"I believe I am the highest-paid doppelganger."
Ibrahim Qadri, famously known as Shah Rukh Khan’s doppelganger, recently featured in Vogue India.
The recognition marks a turning point in a journey that began far from the glamour of celebrity culture.
Ibrahim was once an artist in Junagadh, Gujarat, painting hoarding boards for a living.
His resemblance to the Bollywood superstar was noticed from childhood, but he dismissed the comparisons.
It became undeniable when, during an IPL match in Rajkot, crowds mistook him for SRK. The incident caused a stampede-like situation that altered the course of his life.
At the time, Ibrahim’s livelihood had collapsed due to the rise of digital advertising.
He said: “I could hardly manage two meals a day.
“I was struggling financially before all the fame. It was a hand-to-mouth situation. There were days without work.
“But now, things are completely changed. Now I can afford three meals a day, then even getting two meals was a problem. I mostly suffered then because digital boards took away our jobs.”
From hardship to recognition, Ibrahim Qadri transformed himself from a lookalike into a performer.
He said: “When I started doing events as SRK’s doppelganger, I knew nothing. I had not practised to talk like him or dance like him.
“So many times, I was not paid for my appearance. Once, someone in the audience taunted me: ‘Just looking like SRK isn’t enough’.
“That hit me hard and then began my transformation journey. I learnt to behave like SRK.
“Now, I charge between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. It depends on the event. I believe I am the highest-paid doppelganger.
“And due to me, other lookalikes of SRK are also bagging jobs. Because everything I reject, it goes to them.”
Despite the recognition, Ibrahim Qadri refuses invites from comedy shows:
“They joke about us and also him, and I can’t let that happen.”
His resemblance to the Bollywood icon also works against him sometimes:
“Whenever I go to malls for shopping, people charge me more money assuming I must be extremely rich. There is no benefit for me. Instead, there is a loss.”
He also has no plans to meet Shah Rukh:
“If I meet SRK sir, I will feel like now I don’t need to do anything, I have met him, I have reached my goal.
“I feel scared somewhere. I think exactly the same, that if I meet him, all my enthusiasm will be lost.”
From painting hoardings in Gujarat to walking into international events, Ibrahim Qadri’s journey highlights the power of chance, resilience, and reinvention.
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