For someone who has spent 19 years slipping in and out of frames as Shah Rukh Khan’s cinematic twin, Prashant Walde carries his journey with a pinch of bruised glory. “I have events scheduled. I just finished with a shooting, and I have a shooting scheduled for tomorrow,” he told us, almost matter-of-factly.
His last big outings as SRK’s stand-in were Jawan and Dunki. “I haven't shot for ‘King’,” he clarifies. Yet his presence across SRK’s filmography is undeniable: “I have worked in 25 films with Shah Rukh Khan, and more than 800 advertisements.”
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When we pressed about his struggles, he recalls, “There was a time I didn't have money to buy milk for my child.” Injuries, too, have been part of the trade. On one shoot, a doctor warned him, “The injection I had in my leg might lead to amputation if not treated.” Walde still completed his stunt. “I had to rest for 4-5 months after the surgery, yet I took painkillers and continued shooting.”
“Representing such a big superstar means I have to keep a check on my diet and fitness… We have to give our hundred per cent, and successfully complete the work,” he added.
But who would he love to stunt for someday? Walde doesn’t hesitate, replies, “I personally like Tom Cruise very much. I would love to work with him if the opportunity arises.”
Walde’s journey began on Om Shanti Om, the film that introduced him to his “inspiration and Godfather”, the King Khan. “He corrects me every time I make a mistake. It is for him that I learnt what I know today,” he says. The bond is personal: “He never got angry on me. He sees me like a son.”
Notably, he worked exclusively for SRK, except for his independent film Premaatur. “I worked with Bill Gates last time,” he casually mentions, recalling a separate assignment.
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While sitting with us, Walde also recalls a hilarious moment with Amitabh Bachchan. “He thought that I was SRK, and started approaching me. After he came close, he realised. It was an Everest Masala ad,” he laughs.
