Fact Check: Did Turkish star Hande Ercel really call Shah Rukh Khan 'uncle'?

Shah Rukh Khan is the heartbeat of millions of people across the globe. Recently, however, Turkish actor Hande Ercel made headlines after a screengrab went viral in which she was seen calling the Bollywood icon an “uncle” having failed to recognise the B-town.

Days after the screenshot went viral, Hande dismissed the social media claim, stating that the image was fake. Hande is best known to Indian audiences for her show Pyaar Lafzon Mein Kahan.

Did Hande Ercel call Shah Rukh Khan “uncle”? Here's the truth

Shah Rukh Khan and Hande Ercel were present at the Joy Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was attended by several Hollywood stars, including Katy Perry, Millie Bobby Brown, and others.

SRK attending the event had already made headlines, but what truly caught attention was a screengrab of an Instagram video that was allegedly shared by the Turkish actor

Hande was filming her actress friend Amina Khalil, who walked onto the stage to present an award alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Soon after the video surfaced, desi fans were thrilled, believing that Hande was a fan of the Indian superstar and hence recorded her.

However, another post quickly went viral with visible text that read, “Who is this uncle? I was just filming my friend @aminakhalilofficial, I am not his fan!! Please stop spreading false information!!”

The video with the “uncle” text spread rapidly, triggering strong reactions from fans. One such post caught Hande's attention, prompting her to respond and clarify that the post was fake.

One X user called Hande's post a PR failure, writting, ''Shah Rukh Khan went to host Joy Awards 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A clip of Turkish actress Hande Erçel went viral in which SRK was on stage. News was made that Hande is a fangirl of SRK, but she denied even knowing SRK and referred to him as uncle. A total PR failure.''

Reacting to this post on X, she wrote,''This is fake.''

After her clarification, several fans of Khan thanked her for the clearification.

On the work front, Khan is currently working on his next project, King, which is being helmed by Siddharth Anand. The film will also mark the theatrical debut of his daughter, Suhana Khan, who previously made her acting debut with The Archies.