Arshad Warsi reflects on Jeetendra’s timeless advice: ‘Fame and failure will fade one day’

Arshad Warsi, who earned widespread acclaim for his performance in ‘Jolly LLB 3,’ continues to actively expand his filmography with numerous upcoming projects. Celebrated for his unforgettable portrayals such as Circuit in ‘Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.’, Jolly in ‘Jolly LLB’, and Adi in ‘Dhamaal’, he recently reflected on his experiences navigating Bollywood and the effect that fame has had on him. He also opened up about the crucial guidance he received from veteran actor Jeetendra during difficult moments, along with sharing valuable lessons on success from Shah Rukh Khan.

No auditions and valuable advice from Jeetendra

During his conversation with Raj Shamani on his podcast, Arshad revealed that he's never auditioned for any of his roles, not even for characters like Circuit or in the ‘Golmaal’ series. He said, "Never in my life. Wherever I did give an audition, I was thrown out. A little bit of arrogance had crept in. I felt like the world was my oyster. During this time, I met Jeetu ji. He told me, ‘You are a good actor. All of this will fade someday. Stay strong during that time.’ I wondered why he was saying this to me. Then, two of my films turned out to be big flops. Slowly, all the films faded away.”


Shah Rukh Khan’s renewal and humility

The focus then turned to Shah Rukh Khan, whose stardom keeps growing with each passing decade. When the host inquired about what sets him apart, Warsi praised Khan’s skill to constantly reinvent himself. He stated, “You see, today, there’s a whole new Shah Rukh Khan that has come out. Once you had a lover boy, and today you have an action hero. Now this requires intelligence. At the end of the day, no matter what you do, you are a product that you are selling. And how well you sell yourself is what is required." Arshad also expressed admiration for SRK’s down-to-earth nature, sharing a recent meeting: “He is a wonderful person; he is polite. I met him just now and did a little work for King. I told him, ‘You’ve spoiled me. Now I’m going to compare every human being to you.’"

Upcoming film ‘King’ and star-studded cast

On the work front, Arshad is gearing up for his next big film, ‘King,’ directed by Siddharth Anand. The story is about a powerful don, played by Shah Rukh Khan, who lives in the criminal underworld. He mentors a young woman, played by his real-life daughter, Suhana Khan, helping her survive in this dangerous world. The movie also stars Abhishek Bachchan as the villain, Deepika Padukone as Suhana's mother, and other popular actors like Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, and Rani Mukerji. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and Siddharth Anand’s Marflix Pictures, ‘King’ is one of the most awaited Bollywood films because of its exciting story, big star cast, and thrilling action scenes.