It’s been 26 years since a handsome young hunk walked onto our screens and claimed his stake over our hearts. He had a center-parted hairdo and a dimpled smile. Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), who started off as the boy next door became the King of hearts. He then slowly extended his reign to become the undisputed Badshah of Bollywood. From playing the romantic hero who wins the girl, to a crazy stalker who could haunt anyone’s dream, he has portrayed all. From being an emperor and a drunkard, to his touching act as an autistic man, playing his own fan and then a dwarf; there is nobody this artist hasn’t been and no life he hasn’t touched. Here’s a look at Shah Rukh’s journey in Bollywood so far.
The humble beginnings of SRK
Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) is one of the biggest stars in the country and the world. He is also among the highest-paid film stars. He may be living life king-sized now with his family of five. He might have houses around the world, zig wheels at his disposal, and the latest gadgets. However, this superstar is still a humble boy from Delhi at heart. The actor was born and brought up in a middle-class family. His father ran small businesses including a canteen. This star has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows, all within just 52 years. His journey although winding, has taken him from the by-lanes of Delhi to the corridors of Oxford University and beyond, This journey of his is nothing short of inspiring.
Starting from small screens to the ultimate big screen
Any SRK fan would know of his tryst with destiny. It started off on the sets of a TV series ‘Fauji’ in 1989. It then continued with shows like ‘Circus’ and ‘Umeed’. However, it was only until ‘Deewana’ came along that he got his big film break. With this film, he tasted success at the box office. Along with that, he picked up a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award that year. He quickly moved up the ranks too. From a supporting actor, he became a lead star. This actor even took on a bold decision to play the anti-hero, all within the initial stages of his career. His performance in ‘Daar’, was deemed as one of his best works to date. This film even earned him Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. However, it was ‘Baazigar’ that earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
SRK is rightly crowned the “King of Romance”
Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) is rightly the crowned king of romance. But it wasn’t until ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, that he earned the title. His pairing opposite Kajol made the film the longest-running Hindi movie in Bollywood history. It also earned the lead stars a permanent place in fans’ hearts. The audience might call it tradition or fate or whatever they might like, but about every 5 years or whenever the right script comes along, Shah Rukh and Kajol are known to come back together to create their own brand of movie magic.
Over the years, Shah Rukh has started in a number of hit romantic films like, ‘Veer Zara’, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Devdas’ and ‘Mahabbatein’, among many others.
SRK’s experimentation with film roles
Well after establishing himself as a romantic hero, Shah Rukh set out to travel on the road less traveled by. He started experimenting with his film roles. Although not a successful venture, Khan is known to push the envelope. He is among the firsts to try out something new in the industry. It may be with his film, in the technical department, or even with marketing, this star does it all. Over the years, we have seen him play a superhero in ‘Ra One’. He has also doubled up to play a star and his own stalker in ‘Fan’. Then he played a dwarf in Anand L Rai’s ‘Zero’, opposite Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. Thus, he went from being the boy next door to the King of Bollywood. It took him years to achieve this but all the hard work was worth it.
