The actor, who came from quite modest beginnings and had to overcome tremendous personal and professional setbacks to get to where he is now, was an outsider in every aspect. The journey from a serial actor to the Badshah of Bollywood was not easy and short. There was a time where the only role he had was to go and count the crows (The Television Show, Fauji). But we all know what Badshah told us, “ Kehte hai agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho; to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish me lag jaati hai”. The dialogue is an epitome of his life itself.
Shah Rukh Khan was born on November 2, 1965, in New Delhi, India, to Meer Taj Mohammad Khan, an Indian Independence Activist in British India (Pakistan), and Lateef Fatima. Studied in Columbia School, he was a student with outstanding performance who received the sword of honour which was the highest award in the school. No doubt that Shah rukh shined ever since his birth.
He had a penchant for performing since he was a child, and his favourite actors were Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, and Mumtaz. He studied Economics at Hansraj College but spent much of his time with the Delhi Theatre Action Group brand. During his early career, he also attended the National School of Drama. He dropped out of college to seek a career as an actor.
He invested his four years in the television industry that ultimately earned him four films in the year 1992.
Khan switched to playing an anti-hero after a few films in which he played the protagonist. In 1993, he starred in the films “Darr” and “Baazigar,” in which he played a villain. In the film Baazigar, he won a Filmfare award for best actor for his portrayal of a murderer. His film ‘Maya Memsaab (1993)’ was tarnished by controversy due to a nude sequence in which Khan and actress Deepa Sahi appeared. He afterwards regretted his decision and resolved to avoid similar situations in the future.
Khan starred in seven films in 1995, with “Karan Arjun” becoming the year’s second highest-grossing picture. His film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” which he co-wrote with Aditya Chopra, became the year’s highest-grossing film. The box office in India considers it to be the all-time blockbuster film. At “Maratha Mandir,” it has been running for over 1000 weeks, making it the longest-running film in Indian history. These movies set a milestone in Khan’s acting career, and are still watched with the same enthusiasm.
2000s brought a few hardships for SRK in which he gave stunning performances but the films did not do well at the box office. Certainly, because he was dealing with serious health concerns and a massive workload. Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Duplicate, Badshah, Asoka, and others are now considered cult classics.
The struggle did not end there. Shah Rukh had started a production company called Dreamz Unlimited, but it failed miserably, and all of the films and ideas that came out of it were flops.
Then he sponsored a couple of big-budget productions with ensemble casts and family roles. Kal Ho Na Ho, Chalte Chalte, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Devdas, and Mohabbatein were all box office smashes.
Soon after, he became a producer, teaming up with his consort Gauri Khan to resurrect Dreamz Unlimited and rename it Red Chillies Entertainment Limited.
He produced Veer Zara and Main Hoon Naa, both of which were box office hits at the time. His film Swades was critically lauded around the world after that, and it was also the first Indian film to be shot on the NASA facility.
The reason why King Khan is loved by all is his humbleness and how he is grateful to everyone who has played an important role in his life. “Ye mere filmmakers nahi, life makers hai”. His inspirational interviews have won millions of hearts.
