Atlee has revealed what CM Vijay told him when Shah Rukh Khan approached him for JawanThe filmmaker recalled the surprising reaction and advice that stayed with him.
Published: September 19, 2026, 12:42 PM IST
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Atlee with CM Vijay and Shah Rukh Khan (PC: Instagram)
For Atlee, getting a chance to direct Shah Rukh Khan was a major turning point in his careerBefore Jawan became one of the biggest films of his career, the filmmaker had already built a strong association with CM Vijay after directing him in films including Theri, Mersal and BigilAtlee recently looked back at that phase and revealed what Vijay told him when he shared the news about working with Shah Rukh.
Atlee recalls CM Vijay’s reaction to Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan offer
Atlee recently spoke about Vijay at the audio launch of Vijay Sethupathi’s upcoming film BaththaWhile talking about the role Vijay played in his journey, he recalled the moment he told his longtime collaborator that Shah Rukh Khan wanted to work with him.
Atlee said at the Baththa event, “The shirt, pants, and watch I wear today, I earned through hard workBut I also think it’s because of my anna, Thalapathy VijayWithout him there’s absolutely no chance…no chanceHe further said, “I was famous, I was doing wellBut that man gave me life back-to-back, Theri (2016), Mersal (2017) and Bigil (2019)”
Atlee had earlier shared the story in an interview with Hindustan TimesAccording to the filmmaker, Vijay was surprised when he heard about the opportunity and asked him, “Are you serious? He came to you?” Atlee confirmed that Shah Rukh had indeed approached himVijay then encouraged him to completely commit himself to the project.
For Atlee, the opportunity was especially significant as Jawan marked his Hindi directorial debutThe filmmaker had already established himself in Tamil cinema through his collaborations with Vijay before making the move to Bollywood.
What did CM Vijay tell Atlee before Jawan?
After hearing that Shah Rukh Khan had approached Atlee, Vijay gave him a simple piece of advice: “Vijay anna told me, ‘I don’t know what you are going to do, please go ahead and do that filmYour life will change.’ And my life changed.” Atlee has repeatedly recalled those words while speaking about his journey with Jawan.
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The filmmaker also credited Vijay for giving him opportunities that helped shape his careerAt a recent event, Atlee said he owed much of his journey to his longtime collaborator and recalled how their films together helped him grow as a filmmaker.
Atlee eventually took Vijay’s advice and immersed himself in JawanHe had previously said that when Shah Rukh offered him the film, he immediately saw it as a rare opportunity for any director.
Atlee on working with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan
Atlee has also spoken about how much he learnt while working with Shah Rukh KhanHe described the experience as a major learning curve, particularly when it came to patience, getting details right and taking a film to another level.
The filmmaker has credited Shah Rukh’s trust and creative inputs as important parts of JawanHe also revealed that the two had several creative discussions during the making of the film, with Shah Rukh leaving many decisions to him as the director.
Released in 2023, Jawan marked Atlee’s first Hindi film as a director and brought him together with Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara and Vijay SethupathiThe film went on to become a major box-office success and established a new chapter in Atlee’s career.
