wanted to make. So, that was his involvement. I felt like I was working for his production with his sensibilities. But for that, an everyday involvement wasn’t required.”
All About Kartavya And SRK’s Upcoming Films
The upcoming crime drama Kartavya is set to premiere on Netflix on May 15, 2026. Directed by Pulkit, the film stars Saif Ali Khan as a police officer and devoted “Mahadev ka bhakt” who faces a moral crisis after his family becomes the target of dangerous threats. The film is backed by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment.
Meanwhile, on the film front, Shah Rukh Khan is currently preparing for King, directed by Sujoy Ghosh and Siddharth Anand. The action thriller is expected to release during Christmas 2026 and will reportedly feature SRK as a ruthless international don opposite daughter Suhana Khan in her big-screen debut.
Apart from King, Shah Rukh Khan also has Pathaan 2 and the highly anticipated crossover film Tiger vs Pathaan in development.
