Before Ashima Chibber made her directorial debut, she worked as an assistant director on a few Hindi movies. Shah Rukh Khan's Chak De! India was a film
where she served as the first Assistant Director (AD). Recently, when Zoom sat for an exclusive interview with Ashima, the filmmaker shared a fond memory. The director recalled that she once told SRK 'We are going to Dutch' at dinner after Don was released.
Ashima Chhiber on fond memory with Shah Rukh Khan
In conversation with us, Ashima shared, "We were in Australia and Don had released. We went to see the film and we all left for dinner. All girls were there and Shah Rukh sir was also there. There was a big group of people. Everybody had dinner, and were chatting. It was time for the restaurant to close. Since I was the first AD (on Chak De! India), I asked for a bill. It was a big bill."
"I gave it to another colleague, (but) he said 'keep it away from me, I don't have that much money in my account'. I looked at it and Shah Rukh sir said, 'just give it to me.' He took it from me and I was like 'Sir, we are going to Dutch'. I think no one ever told him that let's split the bill. And he was like 'No, I am paying the bill'," she recalled.
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Continuing the chat, the director mentioned, "Now when I think about it, I wonder how I told sir that we will split the bill. He just couldn't believe it that anybody would even think of splitting the bill with him. I felt why should he pick up the bill? I felt we should pick up the bill as the film had released and we should treat him."
When Shah Rukh gifted a book to Ashima
As the chat progressed, Ashima recalled Shah Rukh's sweet gesture from Chak De! India days. The superstar gifted her a book, which she really liked but couldn't afford back then.
"I was an assistant on Chak De! India and we were doing an airport sequence where all the girls come to Australia for the first time. And we were waiting that as soon as the flight lands, we will get the camera ready. There were two hours for the flight to land. I love reading books, so I was just browsing through books. I saw a book that I really liked, it was about space and astronauts. I love to read about space I was standing there, and reading the book. After the plane landed, I had to keep the book. The bookstore person asked me 'do you want to buy it?' I looked at the price and kept it back on shelf," she mentioned.
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The next day, Shah Rukh surprised Ashima by gifting her the same book. The director still has it and considers the book as one of her prized possessions.
Ashima Chhiber on Shah Rukh Khan's National Award win
As the chat progressed, Ashima reacted to Shah Rukh winning National Award for the first time in 33 years. "I feel Shah Rukh sir is so good. He deserves an award for everything. If you see One 2 Ka 4 and Duplicate, they are fantastic (films). It's so difficult to do comedy like that and have kids, families laughing. We still watch those films. Der aaye, durust aaye. He deserves it for all. These are all stalwart actors, whose acting translates from oceans and seas and they go to America, Australia, China and Japan. (The win was) truly deserved," she said.
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