Ridhi Dogra, who played the role of Kaveri Amma in Atlee’s 2023 blockbuster Jawan, has candidly shared her conflicted emotions about portraying Shah Rukh Khan’s godmother in the film. While the opportunity to work with the superstar and director Atlee thrilled her, Ridhi Dogra admitted that playing a maternal figure to a screen icon she had admired for years was far from easy. She described it as emotionally jarring, calling it a “nightmare” for any true Shah Rukh Khan fan.
Speaking in an interview, Ridhi recounted her initial confusion and disbelief upon being cast in the film. She was invited directly to the set, unaware of what role she was being considered for, and discovered only upon arrival that she was to play Kaveri Amma in Jawan, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The role required her to portray the guardian of Shah Rukh’s character and despite her admiration for him, she struggled with the concept of being his on-screen mother figure.
Ridhi Dogra emphasised that her character was not technically his mother in the film’s narrative, Deepika Padukone played that role in a special appearance as Aishwarya Rathore, the mother of Shah Rukh’s character Azad.
However, since the filmmakers wanted to avoid labeling Deepika’s character as the mother explicitly, they introduced Kaveri Amma as a stand-in guardian. Ridhi explained that the younger portions of the story involved Deepika’s character, while her own role served more as a maternal presence in Azad’s later life.
Despite her hesitations, Ridhi Dogra eventually accepted the role, driven by a mindset of seizing the moment and not letting go of an opportunity to work on such a grand-scale project. She admitted to being in a “funky headspace” at the time and ultimately convinced herself that it was worth being part of a film directed by Atlee and headlined by SRK, even if it meant embracing a role that emotionally unsettled her.
Describing her experience on set, she shared that being in Shah Rukh Khan’s presence was surreal but also somewhat painful due to the nature of her role. As someone who grew up idolising him, acting alongside him in a motherly capacity felt wrong. She even joked that she now needs another project with him, one where she can share the screen differently, to redeem that memory and reset the experience in her mind.
Ridhi Dogra also praised Deepika Padukone, calling her “fantastic” and “empathetic”, and revealed that nerves got the better of her during the shoot because of the film’s massive scale and star-studded cast. Ridhi further expressed regret at not being able to spend quality time with Shah Rukh Khan after the film’s release. She recalled that he hosted a party at his residence Mannat but she didn’t get a chance to approach him during the celebration.
Jawan featured Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role and brought together a powerhouse ensemble including Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra and others. Deepika’s appearance as Azad’s mother was pivotal to the emotional core of the film, while Ridhi Dogra’s portrayal of Kaveri Amma served as a symbolic and emotional anchor for the central character.
