News movies bollywood Josh Actor Reveals Shah Rukh Khan 'Cut' His Scenes In The Film, Recalls Slipping Into DepressionJosh Actor Reveals Shah Rukh Khan 'Cut' His Scenes In The Film, Recalls Slipping Into DepressionPublished By :,Last Updated: August 22, 2026, 17:24 ISTActor Puneet Vashisht played a supporting role in Josh as a member of the Eagle gang, serving as a friend and sidekick to Shah Rukh Khan's character, Max.
He said, “Shah Rukh Khan as an actor… as an actor ki aulaad main unko dissect kar sakta hoon.
(Shah Rukh Khan as an actor… as the son of an actor, I can dissect him.
Tab toh ekdum nikal rahe the, toh beech main koi bhi aaye toh cut, cut, cut – halaal karo.
At that time, he was really rising, so if anyone came in between, it was cut, cut, cut – eliminate it.
News movies bollywood Josh Actor Reveals Shah Rukh Khan 'Cut' His Scenes In The Film, Recalls Slipping Into Depression
Josh Actor Reveals Shah Rukh Khan 'Cut' His Scenes In The Film, Recalls Slipping Into Depression
Published By :
,
Last Updated: August 22, 2026, 17:24 IST
Actor Puneet Vashisht played a supporting role in Josh as a member of the Eagle gang, serving as a friend and sidekick to Shah Rukh Khan's character, Max.
1 Quick Answer
Shah Rukh Khan's Josh co-star reveals his scenes were cut from the film
Shah Rukh Khan, Chandrachur Singh and Aishwarya Rai’s Josh, helmed by Mansoor Khan, is one of the most loved films of the 2000s. The 2000 romantic action drama, which also starred Sharad Kapoor and Priya Gill, continues to be remembered for its engaging storyline, memorable music and the performances of its lead cast. Actor Puneet Vashisht also played a supporting role in the film as a member of the Eagle gang, serving as a friend and sidekick to Shah Rukh’s character, Max. He has now opened up about his role, revealing that several portions featuring his character were eventually cut from the film.
While speaking to Ponnam Sachdeva on Dil Se Dil Ki Baatein, Puneet Vashisht said that he could “dissect" Shah Rukh Khan as an actor, especially from the perspective of being an actor’s son. He clarified that while he would not call SRK a “great actor", he considers him a creative and energetic superstar who knows how to entertain audiences. He said, “Shah Rukh Khan as an actor… as an actor ki aulaad main unko dissect kar sakta hoon. Main unko ek great actor nahi bulaunga, lekin ek creative, energetic superstar bolta hoon. Entertaining banda hai. Yeh jo phase dekha unho ne – yeh energy, creativity – hats off. (Shah Rukh Khan as an actor… as the son of an actor, I can dissect him. I wouldn’t call him a great actor, but I would call him a creative, energetic superstar. He’s an entertaining man. The phase he went through — that energy, that creativity — hats off.)"
He noted that the insider-outsider and nepotism debate was not as prominent back then. He said that while the seeds of nepotism had been sown and certain benchmarks were being set, it had not yet become as dominant as it is today, citing actors such as Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff.
Puneet went on to add, “Josh main kaafi kuch cut kiya. Main ne Shah Rukh bhai ko train kiya hai dance main. Woh mere energy se waakif the. Jab Mansoor Khan aise shot lagate the, SRK apni energy ke liye jaane jaate the. SRK 10-foot ke jump maarte the, main automatically jump maarta tha toh meri 14-foot ki jump hoti thi. Toh mere upar dhyaan ja raha tha, toh mujhe cut kar diya. Main unke jagah hota toh shayad main bhi karta. Par mujhe nahi lagta main waisa hoon. Tab toh ekdum nikal rahe the, toh beech main koi bhi aaye toh cut, cut, cut – halaal karo. Mera bachpana bhi tha. Josh se main ne bahut kuch paaya. Aaj bhi log pyaar karte hain. Main 20 saal ka tha jab Josh kiya tha. Chaar mahine ko hona tha, four and half months lag gaye. Meri immaturity yeh thi ki I focused on what I lost, not what I got. (A lot was cut from Josh. I had trained Shah Rukh bhai in dance, and he was aware of my energy. When Mansoor Khan would set up shots, SRK was known for his energy. He would do a 10-foot jump, and I would automatically jump – mine would be 14 feet. So the focus shifted to me, and I was cut out. If I were in his place, maybe I would have done the same. But I don’t think I’m like that. At that time, he was really rising, so if anyone came in between, it was cut, cut, cut – eliminate it. I was immature too. Josh gave me a lot, and even today people love it. I was 20 years old when I did Josh. It was supposed to take four months, but it stretched to four and a half years. My immaturity was that I focused on what I lost, not on what I gained.)"
Puneet Vashisht revealed that the groups and lobbies emerging in the industry at the time did not want his energy and talent to come into the picture, which led to him being sidelined. He said that despite having the talent and confidence, he struggled to find opportunities to showcase them, eventually slipping into depression and alcoholism. However, he now looks back at the difficult phase as a part of his journey and believes it was all part of the process.
News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit
Key Questions Answered Powered by Ask News18 What impact did the cut scenes have on Puneet Vashisht's career? The cut scenes from the film "Josh" caused Puneet Vashisht to slip into depression. Powered by Ask News18
First Published: August 22, 2026, 17:24 IST
