Renuka Shahane Opens Up: Being Shah Rukh Khan’s First Heroine, Falling in Love with Ashutosh Rana Over a Landline, and Supporting the ‘Speak Marathi’ Movement

Mumbai: Actress and filmmaker Renuka Shahane recently appeared on the podcast ‘InControversial with Pooja Chaudhri’, where she candidly spoke about her early days with Shah Rukh Khan, her love story with Ashutosh Rana, and her views on linguistic and cultural respect. Recalling her time working with Shah Rukh Khan in the TV show Circus, she said, “Shah Rukh is the kind of professional everyone should aspire to be. He treats everyone equally on set — whether it’s a spot boy or the director.”Speaking about her relationship with husband Ashutosh Rana, she shared, “We fell in love over the landline — the good old MTNL days. Despite our differences, there was comfort and understanding between us.”

On supporting the ‘Speak Marathi’ movement, she stated, “It’s not just about speaking the language — it’s about respecting the local culture. Violence won’t help; empathy and willingness to understand will.”