Shah Rukh Khan’s Hotel Meeting with Mukul Rohatgi for Aryan’s Case

A Father’s Plea: Shah Rukh Khan and Mukul Rohatgi’s Hotel Meeting

The 2021 drug-on-cruise scandal that led to the arrest of Aryan Khan was a shockwave to the entire Indian society when the personal crisis of a father had become a national spectacle. The act of Shah Rukh Khan was more than that of a superstar, in the middle of this crisis, it was the desperate act of a father struggling to save his son. This battle was won when he was able to recruit one of the most eminent lawyers in India, Mukul Rohatgi. What is now known about their secret meeting in a hotel in Mumbai informs us about the extreme personal touch and planning that went into getting Aryan bail.

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The Reluctant Advocate and a Father’s Appeal

Mukul Rohatgi is a former Attorney General of India and a very popular senior advocate who was on a holiday in the UK when he was initially contacted regarding the Aryan Khan case. At first, he declined, not wanting to shorten his vacation on what he deemed as an ordinary bail case.

But the incessant and very personal charm of Shah Rukh Khan made him change his mind. As an indication of his utter desperation, the actor addressed the wife of Rohatgi and asked her to persuade her husband to accept the case. He once said to her, I am not asking you as a star, I am asking you as a father. This emotional appeal turned out to be the climax with the wife of Rohatgi nagging him to take the case.

A Hotel Meeting: The Fusion of Star Power and Legal Acumen

Shah Rukh Khan went an extra mile to make sure that the legal strategy was perfect with the consent by Rohatgi. The performer even entered into the very same hotel where the senior advocate was staying in Mumbai. It was not an accidental meeting but a business session. Rohatgi has now admitted that he had been impressed by the participation of Shah Rukh.

The actor was well equipped and had notes and points to make on the case showing a sharp intellect and keen insight into the legal case at hand. It was a special teamwork in that a film star, who normally identified with his characters on the screen, joined hands to defend his son in a legal case, and shared the same legal counsel with one of the most outstanding legal experts in the country.

Crafting the Winning Strategy

The legal strategy was highly nailed down during the hotel meeting. Rohatgi discovered that Shah Rukh was keen and intelligent as they went through the notes which he had prepared. The deliberations went further than the first work which was done by the rest of the lawyers.

As a team, they carefully made the arguments that were going to be tabled in Bombay High Court. Their approach was aimed at the inability to find a strong case against Aryan, in the fact that drugs were not discovered on his person. They also wanted to demolish the case of conspiracy as put forward by the prosecution which held Aryan in prison. It was this secret gathering and not the media stir that led to the successful bail plea that ensued.

From Hotel Room to Courtroom: A Quick Victory

This planning in the hotel room was soon compensated. Having defended Aryan Khan over two to three half-days in court, Mukul Rohatgi could manage to bail him. The bail was a huge win and the termination of an over three weeks long stay of Aryan in custody. This quick fix emphasized how the legal approach worked and how crucial the intervention of Rohatgi who was persuaded by the appeal of Shah Rukh was. After the bail, Rohatgi immediately resumed his vacation in the UK and the case was still running, later Aryan was acquitted with a clean chit by the NCB in 2022.