Nikkhil Advani recently revealed in an interview that Shah Rukh Khan put up a condition to director-producer Yash Chopra that he will work with Dharma Productions only if Nikkhil Advani were to direct his next film. Nikkhil said that he owes his career as a director to the superstar.

In a conversation with Cyrus Broacha on YouTube, Nikkhil said, “Shah Rukh went to Yash Johar and said, ‘I will do another film with Dharma Productions only if Nikkhil directs it.’ I owe Shah Rukh a lot — I owe him my entire career as a director.” Nikkhil earlier served as an assistant director on Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and went to debut as a director with Kal Ho Naa Ho, which is written by Karan.

Nikkhil also shared how Shah Rukh reacted upon reading the script of Kal Ho Naa Ho. “Shah Rukh read the first page, glanced over the interval point, and then skipped to the last page. He didn’t read the entire script. He simply said, ‘I know Karan has written it, and you’re directing it, so I’m in good hands,’” Nikkhil added.

Kal Ho Naa Ho released in 2003 and also starred Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in pivotal roles. It became a massive hit upon release while also garnering critical acclaim for its heartfelt emotions.