Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan’s love for cinema clearly goes far beyond starring in films. The superstar once spent Rs 6.84 lakh to acquire two rare, original posters of the 1960 classic Mughal-e-Azam, proving that when a piece of Bollywood history catches his eye, he doesn’t hold back.

Film archivist and author SMM Ausaja revealed the details during his appearance on The Pooja Bhatt Show. He shared that SRK didn’t stop with the two prized posters and walked away from the auction with nearly 12 to 13 pieces of valuable film memorabilia.

The auction, held in Bangkok, also saw Anil Kapoor enter the bidding war. His interest, however, had a deeply personal connection. Anil’s father, producer Surinder Kapoor, had reportedly worked as an assistant on Mughal-e-Azam, making the items more than just collectibles for the actor.

Ausaja also spoke about Bollywood’s poor record when it comes to preserving its cinematic past. While the industry often celebrates classics on anniversaries and social media, he claimed only a handful of stars genuinely invest time and money in protecting old posters, photographs and other artefacts.

Farah Khan and Riteish Deshmukh are among the few names he praised. Farah reportedly collected and preserved rare posters connected to her father, filmmaker Kamran Khan, while Riteish is said to own an extensive archive of vintage film posters.

At a time when priceless pieces of Indian cinema continue to disappear, SRK’s expensive haul wasn’t merely another superstar purchase. The King of Bollywood was quite literally buying a piece of its history