
Actor Puneet Vashisht, who played Ronnie alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the 2000 film 'Josh', has revealed that his role was significantly cut because his energy on set overshadowed the superstar. Speaking…
Actor Puneet Vashisht, who played Ronnie alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the 2000 film 'Josh', has revealed that his role was significantly cut because his energy on set overshadowed the superstar. Speaking on the podcast 'Dil Se Dil Ki Baatein', Vashisht said he had trained Khan in dance, and during shots, he would jump 14 feet while Khan jumped 10 feet. He said the focus shifted to him and he was cut out. He added that if he were in Khan's place, he might have done the same.

Vashisht said industry lobbies and what he called the 'trees of nepotism' avoided him after this, leading him into depression and alcoholism. He said he was immature at 20 and focused on what he lost, not what he gained. Both Times of India and NDTV report that Vashisht does not call Khan a great actor but calls him a 'creative, energetic superstar'.
Both sources report the same interview with nearly identical quotes, so coverage is uniform. Neither outlet editorialises or takes a side on Vashisht's claims about nepotism or Khan's alleged role in cutting his scenes. The story is a celebrity anecdote with no wider political or industry stakes beyond Vashisht's personal account. A careful reader should note that Vashisht himself says he would probably have done the same in Khan's position, which softens any implied criticism of the superstar. The interview's focus is Vashisht's retrospective acceptance of the situation, not a grievance.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.