Tigmanshu Dhulia Recalls Making Tea For Shah Rukh Khan In 1994

April 2, 2025: Indian actor, writer, and director Tigmanshu Dhulia recently reminisced about a memorable moment in his early career when he served tea to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Best known for his role in Gangs of Wasseypur, Dhulia shared the nostalgic memory from 1994, a time when he worked as an assistant to renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

Dhulia recalled how, after completing Bandit Queen, Shekhar Kapur had stayed in Mumbai for about one and a half to two years before moving on to international projects. In this period, he started working on multiple film projects, including one titled Maut Se Jo Darte Nahin featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Suniel Shetty. However, many of these films were eventually shelved.

Dhulia went on to share a fun anecdote from those early days, where he found himself making tea for Shah Rukh Khan at Kapur’s flat while they were working on the script. “I remember, I made tea for Shah Rukh in the microwave. I didn’t even know how a microwave worked at that time. Shekhar ji told me, ‘Go, make tea.’ That was the first time I saw a microwave. I still think I must have made the worst tea for Shah Rukh,” he laughed.

In the interview, Dhulia fondly recalled the simplicity of that moment, adding, “This happened in 1994, and I still feel like I made really bad tea for him.”

On the professional front, Tigmanshu Dhulia earned international acclaim for his biographical film Paan Singh Tomar, which premiered at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival. The film went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2012. Dhulia is also well-known for his portrayal of Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur.

This heartwarming recollection from Dhulia reminds us of the early, humble days of some of Bollywood’s biggest stars.