On the occasion of Asoka's 25th anniversary (October 26, 2001–2026), Bollywood Hungama spoke exclusively with Rajesh Naik, 66, about an extraordinary encounter with Shah Rukh Khan during the period drama's filming in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Rajesh Naik, who had relocated to Jaipur in the early 2000s to manage Excel Industries Ltd operations, received an unexpected call from Ravi Indulkar, Shah Rukh Khan's personal makeup artist and a mutual friend. Indulkar invited Naik to join them for breakfast on set. Naik agreed, and Shah Rukh invited him to return for breakfast every day during the remaining seven days of the shoot schedule. Despite initial hesitation due to work commitments, Naik accepted and attended all seven breakfasts. Shah Rukh treated him with exceptional warmth, addressing him as "Sir" and asking if his office team would like to visit the film set.

Naik's team, consisting of 17 members, visited the shoot on a Saturday to watch a battle sequence being filmed. Shah Rukh extended hospitality by arranging food and allowing some team members to visit his vanity van and meet him personally. Naik recalled that the encounter had a measurable impact on workplace morale and productivity, with the team's sales increasing by approximately 24% that year, which Naik attributed to the motivation gained from the experience.

Naik also shared a story Indulkar had told him: when Shah Rukh learned that his assistant's mother had passed away during filming, he flew to Mumbai to pay respects and offer financial support, returning to Jaipur immediately without most of the crew knowing about it. Naik characterized this as typical of Shah Rukh's considerate treatment of everyone on his team. Naik later obtained a photograph with Shah Rukh, in which the actor placed his hand on Naik's shoulder at his request.