‘Bete ko hath lagane se pehle...' dialogue in 'Jawan' was not part of script: Dialogue writer Sumit Arora

Shah Rukh Khan's now famous dialogue 'Bete ko hath lagane se pehle, baap se baat kar' (Before touching the son, deal with the father) in Jawan wasn't part of the script initially, says the film's dialogue writer Sumit Arora.

The dialogue had instantly caught the attention of Shah Rukh's fans when it was first shown in action-entertainer's trailer that was launched a week before its release on September 7. Many fans on social media have linked the dialogue, which was spoken by the superstar's character Vikram Rathore in the climax, as a response to the arrest of his son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case in October 2021. Aryan was granted bail after spending 25 days in jail and later given a clean chit.

Detailing how the dialogue became a part of the movie, Arora said it was incorporated in the film on the day of the shoot.

'It’s a story that will make you believe in the magic of movie making. That line was never there in our draft originally. The ‘moment’ where SRK sir’s character says the line was always there and we all knew that it is a powerful moment even without a dialogue. But while shooting, it was felt that there should be a line, that this guy should say something,' the writer said in a statement.

'I was there on the set, so I was called in, and the first words that came out of my mouth given the situation were: 'bete ko hath lagane se pehle, baap se baat kar'. It felt like the most obvious and most apt thing he should say at that moment. It just fits (in). Director Atlee and SRK sir both felt it’s correct and the shot was taken,” he added.

Directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee, the movie features Shah Rukh in the role of Vikram Rathore and his son Azad. The movie highlights various social and political issues through the story. Arora said the team didn’t expect that the dialogue would resonate with people in such a way.

'The way SRK sir delivered it gave us goosebumps. But we never thought that that line would become such a huge hit and would resonate with people in this way. As a writer, you can only write a line but its destiny goes on to write itself,' he said.

Arora’s upcoming projects include Kabir Khan’s Chandu Champion featuring Kartik Aaryan, and Raj Nidimoru & Krishna-directed Indian version of Citadel.

Jawan, a pan-India film, also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi as well as Deepika Padukone in a special appearance. It was released worldwide on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

It has amassed over Rs 600 crore gross at the worldwide box office. A Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, 'Jawan' is produced by Gauri Khan and co-produced by Gaurav Verma.