Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos became candid about his relationship with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. During a chat with Nikhil Kamath, Ted explained how Shah Rukh was among the first celebrities he met when he arrived in India prior to the launch of the OTT platform’s first Indian series Sacred Games in 2018.
Shah Rukh Khan, the First Celebrity Netflix CEO Ted Met in India
Ted was asked to name an Indian celebrity who’s his ‘favourite,’ and he said that he shares a good equation with Shah Rukh. He recollected, “Early in coming to India, I met Shah Rukh Khan right away. He hosted a very nice dinner for me, and we hit it off immediately. I’ve come back since, with my wife, and we’ve had nice times together. We visited each other in Los Angeles when his son was in school. So, having dinner with Shah Rukh Khan in India is much different than having dinner with him in Los Angeles.” Shah Rukh’s son Aryan Khan’s The Ba**ds of Bollywood* will soon drop on Netflix.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi’ and Creative Challenges for Netflix
In the same interview, Ted mentioned that he was also bowled over by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his 2024 show Heeramandi, which he says felt like a ‘dare’. He said, “Doing Heeramandi was probably one of the most creatively interesting projects I’ve ever worked on in India. He (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) came in with his very big vision, almost like it was a dare. I dare you to make this, it’s so big. And remember, he’s a cinema legend. So, the idea that he was gonna make a TV show is almost unheard of. I think he came for us to say no. And when we said yes, it was a complicated production.”
Shah Rukh Khan’s Recent Films and Upcoming Projects
Shah Rukh last appeared in the 2023 movies Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki. He is currently filming King, starring alongside director Siddharth Anand, his daughter Suhana Khan, and Abhishek Bachchan.
