Shah Rukh Khan’s 2018 film Zero, in which he portrayed a man with dwarfism, may have attempted to break new ground in Hindi cinema — but for actor and comedian Lilliput, it fell short.

In a recent interview with Red FM Podcasts, MM Faruqui, also known as Lilliput, did not hold back in his criticism of SRK’s performance, going so far as to say the Bollywood superstar “tried to copy” Kamal Haasan’s iconic role in Appu Raja and failed to leave any lasting impression.

Lilliput critiques Zero’s reliance on visual effects

Lilliput, who himself has dwarfism and has long worked in film and television, explained why Shah Rukh’s portrayal in Zero failed to resonate with audiences — particularly those who are dwarfs themselves. According to him, the performance lacked authenticity and relied too heavily on visual effects rather than physicality or emotional nuance.

“You will make him look smaller technically. We know you are good-looking and cute, so our impression of what you are ends there. We are not looking at a dwarf, we are looking at a hero who has been made to look like a dwarf via visual effects. And what is your script trying to say?” he remarked.

He also stressed that while acting as a blind person or someone with other disabilities can be done convincingly by sighted or able-bodied actors, portraying a dwarf requires more than cosmetic trickery. “Dwarfs are just like anyone else — our hand movements, emotions, and thoughts are normal. The only difference lies in the body. So how will you act that out?” he asked.

Comparison of ‘Zero’ to ‘Appu Raja’

Lilliput’s sharpest criticism was reserved for the perceived attempt by Shah Rukh to emulate Kamal Haasan’s performance in the 1989 Tamil classic Appu Raja or Apoorva Sagodharargal, where Haasan played a dwarf with both emotional depth and physical realism.

“You look at Appu Raja’s intelligence. Kamal Haasan remained original and also picked out the details of the physicality of a dwarf person. Dwarfs are a little distorted — their fingers are smaller, a little thicker, arms, face, and feet are different. When you are not able to leave an impact, then why are you making it?” Lilliput said.

He didn’t mince words in his comparison. “You are copying Kamal ji. And you are not even equal to the dirt on his feet.”

About ‘Zero’ movie

Directed by Aanand L. Rai, Zero starred Shah Rukh Khan as Bauua Singh, a vertically challenged man from Meerut navigating love and identity. The film also featured Anushka Sharma as a cerebral palsy-afflicted scientist and Katrina Kaif as a troubled actress. Despite its high-profile cast and ambitious story, the film failed to make a mark at the box office and received mixed reviews, particularly for its storytelling and use of digital effects.

Following Zero’s disappointing performance, Shah Rukh took a temporary hiatus from acting before returning with a string of successful projects, including Jawan (2023), for which he recently won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

About ‘Appu Raja’ movie

By contrast, Appu Raja was a box office phenomenon upon its release in 1989, running for over 200 days in theatres and becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of its time. Kamal Haasan, who played twin brothers including the dwarf Appu, earned acclaim for his committed and technically masterful performance. Haasan has won the National Film Award for Best Actor three times over his distinguished career.