The King of Bollywood was touched by his 'sweet' gesture.
By Curated by Yousuf Saifuddin Kapadia
Published: Fri 11 Nov 2016, 2:53 PM
Last updated: Sat 12 Nov 2016, 8:07 AM
It was only a matter of time when even Bollywood stars would take notice of the recent internet sensation - the handsome green-eyed Pakistani chaiwala.
The young 18-year-old tea seller became an social media star after his random click by a passer by photographer, Jiah Ali, first went viral in Pakistan and then the world.
Within hours the young boy from Pakistan's Mardan city became a global internet hit.
When asked by a local media channel which star he thinks he resembles, the soft spoken Arshad Khan replied shyly, "Shah Rukh Khan."
And now, after nearly a month of the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh himself has come across the interview, after he was tagged by a fan on Twitter.
Shah Rukh responded to the sweet comment with this tweet:
Arshad is still coming to terms with this new found fame and finds "It was all very baffling," who has blue-green eyes, a wiry physique and a trim moustache. Khan is an ethnic Pashtun, a people living mostly in Pakistan and Afghanistan who sometimes have light skin and eyes, a testament to the region's history as a cultural crossroads of trade, conquering armies and colonialism.
He hails from Kohat and had been making tea at Islamabad's Sunday Bazaar for three months until he was discovered by Ali.
"I have not thought about (acting in) movies, because it's not been done by anyone in our family," he said. Acting in films, he said "is not honourable work.
"Pashtuns always look for work that is honourable... If I can find some clean, honourable work, I will certainly do it."
Even if he did have acting aspirations, his opportunities may be limited by the escalating tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India. There have already been calls in India for a ban on Pakistani actors and actresses in the country's giant Bollywood film industry.
Despite his lack of interest in acting, Khan said he has come to enjoy his sudden - albeit possibly brief - moment of fame: "I came to know this morning that I am very good looking," he said.
"All these people are coming and taking pictures and videos of me."
Reluctant at first, the one of 18 siblings, decided to accept a modeling offer from a local garments retailer.
The chaiwala has refused to do films, saying that it was not an 'honourable job'.
Recently, he also got his big break into commercial advertisement. His advertisements for Superpower Motorcycle have taken the online world by storm, and have gathered praise for his rugged looks in a biker jacket and helmet.
Here's a look at the instaphotos that changed Arshad's life forever:
iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
