Every actor remembers their first day on a film set, but for Saharsh Kumar Shukla, that memory comes with an extraordinary twist. Long before audiences embraced him as the unforgettable Sahil "Bevda" Awasthi in Chhichhore, the actor found himself sharing his very first professional scene with the late Irrfan Khan in Knock Out. What began as a chance audition during his days at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, turned into an experience that would shape his journey as an actor.
Looking back, Saharsh recalled how he almost didn't take up the opportunity, believing he simply wasn't ready for it.
"I wasn't even planning to go for the shoot. I was in my second year at the Pune Film School. I was walking in from the main gate with my bags when I saw the film's casting director, Abhishek Banerjee—Abhishek bhai—sitting under a tree with some of my seniors. They suggested, 'Hey, let's test him too.' I had no idea what was happening; I didn't even know what an audition was—I was just a second-year student. But Abhishek bhai took me aside and auditioned me; I just did whatever they asked me to do.
"The very next day, I got a call while I was at the FTII, watching a film screening. They told me I'd been selected and that my scene was with Irrfan Khan. I was stunned. I said, 'I can't go there. What would I do there? I don't know anything yet; I'm still learning.' My seniors almost scolded me, saying, 'People struggle for years to get work and you're starting with Irrfan. Just go.' They even reminded me I'd get paid.
"A batchmate packed a bag for me with a few clothes and I rushed to the location near Magarpatta. I was terrified. I couldn't even find where I was supposed to change. Then suddenly everyone started saying, 'Irrfan is coming... Irrfan is coming.' I saw him—tall, handsome—and gathered the courage to walk up to him. I introduced myself and said, 'Sir, I have a scene with you. I'm still a student. Please guide me because I don't really know what I'm doing.'
"He simply smiled and said, 'No, no... it'll be fine. We'll manage it somehow.' That one sentence calmed me down. During the scene, he was incredibly supportive. I somehow managed to perform it, and afterwards the director and the casting team were happy. Abhishek bhai even joked, 'You actually did it! I honestly thought you wouldn't be able to pull it off.' I was completely immersed in that moment. It was my very first job, and I couldn't have asked for a better beginning."
Asked what Irrfan Khan was like away from the camera—whether he was serious or playful—Saharsh said what stayed with him wasn't a particular personality trait, but the warmth with which the legendary actor treated a nervous newcomer.
"Oh, he was very concerned—concerned about me. When I approached him and said, 'Sir, I have a scene with you and I'm still a student, so please help me out,' he kept reassuring me, 'It'll be fine, don't worry.' He performed the scene with such warmth. We shot it from different angles, and it was my first time acting in front of such a big crowd on a professional set, but he handled everything so kindly.
"The whole scene went well, and afterwards he even gave me his phone number. I remember calling him after I shifted to Bombay, and he said, 'I'm out right now. I'll call you when I'm back.' He was a genuinely caring person who guided me through that scene with so much affection. He understood that I was just a student—nervous, scared and anxious. Later I got another opportunity to work with him on Talvar, but Knock Out will always remain special because it was my first-ever professional assignment. He was truly a wonderful person."
Today, Saharsh Kumar Shukla has built an impressive filmography with acclaimed performances in Highway, Raees, Rangoon, Love and Shukla, Chhichhore, and most recently the 2026 Netflix drama Kartavya, where he portrayed Nirmal alongside Saif Ali Khan. Yet, despite the many milestones that followed, it is his first encounter with Irrfan Khan that continues to stand out—not because it launched his career, but because one of Indian cinema's finest actors took the time to ensure a frightened film student believed he belonged there.