- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor congratulated Shah Rukh Khan on his first-ever National Award win for Jawan
- Shah Rukh Khan thanked Tharoor with a cheeky note on the politician's "simple" post congratulating the actor
- Khan's thank-you note had words like "magniloquent" and "sesquipedalian", straight from Tharoor's vocabulary
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's "simple" congratulations for Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on the latter's National Award win got a Shashi Tharoor-esque thank-you from Khan. Shah Rukh said he would not have understood something more "magniloquent and sesquipedalian" from the politician.
The 71st National Film Awards marked Shah Rukh Khan's maiden win in a 33-year career. On August 2, at the National Film Award annoucements, Khan was feted with the National Award for the Best Actor for his 2023 film Jawan.
A Shashi Tharoor-Style Response For An SRK-Style Wish
Shashi Tharoor, a man of fluent English and much eloquence, had a simple wish for Shah Rukh.
"A National Treasure wins a National Award! Congratulations @iamsrk!" wrote Tharoor on Twitter, now X.
The congratulations followed a thank-you note from Shah Rukh Khan, in Tharoor's own style.
Shah Rukh wrote, "Thank u for the simple praise Mr Tharoor... would not have understood something more magniloquent and sesquipedalian... ha ha (sic)."
Thank u for the simple praise Mr Tharoor…
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 3, 2025
would not have understood something more magniloquent and sesquipedalian… ha ha https://t.co/GHAhyCYT5S
For the ones with a non-Tharoor vocabulary, here's what the two words mean:
- magniloquent (adjective): using bombastic or high-flown language
- sesquipedalian (adjective): characterised by long words
First National Award In 33 Years
Jawan, the film that won Shah Rukh his first National Award in a 33-year career, was a breakout blockbuster of 2023. The film was directed by Atlee and starred Shah Rukh Khan in dual roles, as a father and his lookalike son.
Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi played the lead roles alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Deepika Padukone starred in a cameo as the younger Shah Rukh Khan's mother.
The 2023 blockbuster revolves around Azad, the jailer of a woman's prison, and is a vigilante who recruits inmates and commits acts that shed light on corruption in India.
Shah Rukh Khan's Thank-You Video After The Win
After his National Award win, Shah Rukh Khan took to social media with an arm in a sling, in front of a bookshelf, to thank the award jury and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for the honour.
Khan said in the video that he was overwhelmed with gratitude, pride and humility.
"To be honoured with the National Award is a moment that I will cherish for a lifetime. Thank you so much to the jury, the chairman and to the I&B ministry and to everyone who thought I was worthy of this honour. I want to thank all my directors and writers, especially for the year 2023."
He added, "So, thank you Raju sir, thank you Saeed and especially thanks to Atlee sir and his team for giving me the opportunity in Jawaan and trusting me to deliver and be worthy of this award."
"Responsibility, Not Just Achievement"
Shah Rukh also said that the National Award wasn't just about achievement.
"It's a reminder that what I do matters. It tells me to keep going, keep working hard, keep creating and keep serving cinema. In a world full of noise to be heard, truly heard is a blessing. And I promise to use this recognition not as a finish line but as fuel to continue striving, learning and giving life," said the actor.
Khan called the National Award a reminder that acting is not just work, it's a "responsibility".
Shah Rukh Khan is currently busy working on his next film, titled King, which also stars his daughter Suhana, and actors Deepika Padukone and Abhishek Bachchan as part of the cast.
As per reports, Shah Rukh's arm in a sling is the result of an injury on the set of King, and he is currently recuperating.
