Suhana Khan’s birthday: 7 reasons why Shah Rukh Khan's daughter is the next big thing in Bollywood

As birthday girl Suhana Khan turns 22, this year will prove to be a special one for the star kid, what with the work on her debut film, ‘The Archies’, has already commenced with Zoya Akhtar helming the Netflix screen adaption of the popular comics.

Suhana, who has grown up under the glare of the paparazzi, what with her father Shah Rukh Khan being one of the biggest actors to ever come out of Bollywood, the attention she’s been getting since the announcement of ‘The Archies’ isn’t something new for the young hopeful. | Suhana Khan is the first peroson on the left.

With the film set for a 2023 release, here’s a look at why Suhana is poised to become the next big thing when she is launched into Bollywood.

Famous parents: With Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan as parents, Suhana is no stranger to the limelight or using the camera to her advantage. With her privileged upbringing, which includes growing up on film sets and studying acting in the US, Suhana has been perfectly groomed by her famous parents to enter Bollywood when it’s time. Plus, the Khan name will surely open up doors for her in the film industry. Karan Johar, are you listening?

Acting experience: Even as fans await the inevitable launch of Suhana in Bollywood, the young hopeful is no inexperienced star kid with a famous last name. She has been steadily earning a name at film school and has even starred in the short film, ‘The Grey Part of Blue’, directed by Theodore Gimeno. She seemed a natural.

Technical know-how: Suhana isn’t just a pretty face meant to face the camera. Eager to learn the ropes, she had signed on as assistant director on Aanand L Rai's ‘Zero’. “She came here as a part of learning acting. So she needed to spend time on film sets. She did some of that in London too with Gurinder (Chadha),” Shah Rukh told PTI. “We were shooting a song for Zero. I wanted her to watch Katrina [Kaif] and Anushka [Sharma] because both of them are such different kind of actors. Katrina has her own charm and Anushka has her own way of enacting. But what they did instead is put her onto me as the assistant director to get me on time from home. She'd say, 'Papa, the shot is ready'.”

BFFs in the industry: Suhana’s BFFs are already making names for themselves in some capacity or another in Bollywood. While Ananya Panday already found a launch pad in Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year 2’, Shanaya Kapoor is also being groomed by Johar’s talent agency to take her baby steps into Bollywood. With the two leading ladies showing her the ropes and Johar being bestie to her dad, Suhana’s support system is ready to welcome her with open arms.

Industry connections: With her dad backing her, Suhana has more access to Bollywood than any other star kid perhaps. During his ‘Zero’ shoot, Shah Rukh told PTI about why he encouraged Suhana to be on the sets. “She came on sets because learning acting has a lot to do with spending time on the sets and learning production. She did the same in London and while she was here.” Any filmmaker, including Johar and Aditya Chopra, would be able to have her on set to learn the ropes ahead of her launch.

Style queen: Gauri Khan is often considered one of the most stylish Bollywood star wives and her A-game has been passed down to Suhana who has kept her fashion game spot on through the years. One just has to scroll through her Instagram to find not a single picture or hair out of place.

Level-headed outlook: Not one to get taken in by the starry lights, in her Vogue India interview from 2018, the then 18-year-old Suhana came across as a sensible, level-headed girl. “There’s so much to learn, and one way to do it is to start (working) early, but first I want to go to university and finish studies,” says Suhana in the interview.