Which Bollywood Actresses Debuted Opposite SRK?

Shah Rukh Khan is the undisputed Baadshah of Bollywood. He is one of the most talented actors that the Indian cinematography industry has to offer.

His name and movies are known and cherished by many within India and all across the world.

The stardom of Shah Rukh Khan, popularly known as SRK is largely associated with being the King of Romance.

His career has been filled with being able to work with many brilliant actresses and actors of all backgrounds in various genres of film.

We take a look at the actresses that have been given the opportunity to work opposite Shah Rukh Khan in their first Bollywood film.

Shilpa Shetty – Baazigar (1993)

Former model, Indian actress and businesswoman Shilpa Shetty Kundra kick-started her Bollywood journey with the crime-thriller movie Baazigar (1993). She plays the role of Seema Chopra, the elder daughter of Madan Chopra (Dalip Tahil).

The focus of the classic film Baazigar (1993) is on Ajay Sharma and his fake persona Vicky Malhotra, both acted by SRK. Arjun holds a deep grudge against business tycoon Madan Chopra.

A vendetta so deep that Ajay, as Vicky, charms, dates then eventually kills Seema Chopra, making it look like a suicide. Continuing his main goal of seeking revenge, Vicky proceeds to reel in younger daughter Priya Chopra (Kajol).

They get engaged and down the line, Priya realises the truly corrupt motives of her fiancee. Shilpa Shetty uploaded a video via Instagram on November 12, 2018, on the 25th anniversary of Baazigar (1993) with the caption:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqEn7TgBtwI/?utm_source=ig_embed

“12 th November on this day I made my debut with Baazigar. Dunno how time has flown as we celebrate #25yrsofbaazigar and #25yrs of my career ???

Heartfelt gratitude from the bottom of my heart to team #baazigar, @iamsrk @kajol #abbasmustan #Ratanji for the support and last but not the least my audience for always showing me sooooo much love and being so forgiving ???? #25years #celebration #gratitude #happiness #timeflies #nostalgia #movies.”

After sparking the interests of both the audience and fans, Baazigar (1993) was a triumph. After her big-screen debut, Shilpa went on to star in various films and other endeavours.

Pictures include Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Dhadkan (2000), Rishtey (2002), Phir Milenge (2004) and Life in a… Metro (2007).

Interestingly, her love and passion for fitness led her to create a wellness app in May 2019, called The Shilpa Shetty App. This app includes yoga and training routines, specially targeted regimes and daily nutrition charts.

Suchitra Krishnamoorthi – Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994)

Indian actress, writer, painter and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi made her debut in the romantic coming-of-age comedy Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994). Suchitra depicts the role of Anna.

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) is about Sunil (Shah Rukh Khan), an individual within a middle-class family on the pursue of a music career. Sunil’s father Vinayak (Anjan Srivastav) disapproves of his choices.

Dreamy boy Sunil is in love with the lead singer of the music group, Anna (Suchitra Krishnamoorthi). Unfortunately for Sunil, Anna only sees him as a friend.

Anna is in love with Chris (Deepak Tijori) who is also part of this six-person music group. Despite Sunil knowing Anna likes Chris, he tries to create a division between the two.

On the 26th anniversary of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) on February 25, 2020, Suchitra tweeted her gratitude of being at the right place and right time with Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994):

I've done v few movies in my long life.Blessed to have been a part of this one- I was in d right place right time & so many yrs later ppl still know me as #Aana? #26YearsOfKabhiHaanKabhiNaa ? ?? @iamsrk @TheFarahKhan @AshGowariker #deepaktijori #jatinlalit Miss u #KundanShah

— Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (@suchitrak) February 25, 2020

“I’ve done v few movies in my long life. Blessed to have been a part of this one- I was in d right place right time & so many yrs later ppl still know me as #Aana #26YearsOfKabhiHaanKabhiNaa.”

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) was commercially and critically acclaimed. Ever since her debut, she has been involved in movies, music and other passions.

Movies include My Wife’s Murder (2005), Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007) and Rann (2010). Also, she released four pop albums in the mid-90s.

On top of all of her many talents, Suchitra is an accomplished poet and painter. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across the world including India.

Mahima Chaudhry – Pardes (1997)

Actress and model Mahima Chaudhry debuted in the Indian musical-drama film, Pardes (1997). Chaudhry characterises Kusum Ganga also known as Ganga, the fiancee of Rajiv (Apurva Agnihotri) who falls in love with his foster brother Arjun Sagar (Shah Rukh Khan).

In particular, Pardes (1997) entails Kishorilal (Amrish Puri) wanting an Indian bride for his son Rajiv. Rajiv gets engaged to Ganga who is the daughter of Kishorilal’s friend Suraj Dev (Alok Nath).

He brings her home to the USA where she shares a stronger bond with Arjun. Recollecting her unbelievable debut with SRK on the 20th anniversary of Pardes (1997) on August 08, 2017, Mahima states smiling to Cinestaan.com:

“It was unbelievable because you enter the industry and you aspire to work with one of the biggest actors.

“Suddenly you are told that he is the one who is starring. It happens in your first film.

“So it gives you jitters, sleepless nights and at the same time there is a lot of excitement.”

“It’s a joyous feeling. I don’t remember ever saying my lines in front of him. But obviously, when you look at the film, I have performed.

“But it’s a blur. I must have been so nervous that I don’t remember when I did that film, especially the scenes in front of him.”

The great efforts of Mahima received recognition. She was named ‘Lux Face of the Year’ and picked up the award for ‘Best Debut Actress’ at the 1st Zee Cine Awards (1998).

Preity Zinta – Dil Se.. (1998)

Indian film actress and entrepreneur Preity Zinta makes her B-Town debut in the romantic-thriller Dil Se.. (1998). Zinta plays a supporting role as the bubbly Preeti Nair, who is engaged to Amarkanth Varma/Amar (Shah Rukh Khan).

Amar is a radio broadcaster who is engaged to Preeti but is intensely attracted to mysterious Moina/Meghna (Manisha Koirala). Despite Amar falling in love with Meghna, the feelings are not mutual.

However, when Amar is about to get married, mysterious Meghna turns up at his doorstep seeking help. Following the success of Dil Se.. (1998), Preity Zinta has featured in lots of hit movies opposite King Khan.

Namely, motion pictures include Kal Ho Na Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006).

On November 02, 2019, Preity Zinta took to Twitter to wish SRK a happy birthday, tweeting:

Happy Birthday @iamsrk?From Dil Se till now u never cease to amaze me.I always learn something new when ur around. All I wanna say is ThankU 4 ur big heart,ur madness,the way u inspire me & 4ur wicked sense of humour.Wish u loads of love, happiness,success & good health always?? pic.twitter.com/teTgSYHUYp

— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 2, 2019

“Happy Birthday @iamsrk From Dil Se till now u never cease to amaze me. I always learn something new when ur around.

“All I wanna say is ThankU 4 ur big heart, ur madness, the way u inspire me & 4 ur wicked sense of humour. Wish u loads of love, happiness, success & good health always (heart emoji).”

The first screen appearance of Preity Zinta was applauded by both fans and critics alike. As a matter of fact, Pretty won the ‘Best Debut (Female)’ award at the 44th Filmfare Awards (1999).

Hrishitaa Bhatt – Asoka (2001)

Indian actress and model Hrishtaa Bhatt made her debut in the epic historical drama film Asoka (2001). She plays the role of Maharani Devi, the first wife of Asoka Maurya (Shah Rukh Khan). The centre point of this story shows the life of Emperor Asoka.

Young Asoka works on himself to improve and perfect his skills in battle. At the same time, he is dealing with family disputes. His mother Rani Dharma (Subhashini Ali) urges young Asoka to escape in order to stay alive.

On his escape, he comes across Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor Khan). He falls in love with her but he has to use his learnt skills so that he can protect her.

When approached in the fashion show Shahnaai, Hrishitaa comments on wanting to share screen space once again with SRK:

“I really hope so, because Shah Rukh has been one of my favourite actors, co-stars, a wonderful human being.

“I think he will always be my favourite and I would surely want to share screen space one more time with him.”

Although Hrishitaa did not get much success from Asoka (2001) personally, she later found her breakthrough with the crime-drama Haasil (2003). After her debut, Bhatt has experimented and has been involved in many films.

She has actively been part of Bengali-language, Hindi-language, Kannada-language, Marathi-language, Nepali-language, Persian-language, Punjabi-language, Telugu-language and Urdu-language films.

Titles include Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), Jigyaasa (2006), Raam (2006), Mrs. Sen (2013), Dhol Taashe (2015), and Happi (2019).

Gayatri Joshi – Swades (2004)

Indian drama film Swades (2004) sees model-actress Gayatri Joshi enter Bollywood. Joshi illustrates Gita as a school teacher who wants to improve the education system for village children.

Swades (2004) revolves around Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan), a successful Indian scientist. He returns to Charanpur to take his nanny Kaveri Amma (Kishori Ballal) to America with him.

Whilst returning, he reunites with his childhood friend Gita (Gayatri Joshi), rediscovering his roots. On December 17, 2019, upon completing 15 years of Swades (2004), Gayatri recalls shooting involvements with SRK with Bollywood Hungama:

“Yes, he was quite patient. And indeed, we shot for an ad together of Hyundai and that’s where I first met him. And he’s a wonderful, wonderful person! Even today when we meet, we still have that special relationship in that sense.

“When we were shooting, he was always looking out for me. He’s very helpful and I was very lucky to have got an opportunity to work with him.

“Also, there was so much to learn from him. Then, he was at his peak. Yet, he was not having any starry attitude, despite being a superstar.

“Neither was he intimidating nor did he make anyone’s life difficult. I had heard from others that he’s great to work with. But when I worked with him, I realised that he’s even better than what people said.”

The well-executed performance by Gayatri in Swades (2004) saw her receive many honours. Joshi took home ‘Best Debut (Female)’ award at the 5th Bollywood Movie Awards (2005) and 8th Zee Cine Awards (2005).

She grabbed the ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ award at the 11th Star Screen Awards (2005) and the ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 1st Global Indian Film Awards (2005).

Since her wide success with Swades (2004), we are yet to see Gayatri back on our screens.

Deepika Padukone – Om Shanti Om (2007)

Entering the Bollywood space, Indian model, actress and producer Deepika Padukone plays a double role alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

Deepika portrays Shantipriya Kashyap Mehra (Shanti) and Sandhya Bansal (Sandy) whilst SRK embodies Om Prakash Makhija and Om Kapoor (OK).

Set in the 70s, fantasy melodrama Om Shanti Om (2007) follows the life of junior artist Om Prakash Makhija (Shah Rukh Khan). Unfortunately, he is murdered but is reincarnated in the present day.

Om tries to discover the mystery of his death and searches for the love of his previous life, Shantipriya Kashyup Mehra (Deepika Padukone). Speaking about her debut experience with SRK to Times of India on November 02, 2007, Deepika expresses:

“Oh yes, it was a great experience. I’ve grown up watching Shah Rukh and always admired him so much.

“To get to work with him, that too in my very first movie, is quite wonderful.”

“It was also fantastic that Farah (Khan) showed faith in my talent and cast me opposite him in my debut. It was fascinating again to interact with such a large number of stars on the sets of this film.”

The on-screen chemistry between Shah Rukh and Deepika Padukone was fabulous. In fact, their excellent performance saw them win the ‘Best Pair of the Year’ at the Screen Awards (2008).

Being highly admired by fans and critics, Deepika went on to claim many individual accolades for her role. Specifically, she won the ‘Best Debut (Female)’ at the 53rd Filmfare Awards (2008) and Producers Guild Film Awards (2008).

Additionally, she took home the ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ award at the 14th Screen Awards (2008) and the 10th Zee Cine Awards (2008).

Since her debut, she has paired with SRK on-screen in Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014), also making special appearances in Billu (2009) and Zero (2018).

Anushka Sharma – Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)

Indian actress and producer Anushka Sharma came into the Bollywood frame in the romantic comedy-drama Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ) (2008). RNBDJ orbits around Surinder Sahni (Shah Rukh Khan), a simple, clean hearted and honest man.

He goes on to meet Taani (Anushka Sharma), the total opposite to him but finds love in her. Taani paints her own life until a tragedy strikes which changes everything but brings Surinder and Taani together.

Office worker Surinder transforms into Raj Kapoor, a loud, fun-loving individual who tries to win Taani’s love. RNBJ (2008) takes the viewer on a journey of laughter, pain, dance and love.

After her debut film, she has showcased many hit movies with SRK. Movies include Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2013), Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and Zero (2018).

During the promotional activities for Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), on August 01, 2017, Anushka expressed to Culture Trip her experiences of working with SRK:

“I think with experience you obviously start to become more confident. When you work with someone like Shah Rukh Khan, and having known him for a few years now, the comfort level improves and I think that’s a big help.

“In general, I really just admire him as a person and an actor. I’m very grateful to him for showing me the kind of support he did on the set of my very first film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) and for being there and just helping me out.

“As a newcomer, I didn’t know much about how movies work or how one has to be on set and how you approach certain things.”

The matchup between Anushka and Shah Rukh in RNBDJ (2008) was superb. Sharma collected the ‘Best Debut (Female)’ award at the Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Awards (2010).

Mahira Khan – Raees (2017)

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan represents Aasiya Raees Alam in the action-crime film Raees (2017). Raees (2017) is pictured in the 80s/90s era in the state of Gujarat, India.

The story is centric of Raees Alam (Shah Rukh Khan), an individual who builds an empire in Gujarat. The story expresses his rise and relationships, which ultimately aids Raees in becoming the most powerful man of the state.

Mahira reveals to the Pakistani publication Dawn the sheer magic of SRK:

“Shah Rukh Khan is magic really, honestly. He spoilt me for life. There’s nothing you can’t talk to him about and we’ve had amazing conversations.

“It’s so much fun to talk to someone who’s intelligent.”

“It’s not just about films, he can talk about anything! He was watching ‘Narcos’ while we were shooting, he can talk about books and history.

“Of course, I’ve always been a fan. But if you watch his interviews, you can tell he’s witty, smart. I think he’s hilarious, sometimes at my expense.”

We are yet to see Mahira Khan in another Bollywood motion picture after her presence in Raees (2017).

Throughout his career, Shah Rukh Khan has been able to share screen space and introduce many talented actresses into Bollywood.

We hope to see the King of Romance work again with the actresses that have made their Bollywood debuts with him.

We also hope SRK introduces more new faces, whether that be alongside him on-screen or behind the camera and/or other cinematic ventures.

As the saying goes, Picture Abhi Baaki Hai Mere Dost!