Prashant Walde is not a regular Shah Rukh Khan doppelgänger. An official body-double for the 'Badshah of Bollywood', he has starred in 15 SRK movies and nearly 800 advertisements since his first appearance in the SRK-Deepika Padukone starrer 'Om Shanti Om.'
While sitting for an exclusive interview with News Ei Samay, Prashant Walde reveals how Shah Rukh Khan has left an indelible mark on his life.
Where did Prashant Walde start?
“My first film was Om Shanti Om, where I met my inspiration and Godfather, Shah Rukh Khan. It was in 2007, and the affair has continued since. I started learning things slowly after being with Shah Rukh Khan. He corrects me every time I make a mistake. It is for him that I learnt what I know today,” Walde told us.
Walde said that the last films that he shot for SRK were ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki.’ When asked if any other fimstar has ever confused him for Shah Rukh Khan, Walde chuckled and replied that it has happened multiple times. “We were shooting an advertisement with Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan). He thought that I was SRK and started approaching me. After he came close, he realised that I wasn’t the actual one,” he said.
In what capacity does Prashant Walde work for Shah Rukh Khan?
When asked about the nature of his work for Shah Rukh Khan, Prashant Walde said, “I work as a body-double for Shah Rukh Khan. Our looks are similar. Production takes shots accordingly. They use me in production, lighting. They use it wherever my face is not explicitly revealed. I work to save Shah Rukh Khan's time. That's why I am useful to the production. I also perform normal stunts.”
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How has Shah Rukh Khan influenced him?
Badsha's go-to body double said that he was motivated by SRK to make a movie. “I made an independent movie named 'Premaatur', inspired by Shah Rukh Khan. COVID had struck by then, and we decided to make the movie. We released the movie in 500 theatres, and I acted in it. I wrote the film, and some of my friends came together to produce the movie,” Walde said.
“It's been 19 years since I have been working with Shah Rukh Khan. I have spent the maximum amount of time on this. There were times when we spent 18-19 hours on set. The shoot continues once it starts. Sometimes we have to shoot movies and advertisements simultaneously. I shuffle through several sets as Shah Rukh Khan has a paucity of time.”
