Pathaan: Did you know Aamir Khan's sister Nikhat Khan played Shah Rukh Khan's foster mother in Siddharth Anand film?

Marking Shah Rukh Khan’s return to the big screen after more than four years, the spy thriller “Pathaan” hit theaters on January 25, opening to a stellar reception with a worldwide gross of over Rs 100 crore. Alongside Khan, the film features Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the leading roles.

Aside from a cameo by Salman Khan, which was announced by Salman himself in December 2021, revealing Shah Rukh’s cameo in his “Pathaan” avatar in “Tiger 3” on the same date, the Siddharth Anand-directed film also has a connection to Aamir Khan.

Aamir’s real sister, Nikhat Khan Hegde, portrays Shah Rukh Khan’s foster mother in two significant sequences set in Afghanistan. This isn’t her first appearance in Bollywood, as she has previously featured in films like “Mission Mangal,” “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior,” and “Saand Ki Aankh,” among other films.

Nikhat has garnered praise from audiences for her scenes with Shah Rukh Khan, with one Instagram user commenting, “Soo amazing mam, my favorites in one frame,” along with two heart emojis, while another wrote, “Humari Nikhat.”

“Pathaan” is part of the YRF Spy Universe, which includes “Ek Tha Tiger,” “Tiger Zinda Hai,” and “War.” The fifth installment in the franchise, “Tiger 3,” directed by Maneesh Sharma, who previously directed Shah Rukh Khan in the 2016 action-thriller “Fan,” is slated for release later this year on Diwali 2023.