'Mera beta apna pehla kadam rakh raha hai': Shah Rukh Khan gets emotional introducing Aryan Khan on stage

Shah Rukh Khan turned emotional as he welcomed his son Aryan Khan on stage for the first time, ahead of Aryan’s directorial debut. The actor, addressing the media in Mumbai, urged fans and industry insiders to give Aryan not just support, but more love than he himself has received in three decades of work.

While introducing Aryan, Shah Rukh folded his hands and expressed gratitude. “Main bohot shukraguzaar hoon Mumbai ki is pavitra dharti ka, is desh ki pavitra dharti ka, jisne mujhe mauka diya ki main aap logon ko 30 saal tak entertain karne ki koshish kar sakun. Aaj bohot khaas din hai, kyunki isi pavitra dharti par mera beta bhi apna pehla kadam rakh raha hai. Bohot accha ladka hai,” he said.

He then requested blessings for his son’s journey. “Toh aaj jab woh aapke saamne aayega, aur agar aapko uska kaam accha lage, toh uske liye taaliyan bajaiyega. Aur un taaliyon mein thodi si dua bhi rakhna, thodi si prarthna bhi rakhna. Aur jaise ki maine aapse pichli baar kaha tha, jo pyaar aap logon ne mujhe diya hai, uska 150% aap use dena,” he added, drawing loud applause from the audience.

For Aryan, this marks a significant first step in the industry, not as an actor but as a creator and director. Unlike his father and sister Suhana Khan, who stepped into acting, Aryan has chosen the director’s chair.

His project, The Ba**ds of Bollywood*, has been in the works for over a year. Created and directed by Aryan, with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan as co-creators and writers, the show is backed by Red Chillies Entertainment. It reportedly explores the chaotic and often unpredictable world of strugglers, dreamers, and hustlers in the Hindi film industry.

The cast includes Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Sahher Bambba, Manoj Pahwa, Mona Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Vijayant Kohli, and Gautami Kapoor.

For Shah Rukh Khan, known for keeping his family largely away from public launches, the moment was both personal and professional. His emotional words signalled not just a proud father’s blessing, but also a public handover to a new generation of storytelling.