Actor-director Tigmanshu Dhulia has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Dil Se (1998) and Zero (2018). In a recent interview, Tigmanshu shared his experience of working with the superstar. He praised SRK for his humility and values. Tigmanshu recalled the time the actor used to sleep on the bus floor in the absence of vanity vans during Dil Se. “He is such a humble person. I can't even tell you. I could see this even during Dil Se, and he was already a big star at that time. When we were shooting in Ladakh, there were no vanity vans and SRK would sleep on the bus floor during lunch hours,” Tigmanshu told Mashable India. Tigmanshu Dhulia was a dialogue writer in Dil Se.
Tigmanshu Dhulia added, “Shah Rukh would take a nap there during lunch for 30 minutes. But we (crew members) had things on the bus, so we would keep going in and out. Sometimes, we would go over to him to get a jacket or something, but he never objected to anything. He never said no one can enter the bus when I am sleeping. He could have done that. He is the star of the film. If he wants to sleep for 30 minutes, he should get that time undisturbed, but that never happened."
Tigmanshu Dhulia also had a cameo in the movie. The Mani Ratnam film also featured Manisha Koirala. The film marked the Bollywood debut of Preity Zinta.
After Dil Se, Tigmanshu Dhulia worked with Shah Rukh Khan in his home production Zero. Talking about his time on the set, Tigmanshu said, “During Zero, it was his home production, and there were many other actors there. Shah Rukh was so respectful towards everyone. He would pick chairs for everyone and ask them if they had lunch. Yeh sanskar hain uske (These are his values). It's his manners that make him great.”
Tigmanshu Dhulia played SRK's father in Zero. The film is directed by Anand L Rai and features Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma in key roles.