When Shah Rukh Khan was jailed for threatening journalist with his wedding ‘sword’, Nana Patekar bailed him out

Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been living in Mumbai for years now but spent his formative years in Delhi. He often speaks about how staple Delhi mannerisms won’t leave him, especially in tense situations.

During an interview, Shah Rukh revealed how he had once confronted a journalist for publishing a rumour of his affair with a co-star. Speaking during Tehelka’s Think2012 event, Shah Rukh said that when he was filming for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa in 1993, it had been just two years since his wedding to Gauri Khan.

Talking to the interviewer, Shah Rukh said that Gauri grew concerned if she had made a mistake marrying a film star and if she’d have to worry about him mingling with female actors now. A furious Shah Rukh called up the journalist who had written the piece about it. While she said that it was a joke, he gave an earful, using the choicest of curse words, often heard in streets of Delhi.

Shah Rukh said he showed up at the journalist’s door and fought with people. “I behaved very badly. I was jailed. My father-in-law had given me a sword, as they do in Punjabi weddings. I carried that sword to that journalist’s house. My father-in-law, who is an army officer, said, ‘Son, you have to protect my daughter’. Nobody was saying anything to his daughter but I thought this is a good weapon, sanctioned by the Indian Army,” he said.

At the house, he met a young man and stabbed him in his legs with the ‘sword’ which was actually a ‘kukri’, a type of a dagger. He came back after the incident and returned to Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa sets. A day later, a few cops showed up there, and took him to the station. 

At the station, he arrived with his starry swagger but the senior officer scolded him for trying to sit in a chair. “Baitho nahi! Khade raho wahan pe (Don’t sit. Keep standing there),” the officer told Shah Rukh, who really missed his magistrate mother at the time. Because he was brought in after 6pm, he couldn’t get bail either.

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Shah Rukh was allowed one phone call but instead of asking someone for help, he called up the same man and told him to beware of what he’d do to him once he is out. “Saale ab toh jail bhi chala gaya hu. Ab toh nikal ke aauga aur tereko kaat ke jaauga (I’ve even been to jail for this. Now I will come out and cut you up),” he said to the man on phone.

Shah Rukh had revenge on his mind but could never get it. He then decided to leave it all behind because the ‘wife was very disturbed’. He added that it was actor Nana Patekar who got him out of jail.

Shah Rukh and Nana worked together in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman which was directed by Aziz Mirza and released in 1992.