Long before Shah Rukh Khan became one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, he was simply the charming schoolboy known for winning over classmates and teachers at St. Columba’s School in Delhi. Singer Palash Sen, who was his senior by a year, recently looked back at their school days and recalled a friendship that he described as “inseparable”, even though the two eventually drifted apart after leaving school.Palash spoke fondly about Shah Rukh and said the actor had a natural ability to win people over even during his school years. “We should all learn about charm from Shah Rukh. Not just the students, he was such a hit with the teachers also. The teachers did not like anyone else as much as they liked Shah Rukh. He was my junior, but we were very good friends. I had never seen such a charming, ambitious, and efficient person,” he said in a conversation with YouTube channel Kadak.Palash recalled Shah Rukh as an all-rounder who participated in several activities, but joked that there was one “flaw” he had, singing. The singer revealed that he would often lend his voice to Shah Rukh during school plays. “It is quite rare to witness such a complete person,” he said.While the two were extremely close during their school years, their paths gradually separated once they left school. Palash said they would occasionally cross paths at parties or shows, but their meetings became increasingly rare.He explained, “We met very rarely after school, like at some parties or shows, but it was very rare. People might think why they didn’t meet if they were such good friends but he is my friend and whenever I meet him, he will still be my friend,” he said.Despite the distance that developed over the years, Palash said there was no change in the affection and respect he felt for his former schoolmate. He expressed pride in everything Shah Rukh has accomplished since those early days, saying, “Whatever he has achieved in life, I am just proud. I am always so happy.”Palash had previously shared another glimpse into their school friendship during an interaction with Curly Tales. Recalling their shared interest in sports and various co-curricular activities, he said, “Shah Rukh was my schoolmate, and my mate at all the co-curricular activities. We were into sports, debating, quizzing, everything. We were always together. The one thing he couldn’t do was sing. I did that for him. There was a musical that we did, he had a role in it but he could not sing. I was standing in the wings and I was singing for him. He was one of my closest friends when we were in school,” he said.Palash also remembered how certain Shah Rukh was about his future, even at a young age. While Palash was expected to pursue medicine, Shah Rukh was already clear about wanting to become an actor and make it big.“He knew he wanted to be an actor, and be huge. He was very sure. But with me, it was education. I was supposed to be a doctor… Everything that I am today is because of this school. I was supposed to be a doctor… Everything that I am today is because of this school. This is the school which made me. And if you ask Shah Rukh, he’d say the same thing,” he said.Both Palash and Shah Rukh eventually carved out successful careers in the entertainment industry, with Palash fronting the band Euphoria and Shah Rukh establishing himself as one of Hindi cinema’s most prominent stars. Despite their shared school history and decades in the industry, however, the two have never collaborated professionally on a project.
