Shah Rukh was ready to do an ad for Rs 6 lakh for which Aamir Khan insisted on Rs 25 lakh payment. SRK was living in a rented accommodation at that time and needed money to buy a house.

Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. (Photo: Aamir Khan/Instagram)

Shah Rukh Khan made a cameo appearance in Aamir Khan’s last film Laal Singh Chaddha. (Photo: Aamir Khan/Instagram)

Renowned advertisement film director Prahlad Kakkar, known for his work with iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan, recently shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story about shooting a commercial with Aamir Khan when he was a budding actor.

Prahlad Kakkar revealed details about an old Pepsi commercial during an interview with Zoom. This particular ad featured Aamir Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. When Kakkar was in search of an actor for the commercial, Aamir Khan’s name was suggested. However, Aamir, who had recently achieved success with his debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), demanded a substantial sum of Rs 25 lakh for the endorsement.

Interestingly, when Shah Rukh Khan was approached for the same advertisement, he, despite being an equally big star, asked for just Rs 6 lakh. Kakkar explained that at the time, SRK was living in a rented property and was looking to buy a house but fell short of the required amount.

Despite the substantial difference in fees, Kakkar was more inclined to cast Aamir Khan for the ad and ended up shooting another commercial with Shah Rukh Khan. Kakkar further revealed that initially, Aamir was reluctant to do the commercial because, during that era, it was perceived that actors turned to commercials when their film careers weren’t going well. However, Kakkar persuaded Aamir by assuring him that the ad would elevate his status as an actor. “It will make you bigger as an actor,” he told Aamir.

Take a look at the old commercial featuring Aamir, Mahima and Aishwarya:

Ultimately, Aamir agreed to do the commercial but insisted on a fee of 25 lakh. The ad also featured Mahima Chaudhary and Aishwarya Rai, and Aishwarya’s one-shot performance in the ad quickly propelled her to fame. Kakkar recounted receiving numerous phone calls asking who “Sanju” was, referencing Aishwarya’s character in the ad. He said, “Overnight, Aishwarya became famous as I got 1000 of phone calls asking me who is ‘Sanju’?”