Says Manoj Kumar after SRK along with wife Gauri paid a hush-hush visit to personally apologise to the yesteryear star, reports Shubha Shetty-Saha
MUMBAI: Yesteryear star Manoj Kumar was seething with anger and contemplating legal action against Shah Rukh Khan not even 48 hours ago. But now all's forgiven and forgotten, and now he is all praises for King Khan.
The turnaround came after SRK's surprise visit to the actor's house, in a bid to personally apologise to him.
For those not in the loop, Manoj Kumar was deeply 'humiliated' by a spoof on him in Shah Rukh Khan's latest home production, 'Om Shanti Om'.
After having realised that he has hurt the veteran actor's feelings, SRK along with the director of the film, Farah Khan hurriedly called a press conference and publicly apologised to him. He also promised to visit him for a personal apology.
However, After Hours carried a story last Tuesday, that SRK had failed to go to Manoj Kumar's house and this had further infuriated the actor. But all that is now history.
SRK more than made up for it, when he gave a surprise visit to his house along with wife Gauri, Yash Chopra and Farah Khan.
Recounting the experience, Manoj Kumar says, "I was having my soup at around 8 in the evening when someone told me that my dear friend Yash Chopra has come. When my wife opened the door I was so pleasantly surprised to see Shah Rukh, Gauri and Farah accompanying him."
According to Manoj Kumar, even though the visit lasted for more than two and half hours, in which everybody "laughed a lot", they strangely didn't discuss the burning issue in hand.
Kumar says with a smile, "Shah Rukh did try apologising and I told him, if you even say sorry, I will be angry. It was like a family reunion." Interestingly, Manoj Kumar's relationship with SRK goes back to his childhood.
Kumar says, "Shah Rukh's father was a freedom fighter and so was my mother-in-law, Savitaben. Both have worked together at some point. Later when my mother-in-law became a member of the parliament, Shah Rukh's mother used to
assist her."
Kumar remembers getting a phone call from Shah Rukh Khan about a decade ago. "He told me he has many pictures of mine along with his mother and himself. He said, "As a child I would accompany my mother to your mother-in-law's house whenever I knew you would be coming to Delhi. That's how I have so many pictures of you with me." To this Manoj Kumar laughed and said, "Now that you are a super star, I need to take your appointment now."
Adds Kumar, "We all knowingly or unknowingly commit blunders. But one who repents is a good soul and I salute such people. I told Shah Rukh that even though he is of my son's age, he is like a brother to me."
On that emotional note, all's well that ends well.
