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Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently spoke about his fond relationship with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan during a candid chat with entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath. Speaking about his early visits to India, Sarandos shared that Shah Rukh was one of the very first Indian celebrities he connected with — long before Netflix dropped its breakout Indian series 'Sacred Games' back in 2018.

Netflix's Ted Sarandos on his relationship with Shah Rukh Khan

When asked to name his favourite Indian celebrity, Sarandos didn’t hesitate to mention Shah Rukh Khan. “Early in coming to India, I met Shah Rukh Khan right away. He hosted a very nice dinner for me, and we hit it off immediately. I’ve come back since, with my wife, and we’ve had nice times together. We visited each other in Los Angeles when his son was in school. So, having dinner with Shah Rukh Khan in India is much different than having dinner with him in Los Angeles,” he recalled.

Shah Rukh’s son Aryan Khan is also set to debut with his project 'The Ba**ds of Bollywood', which will stream on Netflix soon.

Sarandos on working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

In the same interview, Sarandos also expressed admiration for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his ambitious Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. According to him, the project was unlike anything he’d seen before in India’s OTT space.

“Doing Heeramandi was probably one of the most creatively interesting projects I’ve ever worked on in India. He (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) came in with his very big vision, almost like it was a dare. I dare you to make this, it’s so big. And remember, he’s a cinema legend. So, the idea that he was gonna make a TV show is almost unheard of. I think he came for us to say no. And when we said yes, it was a complicated production,” Sarandos said.

What’s next for Shah Rukh Khan?

Following a successful 2023 with blockbuster releases like Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki, Shah Rukh Khan is currently filming King. The action-thriller is being directed by Siddharth Anand and stars SRK’s daughter Suhana Khan along with Abhishek Bachchan.