Shah Rukh Khan Uncovers The Story Behind His Iconic Pose

Shah Rukh Khan, famous for his signature open arms pose, recently shared the story behind its creation at the Locarno Film Festival. The pose, which has become iconic since the 1990s, originated from a moment of struggle during a dance rehearsal.

At the festival, Shah Rukh Khan explained that the pose was born out of a challenge he faced with a particular dance step choreographed by Saroj Khan. “I couldn’t do that and I felt very ashamed. All night I (practised) the dance step. In the morning I came (to the set) and the choreographer, I remember it was Saroj ji, I said, ‘Ma’am, ready?’ She said, ‘Yeah, so you can’t do that (step) so just stand there and put your arms out.’ I said, ‘But Ma’am, I can do it (showing her he can now do the foot step).’ She said, ‘No, no, we don’t need it, it doesn’t look nice on you.’ She didn’t do the dip so I just put my arms out,” Shah Rukh recounted.

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He further described how the pose became a recurring element in his performances. “Again I went to another set and again it was a little difficult, I turned to the choreographer and said, ‘Can we cut it? Can I just put my arms out?’ And it kept getting arms out and I think because I was putting my arms out so much, I had to do it more intensely. Then I made it scientifically,” he added, before humorously admitting, “I am only fooling you all. There is nothing, it is just arms out.”

Shah Rukh Khan was honored with the prestigious Pardo Alla Carriera Award at the Locarno Film Festival, which took place in Switzerland on Saturday.