Introduction

Actor, producer, television personality, and philanthropist Shahrukh Khan has earned himself many names from SRK, King Khan to Badshah of Bollywood. He has garnered many achievements including a Padma Shri in 2005, fourteen Filmfare Awards from thirty nominations. He was named the second richest actor in the world in 2014, with a net worth of $600 million. Thirteen of the films he has acted in, have accumulated gross earnings of over 1 billion (US$17 million) worldwide, making him one of the most successful leading actors of Hindi cinema. His boy next-door looks, his powerful performances, his anti-hero roles, and most of his songs from Tujhe Dekha To (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge) to Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen (Baazigar) to the more recent Lungi Dance from the movie Chennai Express will remain forever in the hearts of his fans.

Early Life

Although Shahrukh was born in New Delhi, he spent his early years in Mangalore with his grandfather who was a chief engineer at Mangalore Port during the early 1960’s. His father Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, was an ethnic Pashtun from Peshawar (now in Pakistan) while he says his paternal grandfather was from Afghanistan. Meer Taj Mohammed Khan came to India before the partition. Shahrukh’s mother, Lateef Fatima was the daughter of a senior engineer in the government and reported to be the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Indian National Army, even though the army has denied the report. Shahrukh claims that his father was related to Shah Nawaz Khan and that his parents met when his father donated blood to his mother after she had met with an auto accident. On Twitter, Shahrukh describes himself as half Hyderabadi (mother), half Pathan (father) and some Kashmiri (grandmother). When Shahrukh was 15 years old, his father died of cancer, while his mother passed away in 1990 after protracted illness. Shahrukh says his parents early deaths became the biggest motivating factor to work hard.

Later, he attended St Columba’s School in Delhi wherein he received the school’s highest award, the Sword of Honour. Afterwards he earned his Bachelor’s degree in economics from Hansraj College (1985-88), followed by Masters in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia University, which he dropped out of later. He joined the Theatre Action Group under the guidance of Barry John, also attended the National School of Drama in Delhi. In I991, Shahrukh moved to Mumbai.

Entry into Small Screen

Shahrukh’s first role on television was in the show Lekh Tandon’s Dil Dariya, the series suffered production delays so his debut role happened in the 1988 TV serial Fauji wherein he played the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai, which gained him immense popularity and recognition. Soon after, he made appearances in Aziz Mirza’s series Circus (1989-1990), the English TV Movie In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, moving on to Mani Kaul’s mini series Idiot (1991). By this time, critics started comparing his acting style to that of film actor Dilip Kumar.

Entry to Bollywood

The year 1991 saw Shahrukh Khan making his entry into films with the Hema Malini directed Dil Aashna Hai. Strangely, ‘Dil Aashna Hai’ got delayed in production causing his debut film to be the movie Deewana, which released in 1992, where Shahrukh played second lead after Rishi Kapoor. The film was a box office hit, in which he won the Filmfare Best Debut Actor, catapulting his career in Bollywood.

After winning a Filmfare award on his debut film, Shahrukh’s next film in Bollywood was the comedy Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), wherein he played the titular character & proved to be a box office hit. His next few films saw him playing anti- hero or negative roles, which are very uncommon in Bollywood film formulas. Shahrukh Khan starring films Darr and Baazigar both released in 1993. Darr popularized Shahrukh’s stuttering voice and phrase “ I love you K-k-k-Kiran” while his performance in Baazigar not only shocked audiences for his avenging role wherein he murders his girlfriend but also helped him get his first Filmfare Best Actor Award.

Soon after, he played the role of a musician in love, in the drama-comedy Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa in 1994. This role earned him Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. His stellar rise continued as he played the lead roles in romantic-comedies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).

More acclaim came his way from the movies Swades (2004), Chak De! India (2007), Devdas (2002) and My Name is Khan (2010). By 2011, he had starred in films like Ra One, Don 2, moving on to Jab Tak Hai Jaan in 2012. In 2013 came his hit movie Chennai Express, which broke majority of the box office records. Shah Rukh's 2014 movie is "Happy New Year".

Recognition

• Padma Shri by Government of India (2005)

• Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France (2007)

• UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award (2011)

• Legion d'honneur by Government of France (2014)

Awards

• Filmfare Awards

Deewana (1992),

Baazigar (1993),

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994),

Anjaam (1994),

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995),

Dil To Pagal Hai (1997),

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai(1998),

Mohabbatein (2000),

Devdas (2002),

Swades (2004),

Chak De! India (2007),

My Name is Khan (2010).

• Zee Cine Awards

Dil To Pagal Hai (1998),

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1999),

Devdas (2003),

Chalte Chalte (2003),

Kal Ho Na Ho (2004),

Veer Zara (2005),

Don (2007),

Chak De! India (2008),

Om Shanti Om (2008),

My Name is Khan (2011),

Don 2 (2012),

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2013),

Chennai Express (2014).

TV Shows

Dil Dariya, Fauji, Circus (1989–90), Idiot, Kaun Banega Crorepati (2007), Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout (2011).