Celebrities

Javed Sheikh reveals he refused fee for ‘Om Shanti Om’

Name: Javed Sheikh reveals he refused fee for 'Om Shanti Om'
Uploaded: 2026-07-22T05:17:24-05:00
Description: Veteran actor Javed Sheikh revealed that he initially refused to accept a fee for his role in the Indian

Veteran actor Javed Sheikh revealed that he initially refused to accept a fee for his role in the Indian film Om Shanti Om, calling it an honour to work alongside Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. However, Sheikh revealed, filmmaker Farah Khan and Shah Rukh insisted on paying him.

In an interview, Sheikh reflected on playing Shah Rukh’s father in the 2007 blockbuster, recalling how welcomed and appreciated he had felt throughout his time on set. “We don’t stay in touch, but we had a great friendship when I was there. The time I spent with Shah Rukh during Om Shanti Om was excellent, superb,” the actor said.

Discussing salary negotiations, Sheikh said he never intended to charge for his work on the film. He stated, “Farah Khan wanted me to play Shah Rukh’s father and they started discussing my fee. I said, ‘Money? I won’t take it.’ They said that was impossible.” The actor added, “I told them it was such a big honour that, out of everyone in India, they had chosen a Pakistani actor to play Shah Rukh Khan’s father. Money wasn’t important.”

Sheikh shared that he eventually offered to accept a symbolic payment, recalling that he had said he would take one rupee. However, he noted, “When Farah and Shah Rukh found out, they refused. They wanted to return the goodwill, so they gave me a very good deal.”

The actor also praised Shah Rukh for the respect and care he showed him on set. “He also took so much care of me. That was unbelievable,” Sheikh said.

As the conversation shifted towards the actor’s early struggles in the entertainment industry, Sheikh revealed that it took him nearly a decade to establish himself despite his passion for acting. He stated, “When I became a hero, my family was happy, but my father was very strict. I used to run from school to Radio Pakistan because I loved performing. Once I got a striped shirt from somewhere in Karachi and when my father saw it, he ripped it apart and said, ‘You want to be a hero?'”

Sheikh revealed that his father’s support often depended on the success of his films. “When I became a hero, he hugged me and said, ‘Wow, my son is a hero.’ Then if my film flopped, he would tell me to leave this profession and do something else.” To reassure his father, the actor took on other jobs, including a clerical one, while he continued to pursue acting. “I thought I would follow my passion on the side,” he stated.

After his debut film Dhamaka (1974) failed, Sheikh shared that he landed a small role in a television drama that gave him hope. Saying he only had a two-line role, the actor revealed that when his name was announced for the part, his father looked at him with shock.

Recalling one of the most painful setbacks of his career, Sheikh shared that during the making of Bivi Ho To Aisi (1982), the producers considered replacing him because distributors were unwilling to buy the film due to his earlier box office failures. “They called me to a hotel for a meeting. There were around 10 to 15 people there. They told me the film wasn’t being bought because it had flop actor Javed Sheikh from Dhamaka.”

The rejection left him devastated, the actor said, revealing that he cried because of it. Five years later, however, Sheikh said his fortunes changed with the hit drama Ankahi, which gained popularity across Pakistan and India, helping revive his career.

The actor concluded by reflecting on the outlook that guided his career: “I focus on what I can do, not who is in front of me. I never had jealousy in me. I just knew I had to keep getting better.”

The veteran actor has remained active in both film and on television screens, with his recent projects including Delhi Gate, Aag Lagey Basti Mein alongside Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa, and the drama Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum.

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Firdous Jamal said, “I didn’t say anything against Shah Rukh Khan. I admire him; he’s a great actor and an extension of Dilip Kumar. Every actor has a school of thought. I belong to the Dilip Kumar school of thought. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan are different. Different actors take inspiration from different people, while I take inspiration from actors like Dilip Kumar, Muhammad Ali, Agha Talish, and Alauddin. An actor’s beginning and foundation involve learning from others. Man is a mimicry artist; from Adam till now, we have been copying and learning everything. It’s not a bad thing. Learning is a great skill; it’s not a negative thing. It’s the nature of man. Also, Mahira Khan is not my issue. Don’t make her my issue. Neither is she my wife nor a family member, so why are you dragging her into it? It’s good that people like her.”

Firdous Jamal had previously said that Shah Rukh Khan was not a good actor and that comparing the two did not make sense. He had criticized SRK’s pronunciation and diction and said that his physique was also not up to the mark. According to Firdous Jamal, Shah Rukh Khan is a far bigger star than he is an actor

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Pakistani celebrities demand justice for toddler raped, murdered in Karachi

Pakistani celebrities have condemned the rape and murder of an 18-month-old child in Karachi’s Qayyumabad, calling for swift justice, stronger child protection measures and greater awareness of risks children may face from people within their homes and families.

From Frieha Altaf to Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Baloch, several public figures shared messages of grief and outrage, urging authorities to ensure accountability while highlighting the need for increased vigilance to safeguard children.

Actor and host Frieha Altaf questioned the country’s unrelenting crime rate, saying “none of this is new news.” “I’m sick to my stomach. An 18-month-old child gets raped and murdered by a relative in Qayyumabad, Karachi. A truly heinous crime committed,” she wrote. She warned that many cases of child sexual abuse involve people known to the victim.

“Sadly, parents trust friends, neighbours, domestic staff with their young sons and daughters. The biggest percentage of child sexual abuse comes from people you know and trust! As a survivor of this abuse, and the goodwill ambassador of Sahil NGO, I urge all parents to take more care with such decisions. Also, if your child tells you of any such incident or inappropriate touching, please believe them. Children don’t lie!” she added.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui also shared his reaction on Instagram.

“How depraved have we become? An 18-month-old baby. Eighteen months. The accused is reportedly just 17. That doesn’t lessen the horror; it deepens it. Feeling disgusted and heartbroken. There are no words left. Only rage, grief and shame that we have come to this.”

He concluded by praying for “swift and uncompromising justice” for the child and strength for the grieving family.

PHOTO: adnansid1/Instagram

Screengrab: adnansid1/Instagram

Several other celebrities, including Aiman Khan, Mariyam Nafees, Ahsan Khan, Srha Asghar, Zhalay Sarhadi and Ayesha Omar, also shared messages expressing grief and demanding justice.

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Rubina Ashraf Breaks Her Silence On The Reality Of Postpartum Depression

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Talking about it, Rubina Ashraf said, “As a society and as a social setup, we need to understand that pregnancy, postpartum, and pregnancy blues are real. No one knew about these things because there was no concept of them. The story ran for years that it is the job of every woman to give birth to children and that it is something normal, no matter how difficult it was for them or how they individually dealt with it. But now, people need to understand that when a girl is pregnant, her skin, body, and everything else is changing. Despite the happiness, she can suffer from anxiety, which is very real. If she is not taken care of and looked after, she can go into a really bad state of depression. The support and compassion of a husband are important from pregnancy to postpartum because it is a difficult time for a woman. You need care because it can become impossible for you to manage multiple tasks during pregnancy.”