Actor Aamir Khan had once asked superstar Shah Rukh Khan to offer him guidance on how to smoke in front of megastar Amitabh Bachchan. During a press meet a couple of years prior in front of Thugs of Hindostan’s release, Aamir Khan had talked about what advice Shah Rukh gave him. He also shared how later during their shoot in Malta, Amitabh Bachchan had asked Aamir about his conversation with Shah Rukh.
“I went to meet Shah Rukh when we were shooting in the same studio and I asked, ‘Shah, do you smoke in front of Amit ji? I mean I’m a smoker, so tell me how it works. Are you allowed to smoke in front of him? Shah Rukh said, ‘Ya, ya no problem. You can smoke. I smoke in front of him.’ So I asked further, ‘Have you ever asked him?’ He said, ‘No, I have not but he never stopped me so…’ I said, ‘I am feeling nervous, if I smoke for the first time and he looks at me? I’ll not know what to do. First, you start smoking at a distance then every day keep coming a little closer to him. So smoothly you get into it,” Aamir said at a press meet as quoted by News18.
Aamir then recalled that later during his shoot in Malta with Amitabh, on one occasion they chose to go for a film. As they decided to stroll to the theater, Amitabh asked Aamir about his chat with Shah Rukh. Aamir recalled Amitabh asking him, “Aamir I heard you met Shah Rukh, and that you were asking him if you can smoke in front of me?’ I was like, ‘Sir, who told you this?’ He said he met Avinash (Gowariker; photographer) and he told him. He was most amused.” Aamir then asked Amitabh, “‘So sir what’s your answer?’ He said, ‘You can smoke in front of me but it’s not good for your health.’ ‘Sir, did you smoke?’ ‘Yes, I used to’.”