New Delhi: The 2018 smash blockbuster ‘Stree’ has an intriguing behind-the-scenes element that actor Rajkummar Rao recently shared. The famous sequence was an improvised moment that was inspired by Bollywood’s King of Romance, Shah Rukh Khan.
Rajkummar spoke up about his preparation for the moment when Shraddha Kapoor’s character urges his character Vicky to stare into the ghost Stree’s loving eyes. Many moviegoers will remember the sequence for its charming and humorous moments, but what they may not realise is that Rao’s impromptu choice to mimic Shah Rukh Khan’s passionate emotions is what really made the scene unforgettable.
In an interview with Raj Shamani’s podcast, Rajkummar Rao described the climax scene, “There is a playground in front of me that there is a ghost in front me, and I’m s**t scared. But I’m being told to look into her eyes with love. Being a Shah Rukh Khan fan, the first thing that comes to mind is Shah Rukh Khan…So, the scene that I did was improvisation. Pyaar? Khatka (Love? It struck me). How do you look into the eyes with love? You do this right? (Imitates Shah Rukh). Because it’s conditioned, I’m from a small town, and we grew up watching these films. So I improvised there (imitating Shah Rukh), and people cracked up laughing in theatres.”
Rajkummar Rao also lauded director Amar Kaushik for his adaptability on set, saying that he empowers actors to do new things, even if it means going off script.
About ‘Stree 2’
The much-awaited sequel, ‘Stree 2’, debuted on August 15, 2024, and is now showing box office dominance by staying ahead of Akshay Kumar’s ‘Khel Khel Mein’ and John Abraham’s ‘Vedaa’. In the film, we see how the residents of Chanderi are seeking help from Stree after being terrorised by Sarkata. Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Pankaj Tripathi are among the lead actors in the horror comedy.