Mumbai, August 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is gearing up for his upcoming film King, had once opened up about the deeply personal reason that kept him away from Kashmir for several years despite numerous opportunities to visit the Valley.
An old clip from the quiz-based reality show Kaun Banega Crorepati has resurfaced online, featuring Shah Rukh speaking to host Amitabh Bachchan about his Kashmiri roots and a promise he had made to his late father.
Shah Rukh recalled that his paternal grandmother was from Kashmir and that his father had asked him to visit three places in his lifetime — Istanbul, Italy and Kashmir. However, there was a condition attached to Kashmir.
He said his father had told him to visit Istanbul and Rome without him, but not Kashmir, as he wanted to show him the Valley himself.
Shah Rukh said his father died at an early age, after which he travelled extensively around the world but continued to stay away from Kashmir. Even when friends invited him and his family visited the Valley on holidays, he chose not to go.
The actor said the decision had nothing to do with political or geographical considerations, but was driven by his emotional attachment to his father’s wish.
That changed when filmmaker Yash Chopra told him that they would shoot his next film in Kashmir. Shah Rukh said he initially found it difficult because he had always imagined experiencing Kashmir with his father.
However, he eventually decided to visit the Valley with Chopra while filming Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
The 2012 film, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, marked Yash Chopra’s final directorial venture. The veteran filmmaker died in October 2012, making Jab Tak Hai Jaan his last collaboration with Shah Rukh.
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