Shahrukh Khan – The Ultimate man!

The baadshah of bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, who has been stealing millions of hearts for more than a decade now, has accomplished a lot in this span of time. No matter how well or bad his movie does, one can always witness long queues in front of the ticket counters and house full boards in theatres where his movie is being played. He has had many ups and downs in his life, in his personal as well as professional career, but has never given up.

Life has been like a roller coaster for Khan. He was born on November 2nd, 1965 in New Delhi, India, at a time when his parents were not doing too well financially. Cancer caused his father’s death in 1981. “When my father died, I didn’t cry. I was one of the pallbearers. But I felt cheated despite the fact that he had prepared me for his death,” explains Shahrukh. He also shares an amusing incidence that he still remembers vividly. “Once this South Indian lady came over and complained to my father, ‘your son troubles my daughter.’ He looked at her and said, ‘If she is as pretty as you are, and if I was as young as my son is, I’d probably do the same thing.’ She began laughing. He had said it so gently and nicely, without being offensive at all.”

After his father’s death, Shahrukh’s mother was the one to bring him up and fulfill all his wishes. She never stopped him from doing anything including acting. “I remember I used to do very badly in Hindi at school. I would get zero on ten. And she would say, ‘If you get ten on ten, I’ll take you for a film.’ From that day I topped the class in Hindi every single time. I remember the first film she took me to was Dev Anand’s Joshilay.” Khan shared a very close relationship with his mother and when she died ten years later in 1991 because of illness, Shahrukh totally broke down. “My mother’s death made me realize that nothing is permanent. I cried a lot. And now nothing shocks me. That is why I don’t give a damn about anything. If I can live without her then I can live without stardom, money…anything.”

Shahrukh says that he still believes that his mother is there with him and is watching over him. Even though he can’t share his happiness with his mother, he shares his feelings with his sister Shehnaz. “She is naïve and sweet, but can also behave quite spoilt sometimes! I see distinctive traits of my father and mother in Shehnaz.”

Marriage was a big issue in Shahrukh’s life, as he loved a “hindu” girl. His mother was never against his relationship with Gauri. “But Gauri’s parents were dead against this marriage. So for ten years we carried on our relationship on a clandestine manner. Once I even went to her birthday party in cognito. I used the name I was given in my first TV serial, Fauji, Abhimanyu. But when they got to know who I was, all hell broke loose!” Shahrukh laughs. He says that he identifies the circumstances of his marriage with a film like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. “I love Gauri because she is honest. Also, she compliments me. She teaches me to be diplomatic. She keeps telling that I say too many things that I should not. She has turned me from an animal to a man.” Shahrukh and Gauri have a six-year-old son, Aryan, who already made his debut in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, playing a younger Shahrukh. Recently, Shahrukh and Aryan lended their voices in ‘Mr. Laajawab.’ Shahrukh and Gauri’s family is complete with their Daughter, Suhana who is now four years old. When asked how he would like his son to grow up like, Shahrukh laughs, “I want my son to be a badmaash.”

Khan started his career with a small role in ‘In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones’ written by Arundhati Roy. The show was aired in 1988. He went on with ‘Fauji,’ a TV serial playing Abhimanyu Gupta. He also worked in serials such as ‘Circus’ and ‘Idiot.’ His first movie, Dil Ashna Hai came out in the year 1992. He wasn’t recognized but later on he started to get himself noticed as an actor of some caliber from movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Deewana. As years passed by, Khan gave the film industry many hits like Kabhi haan Kabhi naa, Baazigar, Darr and Anjaam. He also has super hits in his pocket such as Karan Arjun, Dil to Pagal hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Some of his blockbusters are Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and the latest one, Veer-Zaara. Chalte Chalte and Main Hoon Na were also hits at the box office and Swades was widely acclaimed overseas. Shahrukh was also applauded for his mind-blowing natural performance in Swades.

Shahrukh even tried his hand in production teaming up with Aziz Mirza and Juhi Chawla. The production company was very thoughtfully named as ‘Dreams Unlimited.’ Shahrukh’s first production was Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani in 2000. The film was a flop but didn’t stop Shahrukh from going on with producing more movies. The very next year, his next production came out, Asoka. His efforts failed once again with Asoka being a flop. Shahrukh declared that if his next production fails, he would close down the company but it so happened that he didn’t need to. In 2003, Chalte Chalte was released to save the boat from drowning. Chalte Chalte was a hit and was liked by the masses. Shahrukh was so overwhelmed by the responses that he gave a bonus to all the employees of ‘Dreams Unlimited.’

Shahrukh received many accolades for his amazing performances. He accepted his first award in 1993 for the best sensational debut as the Best Actor in Baazigar. There was no stopping for Shahrukh and the awards continued with an award for his smashing performance in Darr in 1994. He was then admired with the critics award for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na in 1995 and the Best Villian award for Anjaam in the same year. The next year, delivering a blockbuster, he received the Best Actor award for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Once again, in 1997, Shahrukh was awarded the Best Actor award for Dil To Pagal Hai. With Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the next year, Shahrukh was immensely praised for his performance and honored with the Best Actor Award yet again. In 2000, Shahrukh received the Best Actor (cricts) award for Mohabattein. After two years, in 2002, he got the Best Actor award once more for his classic flick, Devdas. Followed by another Best Actor award for Kal Ho Na Ho the following year. In 2004, Shahrukh is expecting an award for Main Hoon Na, Veer-Zaara or Swades, let’s wait and watch for the results.

Khan has come a long way from Dil Ashna Hai to Swades. He has the unmatchable energy to work in movies be it an action scene or a dance sequence, he can do it all. Shahrukh seems to know what he wants to do as an actor in his movies and he says “with rudeness, not even with arrogance: You want different, go see someone else.” He believes in the movies that he does.

Shahrukh smiles, cries and dances into millions of hearts and warms them with a lovely grin and two sweet dimples on his cheeks.

You can love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him!