‘He cleaned my shoes’, Sudhanshu Pandey recalls Jackie Chan’s humility, says Rajinikanth and SRK’s simplicity is no different

It’s always nice to hear accounts that remind us how often these “larger-than-life” stars end up being the most down-to-earth. Actor Sudhanshu Pandey, known especially for his role in Anupamaa, recalled lessons on humility he picked up from some of the world’s real icons: Jackie Chan, Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, and Jackie Shroff.

Jackie Chan’s unforgettable gesture

On Siddharth Kannan's YouTube channel, Sudhanshu recalled a moment on the set of The Myth when Jackie Chan, noticing a crew member hesitated, personally cleaned Sudhanshu's shoes (due to Sudhanshu's dirty feet). "Jackie Chan mere joote saaf kar raha tha! I told myself ‘Yeh kamaal hai’ " Sudhanshu said at that moment, he realized, and was reminded forever, that true greatness is about remaining humble no matter how important you become.

Working with the ever-humble Rajinikanth

Sudhanshu also had the chance to work with Superstar Rajinikanth in 'Robot 2.0'. Describing the Tamil icon as “divine yet deeply humble,” he said Rajinikanth would stand up to greet anyone within a ten-foot radius, never sitting until they did. “Despite achieving so much, he remains incredibly down-to-earth,” Sudhanshu recalled, adding that international fans rightly treat Rajini like a god.

Meeting Shah Rukh Khan and admiring Jackie Shroff

The actor even recounted a very short yet memorable moment with Shah Rukh Khan at Esha Deol’s wedding, referring to him as “a simple man at heart despite his global fame.” And he praised Jackie Shroff, calling him "a dharti putra,” or son of the soil, and praised Shroff’s commitment to environmental causes and genuinely being himself.

A lesson in staying true

Looking back on this, Sudhanshu noted their unpretentiousness in stark contrast to the usual overblown pretention in showbiz. “Success can make some arrogant but the test is about remaining authentic and grounded” he said. He was reminding me that beneath the glitz of stardom it’s humility that defines a star.