Actor Niki Aneja Walia, who has featured in TV shows such as Gharwali Baharwali and Astitva, met with a near-fatal car accident on the sets of a serial in the year 2000. In a recent interview, she recalled how superstar Shah Rukh Khan helped her during that difficult period in her life. Niki also revealed that it was because of SRK that she was able to uncover the truth behind the show’s production manager’s “carelessness” that led to the accident.
During a chat with Buzzzooka Prime, the host referred to Shah Rukh as Niki’s close friend, but the actor clarified that they were merely acquaintances. “He has been my friend, my colleague. But, you all need to please stop thinking that he is my best friend,” she said.
Niki Walia and Shah Rukh Khan have worked together on several live shows. She was also supposed to play the female lead in Shah Rukh’s Yes Boss (1997), but had to step down due to personal reasons.
Recalling the horrific incident where she was run over by a car, Niki shared how Shah Rukh Khan realised the crash was caused by an untrained driver. She said, “I was in such a bad state. I was in the hospital for over a month. He was shooting in Film City at that time, and he had witnessed certain things, so he wanted to meet me personally and know how I was doing.”
The actor added, “He also wanted to ask me if this was actually an accident or someone’s carelessness. He gave me some information. It was his goodness that he didn’t come till 12:30 am because there was paparazzi outside the hospital. There were rumours that I wasn’t well. Some even said that I was dead, and that was very disturbing. So, Shah Rukh wanted to see the truth with his own eyes.”
While shooting for Devdas in Film City around the time Niki Walia was hospitalised, Shah Rukh Khan happened to witness the exact vehicle involved in the incident. “He also wanted to tell me the reality – he saw a man learning how to drive on Khandala bridge. He was shooting for Devdas at that time and his car got blocked for a moment because that man was learning how to drive a car,” she said.
The veteran actor continued, “When he heard about my accident and realised it was the same red Maruti van, he knew it wasn’t a simple accident. After he gave me the news, I asked around and got to know that it happened because of the carelessness of a production manager. He picked a non-driving common man for the scene because the per day artiste couldn’t come. He thought of teaching driving to that man then and there, right before the shoot. Instead of a brake, that person pressed the accelerator, so the car didn’t stop and it ran over me.”
Shah Rukh Khan’s intervention also helped Niki Walia seek financial compensation for the accident. “Shah Rukh came to give that news to me. I used to do live shows on world tours with him, so I was friends with him. And, he has a big heart and he felt that I should know this. It helped me claim money from the producers. All my 5 TV shows during that period had gone off air. Paying those bills for over a month became easier for me because of SRK,” she concluded.
On the professional front, Niki was last seen in Bhai Tera Star Hai, starring Raghav Juyal and Niharika NM in lead roles.