Shah Rukh Khan Supplied Samosas at NSD as a Child, Recalls Pankaj Kapur

Veteran actor Pankaj Kapur has shared a little-known story from Shah Rukh Khan’s childhood, revealing that the future Bollywood superstar once supplied samosas to theatre artists at Delhi’s National School of Drama (NSD) when he was around 10 years old.

Speaking on the Kindle Cast YouTube channel, Kapur looked back on his student days at NSD in the mid-1970s and recalled seeing a young Shah Rukh regularly around the institution’s canteen.

“Those samosas were supplied by no other than Shah Rukh Khan. He was a little boy, 10 years old at that time,” Kapur said.

He added that either Shah Rukh’s father or uncle was associated with running the canteen during that period.

The anecdote offers a glimpse into Shah Rukh’s early years long before he became one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars. Years later, Kapur and Shah Rukh would share screen space in Rajiv Mehra’s 1995 action thriller Ram Jaane, a coincidence that makes the memory even more striking in hindsight.

A Childhood Rooted in Delhi’s Theatre Culture

Shah Rukh’s connection with NSD runs much deeper than a childhood memory. His father, Mir Taj Mohammed Khan, was a Delhi-based restaurateur who owned the popular eatery Khatir in Safdarjung and was also associated with managing the mess at NSD. Following his father’s death in 1981, Shah Rukh’s mother, Lateef Fatima Khan, continued running the family business until her passing in 1990.

The actor has previously spoken about spending a significant part of his childhood at the drama school. After finishing classes, he would often head to NSD and wait for his sister, Shehnaz Lalarukh Khan, before returning home. Those hours exposed him to some of the finest names in Indian theatre and acting.

In a 2014 interview, Shah Rukh recalled growing up among performers he admired deeply. “I was a very cute child and my entire childhood was spent there in the laps and roaming around with arguably India’s finest actors,” he said.

Learning From Theatre Legends

The atmosphere at NSD introduced Shah Rukh to artists who would later become some of the most respected figures in Indian cinema and theatre. Among them were Pankaj Kapur, Raghubir Yadav, Raj Babbar, Nadira Babbar, Naseeruddin Shah, Rohini Hattangadi and Anupam Kher.

Shah Rukh has credited these actors with shaping his understanding of performance long before he received formal training. He recalled watching countless rehearsals and stage productions, experiences that inspired his own ambition to become an actor.

“I have watched all their plays and rehearsals for months. I have only grown up wanting to be an actor growing up watching these actors. They have taught me how to act,” he said.

The actor has often spoken fondly of Raj Babbar, whom he affectionately called “Babbar sher uncle.” Babbar introduced him to acclaimed plays such as Tughlaq, Razia Sultana and Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda. Shah Rukh also remembered watching Raghubir Yadav perform and sing during rehearsals, memories that remained with him long after childhood.

From Theatre Corridors to Global Stardom

Shah Rukh’s early exposure to theatre continued when he joined Barry John’s Theatre Action Group in Delhi. During those years, actors associated with NSD, including Raghubir Yadav, helped young performers refine their diction, pronunciation and stagecraft. Future actor Manoj Bajpayee was also part of the wider theatre ecosystem that influenced Shah Rukh’s formative years.

The story shared by Kapur highlights how closely Shah Rukh’s journey was intertwined with Delhi’s theatre culture before television and cinema transformed his life. What began with afternoons spent in NSD corridors and helping around the canteen eventually evolved into one of the most successful careers in Indian entertainment.

More than three decades into his film career, Shah Rukh remains one of the industry’s biggest stars. His 2023 releases Pathaan and Jawan emerged as major box-office successes, yet anecdotes such as Kapur’s serve as reminders of the humble beginnings that shaped the actor long before global fame arrived.