Bollywood's most prominent icon and cultural export, Shah Rukh Khan, turned 58 today. It's not just the actor who's celebrating this milestone, but the entire film fraternity and his legion of fans. Apart from the thousands milling around his sea-facing home in Mumbai, every actor worth their salt has a beloved SRK memory to share on this day. Actors tip their hat to his unending charm, while actresses declare that he has the ability to make you feel like the most important person in the room. Everyone has kind words to say about Khan, and that's the power of SRK's unequivocal personality. He's a star who refuses to lose his shine.
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Starting midnight yesterday, the outpouring of love and adoration from every quarter cannot be ignored. "It's unbelievable that so many of you come and wish me late at night. I am but a mere actor. Nothing makes me happier than the fact that I can entertain you a bit. I live in a dream of your love. Thank you for allowing me to entertain you all. See you in the morning, on the screen and off it," wrote Khan as he waved to the first batch of fans that appeared outside his gate. Khan is unquestionably one of the last superstars in Bollywood standing, and here's hoping he continues to stand tall. But what is it about Khan that sets him apart. We explore the Khan phenomenon.
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While he has entertained us for more than two decades, here are 10 things to know about the self-made actor gleaned from our various interactions with the actor in the UAE.
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1. Shah Rukh Khan is the the celebrity face of #BeMyGuest campaign of Dubai Tourism. He's often spotted promoting the city as an alluring destination. He also owns a palatial home here on The Palm Jumeirah. According to the actor, relaxing by his private beach is his favourite activity: “Just coming here is so nice … I just love hanging out in Dubai more than any other place in the world. Thank you Dubai for being so warm and thank you for all your love… My favourite activity is to sit in my house at The Palm Jumeirah, in my shorts and relax by the beach. I find solitude there." He was attending a press junket in Dubai in 2015 while he spoke about his favourite way to unwind in Dubai.
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2. Shah Rukh Khan has a way with words and uses his sardonic wit to charm his fans and journalists. During an interaction in Dubai to promote his film ‘Raees’ he was asked whether he allowed money or emotions to dictate his career choices and this was his answer: “As an actor, I have been working for 25 years. But somehow to let your creative juices flow, you need to do work that is socially relevant and popular. That’s enriching as an artist. I believe in doing one film for the money, and to do one for the heart. ‘Raees’ is that film that came from my heart. As an actor, you always want to do something different. And when we try to do something different, it shows our love for our work.”
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3. Shah Rukh Khan may be the wittiest and charismatic person in the room, but he’s also the tardiest. Turning up late a press conference or an interview is his thing. But he makes good by giving elaborate answers to any sticky questions. When we broached him about his tendency to turn up late, he said: “I can reach anywhere any time and complete my work on time. Second thing is, I got a very wrong superstar belief in me that time starts when I arrive at a place. Some people have hair problems or skin problems or Scurvy and I have a time problem. I suffer from Tardinessentitis.” Khan coined yet another term for his own propensity to stray away from schedule and punctuality.
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4. Shah Rukh Khan is a purist when it comes to love. He may peddle the idea of imperfect love and courtships in all its messy glory in his films, but he’s conservative in matters of the heart. “As strange and as mushy as it sounds, I believe that someone, somewhere is made for you. I believe in everlasting love. Honestly, I don’t sell the idea of everlasting love in my films, I believe in that idea,” said Khan in an interview with Gulf News while promoting his romance ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’.
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5. Shah Rukh Khan was the second celebrity to receive a Dubai Star on the Dubai Walk of Fame project. “Revealing one of the most nominated celebrities for #TheDubaiStars … We’re incredibly excited to award Shah Rukh Khan his very own ‘Dubai Star’. Congratulations,” tweeted Dubai Star project officials. He has also filmed ‘Happy New Year’ in Dubai.
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6. Shah Rukh Khan can never be blamed for not re-inventing himself enough as an artist. The self-made actor made his mark in Bollywood by taking on roles with grey shades in them. Be it playing the obsessive lover in ‘Darr’ or ‘Baazigar’, Khan made this mark through a choice of unusual roles.
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7. Shah Rukh Khan has acted in more than 90 films. But it’s ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, the epic romance directed by Aditya Chopra, that made him a bonafide superstar. In the blockbuster, he played the adorable London-bred Rahul who falls in with Simran and follows her to India to win her family over. Starting with this film, the label of being the quintessential romantic hero in Hindi films stuck.
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8. Shah Rukh Khan was on a self-imposed sabbatical from films since 2018. Although his company Red Chillies Entertainment was producing projects, Khan had distanced himself from playing lead roles in projects during that time. But he made up for the lost time with blockbusters in 2023 with two back-to-back hits 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan'.
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9. Shah Rukh Khan may have millions of followers on social media, but he isn’t too familiar the dynamics. During an interview with Gulf News during ‘Dear Zindagi’ promotions, Khan said: “I don’t know about many things in life including Facebook, my office does that. Twitter or Instagram either. Alia taught me how Instagram works. So you live and learn. I am glad Alia is teaching me new things. She even taught me to do the Dab [dance gesture that symbolises being cool, used often by millennials].
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10. Shah Rukh Khan is the quintessential outsider who made it on his own steam in Bollywood. He wasn’t born to an acting dynasty and worked his way up in the world of show business. He has acted in hit TV serials like ‘Fauji’ and ‘Circus’ before moving into the world of films with hits like ‘Darr’ and ‘Baazigar’. The actor considers his work in Bollywood films as his biggest passion. The self-made billionaire’s love for his craft transcends his love for the material world. “The biggest gift an actor can get is when he can act in front of the world. There’s no bigger salary than that …The only thing that turns me on is work, work and more work,” said Khan during a visit to Gulf News newsroom to promote ‘Don 2’.
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11. He's still going strong. On his birthday today, he treated his army of fans with the teaser of his upcoming film 'Dunki'. After two hits like 'Pathaan' and 'Jawan' this year, Khan is on a solid wicket.
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