With the bad blood drained out, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are cordial with each other once again, exchanging pleasantries and even going for early morning bicycle rides together. Naturally, some observers began to wonder when, and not if, the duo would stretch this reunion to the silver screen.
Sure enough, an online cinema website soon claimed that Khan could be making a special appearance in the Salman Khan-starrer Tubelight. Apparently, the cameo was first offered to veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, but the actor-turned-politician could not take it up. Director Kabir Khan then reportedly approached Shah Rukh Khan.
Now, it is well known that Shah Rukh Khan isn't averse to doing cameo appearances, particularly for friends. In fact, he has performed a cameo appearance in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which is directed by his buddy Karan Johar and is currently running in theatres across India.
What further excited fans of both Shah Rukh and Salman is that they could be sharing screen space after 10 long years. Like many other stars, Salman Khan had also put in a brief appearance in the Shah Rukh-starrer Om Shanti Om (2007). The duo were last seen together in starring roles in the 2002 film Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam.
But after Om Shanti Om, things went rapidly downhill and there was much acrimony between the stars. Reports suggested they nearly came to blows at actress Katrina Kaif's birthday party in 2008. Kaif was once rumoured to be Salman Khan's girlfriend.
The stars only made up a couple of years ago at an Eid party hosted by Baba Siddique, a local politician in Bandra, the part of Mumbai where both Salman and Shah Rukh live. Following this, Salman Khan even invited SRK, as Shah Rukh is popularly known, to his TV show Bigg Boss.
So the anticipation of fans for a reunion of the two ageing superstars on the silver screen is understandable. However, when Cinestaan.com got in touch with filmmaker Kabir Khan, the Diwali bomb fizzled out in an instant. Khan rubbished the online report and said there was no move for Shah Rukh Khan to perform a cameo in Tubelight. And that, as they say, is that.