- Before Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham were seen together in an advertisement for Pepsi.
- In 2007, the actors poked fun at each other.
- They vied for the attention of a teenager.
Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham first appeared together in a commercial before collaborating on the film Pathaan. In a 2007 Pepsi commercial, the performers made fun of one another as they competed for the attention of a teenager who was more interested in the soft drink than they were, which was being promoted in new packaging.
Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham are both upstaged in the nearly one minute-long commercial by a young person with attitude. The commercial begins in a cafe where Shah Rukh Khan and John are joking about and making fun of each other’s hair. A small youngster enters and makes a deliberate move in their direction after recognising the performers. Shah Rukh and John noticed the youngster, who was sporting an enormous casual clothing, and debated who should approach the boy first to get his autograph. Shah Rukh made fun of John’s physique, but the latter made it seem like the star didn’t know how to sign a signature properly.
They both stop grabbing the pen from each other’s hands as the boy approaches them and turn to smile at him. The young child then motions for his uncle to move aside and says, “Uncle, zara side dena.” After then, the actors separate, allowing a Pepsi vending machine to be seen behind them. Shah Rukh and John are surprised and ashamed when the youngster approaches the vending machine and retrieves his Pepsi can. Then, in Hindi, Shah Rukh spoke to John “He addressed you as uncle. That did not appeal to me at all.”
Next, Shah Rukh and John spot the same boy again at the cafe. As John gets ready to ‘hit him’ for insulting him the last time they met, the boy asked Shah Rukh if he was holding his Pepsi can. When Shah Rukh said yes, the boy replied ‘thank you, uncle’ leaving John in splits. Shah Rukh then said pointing towards John, “He said thank you (to me), and uncle (to you).”
