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Bollywood’s iconic trio — Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan — made a rare joint appearance at an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they spoke candidly about their enduring stardom, friendship, and their respective journeys that have defined Hindi cinema for over three decades.
The three superstars, often hailed as the “Khans of Bollywood”, appeared together on the stage during a session at the Joy Forum 2025 on Friday.
Salman, known for his trademark humour and straight talk, downplayed the idea of stardom and said the three of them never considered themselves “stars”.
"None of us call ourselves stars. Some journalists may write ‘Salman Khan, star’ or ‘Aamir Khan, super duper star’, but we don’t believe in it at all. At home, we are just like everyone else. I still get yelled at by my father and mother,” he said.
“It’s the people we work with — the directors, DOPs, writers — and the audiences who make us who we are. They’re the ones who turn average, mediocre people like me into what you see on screen,” Salman, 59, added.
According to Shah Rukh, the stardom is because of the emotional connect that they have with the fans.
"Aamir is extremely organised, perfectionist as they call him... He works very hard trying to tell a story. Salman has his freewheeling way to come in and work because it comes from the heart. I try to amalgamate both of these. But at the end, the core value that the three of us, all other stars and lots of other stars who will come along the way, there is a emotional connect that our films have.
"Maybe it is our culture or maybe we belong to India... there is a familial connect somewhere, whatever be the story. If I'm playing good guy, bad guy, happy guy, poor guy or rich guy, whatever character we are playing, I think the culture part of it and the emotional connect transcends boundaries of language and platforms," he explained.
The actor, who will turn 60 on November 2, said he is on the "duty of serving audiences".
"I always make sure they get entertainment, and I am forever grateful for the love and support my fans have given me over the last 35 years... I look up to these guys. Look at me, I’m still looking up to Salman! They are aspirational and inspirational, and I feel really grateful to sit on the same stage with them," Shah Rukh added.
Aamir reflected on how destiny and timing shaped their careers and saying it is impossible to explain "how or why we became stars".
"Perhaps all three of us were fortunate to be born in India, where we could be a part of Hindi cinema. Had we been born somewhere else, we wouldn’t have been here,” the 60-year-old said.
“It’s about opportunity, being in the right place at the right time. Of course, everyone works hard, but many factors work in your favour that are beyond your control,” Aamir added.
In one of the most viral moments from the session, Salman pointed out that both he and Aamir hail from film families. "But this man here (SRK) didn’t — he came from Delhi," he said.
To this, Shah Rukh responded, “Salman, I’m sorry, but I also come from a film family. Salman’s family is my family. Aamir’s family is my family.” Aamir quipped, “Now you know why Shah Rukh is a star,” drawing an applause from the audience.
He also said among the three of them, he is probably the "most reluctant star". "I like to stay in the corner. I don’t like the limelight on me — I’m not comfortable with that," Aamir said.
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Shah Rukh later teased the possibility of a long-awaited collaboration among the three.
"It’s been too long I’ve been humble... I’ve been too nice, too kind. I have to say, if three of us are in a project, it is a dream itself. Hopefully not a nightmare... Inshallah, whenever we get an opportunity, a story, we’re always sitting, whenever Aamir, Salman, and myself, we get together... I feel thankful to be on the same stage with them," he said.
Salman teased him and said, "So, Shah Rukh has this one thing. He keeps saying over and over again… I want him to say that here. Try and say that here that nobody can afford us three in a film together. Say it." Shah Rukh replied, “I don’t want to say it in Saudi because everyone will get up and say, ‘Habibi, done, done, done!’ Affordability isn’t just about money — it’s about time, eccentricities, and the way we work. We joke so much that any director will have to tell us to start working!” Aamir said the three of them feel emotionally ready to come together for a film.
"It's just a matter of coming across the right script. So hopefully... it's going to be the script that's going to be the most important for the three of us," he said.
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