Shah Rukh Khan has been subjected to a fresh round of vicious trolling on social media in recent days. Trolls have been spamming his posts with a manipulated image and GIF showing his face photoshopped onto a ponytail hairstyle (dubbed 'Hakla Shah Rukh Khan' or 'Halka SRK'), despite the actor’s team actively working to take them down. What Is Wrong With Shah Rukh Khan’s Instagram Comments Section? Trolls Spam It With Morphed GIFs and Insulting Replies.

Following his Best Actor win for Jawan at the 71st National Film Awards, a new derogatory trend has emerged - dubbed ‘Hakla Pay’. The trend features a self‑recorded video in which someone visits a petrol pump holding the morphed picture of Shah Rukh Khan and claims to use it to 'pay the bill', saying he is 'Hakla' and 'Raees' (rich - also the title of Khan’s 2016 film). This is intended as a jibe at unfounded accusations that the actor inflated the box office collections of Pathaan and Jawan.

Definitely made by someone with a bad sense of humour with too much time on hand.

Check Out One Such Post With The Video:

The Origin of 'Hakla' Insult for Shah Rukh Khan

The term -Hakla' (meaning stammerer) has long been used by detractors to mock Shah Rukh Khan, though it stems from a deliberate speech tic he adopted for his negative role in Yash Chopra’s Darr, which birthed the now‑iconic line, "K… K… Kiran!".

How 'King' Gave Rise to 'Hakla Shah Rukh Khan' Meme

The latest wave of the ‘Hakla Shah Rukh Khan’ meme began after his upcoming film King was listed on BookMyShow and generated immense interest, boosted by fan‑club promotion. In retaliation, rival fan groups have seized on the meme to mock his appearance and tarnish his image online. 'King Conquers It All' KKR Congratulates Co-Owner Shah Rukh Khan After Star Bollywood Actor Wins National Award For Best Actor.

The viral meme - apart from attempting to disparage the superstar - also ridicules a speech disorder that affects many people worldwide. Meanwhile, morphing a man’s picture onto a woman’s face is simply cheap, below-the-belt humour, which might only amuse those with a crude sense of comedy.

The new trolling of Shah Rukh Khan through the ‘Hakla Pay’ trend is yet another reminder of the toxic fan wars and personal attacks that plague social media. While SRK remains one of India’s most celebrated and influential actors, online rivalry between fan bases continues to exploit old nicknames and fabricated narratives in a bid to discredit his success.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2025 09:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).