Indian Stars Who Went Incognito: Shahid Kapoor’s Unusual Shoes, Akshay Kumar’s Killer Mask & More

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Nov 03, 2026 14:17 IST ⓘ

How Indian stars tried to escape recognition.

Being recognised everywhere sounds glamorous – until you want to watch a film, stroll through an old neighbourhood or leave an airport without becoming the evening’s entertainment. For Indian stars, a little anonymity can take surprisingly elaborate planning. Sometimes a mask does the job. Sometimes it requires a fake beard, a carefully timed exit or footwear with a rather unusual party trick. Shahid Kapoor recently supplied the latest addition to this celebrity survival kit. On ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’, he recalled owning shoes that, he claimed, disrupted flash photographs – and trying to impress Mira Rajput with them during their first meeting.

ALSO READ | My Film, My Terms! Indian Stars Who Set Unusual Conditions Before Saying Yes

His story, reported recently, sent us down a wonderfully entertaining rabbit hole: how do famous people disappear in plain sight? Here are 20 memorable examples.

1. Shahid Kapoor

Most people try to make a good impression on a first meeting. Shahid Kapoor apparently demonstrated his footwear. Mira recalled him asking her to photograph his shoes, then switch on the flash, during their first conversation. She was understandably puzzled about why this was supposed to be impressive.

Shahid explained that the shoes had been useful when paparazzi attention made stepping out stressful. According to his account, flash photographs would show the shoes while leaving the rest of the image dark. This was a personal privacy tactic rather than a film promotion. The funniest part? Mira had no connection to films and did not immediately appreciate his enthusiasm for the supposed disappearing act.

ALSO READ | Recognise That Voice? Indian Stars Who Dubbed For International Blockbusters

2. Shah Rukh Khan

An umbrella can be useful even when rain is nowhere in sight. In June 2022, Shah Rukh Khan was photographed leaving a Mumbai dubbing studio with a dark umbrella shielding him from pursuing photographers. Dressed in a white shirt and dark glasses, he continued towards his car as they called out to him. The pictures still emerged, but the effort to keep the cameras at a distance was clear. This particular outing was not identified as a promotional appearance for a specific film.

Paparazzo Vishal told India Today that SRK used cars at multiple airport exits, leaving photographers waiting elsewhere.

3. Akshay Kumar

In June 2025, moviegoers outside a Bandra cinema were interviewed by a man wearing the killer’s mask from ‘Housefull 5’. They had no idea that the person asking for feedback was Akshay Kumar himself. Sharing the video on June 8, he said he had almost been recognised before making his escape. For once, the star could hear reactions without immediately becoming the attraction.

The disguise doubled as a publicity stunt for Tarun Mansukhani’s murder-mystery comedy, released on June 6, 2025. Akshay starred alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Sonam Bajwa and Sanjay Dutt in a cruise-ship caper involving a billionaire’s fortune and a masked murderer.

4. Rajinikanth

For Rajinikanth, going undercover was sometimes about reclaiming a piece of ordinary life. In an older Times of India interview, his longtime friend Raj Bahadur described the superstar revisiting Bengaluru neighbourhoods, enjoying familiar food and remembering the cinemas they had once frequented. To move around discreetly, he would wear a mask and carry a walking stick.

Even that was not always enough. Bahadur recalled an outing at an old haunt where recognition eventually forced Rajinikanth to take his food away instead of lingering. These were personal visits, not a disguise campaign tied to a particular release. The charming detail is the reason behind the effort: beneath the superstar image was someone who still wanted to eat at small establishments and wander through places connected to his life.

5. Aamir Khan

Before ‘3 Idiots’, Aamir Khan turned going missing into a marketing strategy. Travelling around India in different disguises, he interacted with people who did not know they were meeting a film star. In Punjab, his team arranged for him to attend a wedding celebration under the guise of a foreign documentary filmmaker. Aamir later explained that anonymity allowed people to treat him as an ordinary visitor.

The idea neatly echoed Rajkumar Hirani’s film, in which two friends search for their elusive college companion Rancho. Released on December 25, 2009, ‘3 Idiots’ starred Aamir, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Boman Irani. Aamir’s real-world hide-and-seek made the premise interactive: while the characters searched for Rancho, audiences were invited to figure out where Aamir would surface next.

6. Ranveer Singh

Only Ranveer Singh could go undercover by becoming the most conspicuous person on a busy road. In September 2014, he accepted Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Bang Bang!’ dare by dressing as Krrish and dancing on Mumbai’s Linking Road. A traffic policeman wanted the performance wrapped up; Ranveer eventually removed the mask and returned to his car as people recognised him. Anonymity, clearly, was never going to last.

The stunt supported Siddharth Anand’s ‘Bang Bang!’, starring Hrithik, Katrina Kaif and Danny Denzongpa, released on October 2, 2014. The borrowed superhero identity came from Rakesh Roshan’s ‘Krrish’, released on June 23, 2006, with Hrithik, Priyanka Chopra, Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah. This was publicity mischief rather than a quiet escape – but the mask briefly let Ranveer stage the surprise on his own terms.

7. Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit wanted to know what watching ‘Ek Do Teen’ in a packed cinema actually felt like. Her solution was to wear a burqa and sit in the front rows of Mumbai’s Chandan Cinema for ‘Tezaab’. Recalling the outing on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ in 2022, she described spectators enthusiastically throwing coins towards the screen when the song began. Unfortunately, some landed on her head.

N. Chandra’s action romance, released on November 11, 1988, starred Madhuri alongside Anil Kapoor, Chunky Pandey and Anupam Kher. Its story follows a young man pushed towards crime and his relationship with dancer Mohini. Madhuri’s disguise let her witness the audience response to her breakthrough moment.

8. Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan’s undercover cinema date had one flaw: she had disguised herself, but Siddharth Roy Kapur was still recognisable. In 2014, she wore a burqa to watch ‘Kick’ with her husband. According to reports, viewers identified Siddharth and became curious about his companion. As questions resumed towards the film’s end, the couple decided to leave. Vidya subsequently confirmed that she was the supposedly mysterious woman.

Their chosen film was Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Kick’, released on July 25, 2014, starring Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It follows a thrill-seeker whose robberies have a larger purpose.

9. Vijay Deverakonda

Vijay Deverakonda has openly described wearing a burqa to sit among ordinary ticket-buyers. Discussing ‘Dear Comrade’ in a 2022 Galatta Plus interview, he recalled watching viewers cheer as scenes built towards confrontation – only for the film to move towards dialogue rather than the fight they anticipated. The disguise gave him something more useful than privacy: a candid lesson in audience expectations.

Directed by Bharat Kamma and released on July 26, 2019, ‘Dear Comrade’ starred Vijay and Rashmika Mandanna as a volatile student leader and an aspiring cricketer navigating love, trauma and ambition. Vijay’s account is interesting precisely because he did not emerge with a simple story about applause. Sitting anonymously in the crowd helped him recognise a gap between how he saw himself and what some viewers wanted from him.

10. Sai Pallavi

On December 29, 2021, Sai Pallavi visited Hyderabad’s Sri Ramulu theatre in a black burqa to watch ‘Shyam Singha Roy’. Reports said director Rahul Sankrityan accompanied her, and that she remained unrecognised during the screening. The outing allowed the actress to experience the response to her performance from inside the auditorium, rather than through reviews or videos circulated afterwards.

Released on December 24, 2021, Rahul’s reincarnation drama starred Nani, Sai Pallavi and Krithi Shetty, with Madonna Sebastian and Rahul Ravindran in supporting roles. Sai Pallavi played Rosie, a devadasi whose story forms part of the film’s period romance.

11. Deepika Padukone

A black hoodie, a black cap and a black face mask formed Deepika Padukone’s armour when she visited Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy on January 29, 2023. With ‘Pathaan’ playing to enthusiastic audiences, she slipped into the cinema to experience the atmosphere firsthand. Videos of the outing eventually surfaced, proving that even a carefully concealed visit can become news afterwards.

Siddharth Anand’s spy thriller had opened on January 25, 2023, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana. Its mission pits Pathaan against a dangerous threat to India, with Deepika playing Pakistani agent Rubai.

12. Sara Ali Khan

For Sara Ali Khan, the urge to hear an unfiltered audience response arrived with her very first film. In December 2018, she watched ‘Kedarnath’ wearing a burqa, accompanied by her mother Amrita Singh and the film’s writer Kanika Dhillon. Kanika shared photographs of the outing, with coverage describing Sara’s undercover identity as “Nusrat”. It was a debutante’s version of sneaking a look at her report card.

Abhishek Kapoor’s romantic drama, released on December 7, 2018, paired Sara with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, with Nitish Bharadwaj and Alka Amin among the supporting cast. Set against the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, it follows a Hindu young woman and a Muslim porter whose relationship faces social opposition and catastrophe.

13. Zeenat Aman

Zeenat Aman’s cinema-going strategy evolved with time. In a January 2024 Instagram recollection, she explained that she used to buy tickets for her own films and watch them anonymously, often wearing a burqa. The point was to gauge reactions without her presence changing the mood inside the auditorium.

Later, she relied less on disguise and more on timing: entering after the film had begun and leaving before it ended to avoid being mobbed. She did not attach this recollection to one specific title or outing. What makes it stand out is its wonderfully practical approach. If a famous face is hardest to conceal in a busy foyer, skip the busiest moments.

14. Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao’s method required neither prosthetics nor elaborate clothing: when recognised, he simply denied being himself. A July 2015 Indian Express report described his preference for travelling anonymously to observe people and hear unbiased opinions. During a European trip, someone asked whether he was the actor from ‘Shahid’. Rajkummar reportedly said no and carried on discussing world cinema.

The film that nearly exposed him was Hansal Mehta’s ‘Shahid’, released theatrically in India on October 18, 2013. With Prabhleen Sandhu, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Kay Kay Menon in the cast, it dramatised the life of lawyer Shahid Azmi. The trip itself was not described as a promotion for the film.

15. Hrithik Roshan

During the Rajasthan shoot of ‘Super 30’, Hrithik Roshan faced a logistical problem: the lanes between his hotel and the location in Sambhar were too narrow for cars. A Tribune report said he walked the route with his face covered to avoid attracting an overwhelming crowd. On the final day, he dropped the disguise and posed for selfies with fans.

Directed by Vikas Bahl, ‘Super 30’ ultimately released on July 12, 2019, starring Hrithik alongside Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Tripathi, Nandish Sandhu and Amit Sadh. It dramatised educator Anand Kumar’s work preparing disadvantaged students for entrance examinations.

16. Allu Arjun

Allu Arjun’s father, producer Allu Aravind, supplied a particularly useful firsthand account of his son’s anonymous moviegoing. At a media interaction reported in January 2020, Aravind said Allu Arjun had asked which theatre he should visit to watch ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’. Having received a recommendation, the actor went with his face covered and watched the entire film.

Trivikram Srinivas’s family entertainer, released on January 12, 2020, starred Allu Arjun, Pooja Hegde, Tabu, Jayaram and Murali Sharma. Its switched-at-birth premise sends Bantu towards a wealthy family and the truth about his origins. According to Aravind, his son’s verdict afterwards was an appreciative nod to Trivikram’s filmmaking.

17. Thalapathy Vijay

Thalapathy Vijay was not checking reactions to his own performance on this occasion. He wanted to watch Prabhas’ ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’. Footage circulated in 2024 showing Vijay wearing a face mask at a Hyderabad screening, following actor Vaibhav’s recollection of the visit. Reporting linked the outing to a break while Vijay was shooting in the city.

Prashanth Neel’s action drama had released on December 22, 2023, with Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu and Sriya Reddy in the cast. Its story revolves around friendship and violent power struggles in Khansaar. Vijay’s attempt was a reminder that stars are movie fans too.

18. Jaggesh

Kannada actor Jaggesh assembled one of this list’s most memorable disguises to watch ‘KGF: Chapter 1’: a lungi, slippers and a monkey cap. In December 2018 social media posts reproduced by Kannada publication Kalpa, he described enjoying the film alone, having spicy puffed rice and tea during the interval, and taking care not to be recognised. He even changed his voice while chatting with the young viewer beside him.

Prashanth Neel’s film, released on December 21, 2018, starred Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Anant Nag and Ramachandra Raju, following Rocky’s rise through a brutal world centred on gold mining. For Jaggesh, the pleasure was returning to an ordinary cinema outing.

19. Darshan

After ‘Roberrt’ opened in March 2021, Darshan revealed that he had watched it in disguise with a regular audience. Contemporary coverage of his television interview said he wanted to see how viewers responded, particularly to the action scenes. The account does not establish the exact items he wore, but it does describe why the undercover visit mattered: he was paying attention to what connected with fans.

Directed by Tharun Sudhir and released on March 11, 2021, ‘Roberrt’ starred Darshan, Vinod Prabhakar, Asha Bhat, Jagapathi Babu and Ravi Kishan. Its plot begins with a seemingly peaceful cook in Lucknow whose past refuses to stay buried. Watching anonymously gave its leading man a chance to experience those dramatic reveals and action payoffs as the audience did.

20. Sridevi

Sridevi once recalled how missing a private preview sent her to a public cinema wearing a burqa. The film starred Kamal Haasan, and she wanted to see it despite her discomfort with the attention a regular theatre visit might attract. Her recollection appeared in an older Stardust interview and was revisited by The Times of India in 2025.

The disguise did not entirely settle her nerves: she remained worried that somebody would recognise her anyway. The stronger published account leaves the film unnamed, so there is no securely established title or release date to attach to the outing. What survives is a revealing little story about fame: even after covering her face, one of Indian cinema’s most recognisable actresses found it difficult to relax into the simple business of watching a movie.

More Stars, More Disguises

Raj Tarun wore a fake beard for the first-day-first-show of ‘Duvvada Jagannadham’, sharing his disguise online in June 2017. Harish Shankar’s action comedy, starring Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde, released on June 23, 2017. Asrani, meanwhile, bought his own ticket and carefully timed his visit to a Jaipur screening of ‘Bodyguard’ in 2011. Siddique’s film, starring Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Hazel Keech, opened on August 31, 2011. Nani tried a beanie-and-mask combination for an August 2025 outing at Hyderabad’s AMB Cinemas, with paparazzi reporting that he watched both ‘Coolie’ and ‘War 2’. Both released on August 14, 2025: Lokesh Kanagaraj directed Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna and Shruti Haasan in ‘Coolie’, while Ayan Mukerji directed Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR and Kiara Advani in ‘War 2’.

And beyond film actors, Sonu Nigam delivered an extraordinary transformation for Being Indian’s May 2016 social experiment ‘The Roadside Ustaad’: disguised as an elderly street singer, he performed for unsuspecting passersby and was moved when someone gave him Rs 12 for food. Sometimes the most memorable reward for going unrecognised is being treated with ordinary kindness.