Shahrukh Khan (Hindi: ?), born 2 November 1965, is a highly acclaimed Indian actor who works in Bollywood films, as well as a film producer and television host.
Khan began his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercial successes and has delivered a variety of critically acclaimed performances. During his years in the Indian film industry, he has won thirteen Filmfare Awards, seven of which are in the Best Actor category.
While some of Khan’s best-known films: Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Chak De India (2007) and Om Shanti Om (2007), remain some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) have been top-grossing productions in the overseas market, making Khan one of the most successful actors of Hindi cinema. Since 2000, Khan branched out into film production and television presenting as well. He is the founder-owner of two production companies, Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment. In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.
Biography
Khan was born in 1965 to Muslim parents of Pathan ethnicity in New Delhi, India.[2] His father, Taj Mohammed Khan was an Indian freedom fighter from Peshawar, British India. His mother, Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan. He served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose.[3] Khan’s father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the partition of India, [4] while his mother’s family came from Rawalpindi, British India.[5] Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz.[6]
Khan attended St. Columba’s School where he was accomplished in sports, drama, and academics. He won the Sword of Honour, an annual award given to the student who best represents the spirit of the school. Khan later attended the Hansraj College (1985-1988) and earned his Economics (honors). Though he pursued a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, he later opted out to make his career in Bollywood.[7]
After the death of his parents, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991.[8] In that same year, before any of his films were released, he married Gauri Khan (who is a Hindu) in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991.[9] They have two children, son Aryan Khan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000). According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Allah, he also values his wife’s religion. At home, his children follow both religions, with the Qur’an being situated next to the Hindu gods.[10][11]
Honors
Khan has been awarded a number of honors. In April 2007, a life-size wax statue of Khan was installed at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, London.[12] During the same year, he was accorded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award by the French government for his “exceptional career”.[13]
In October 2008, Khan was conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka which carries the honorific Datuk (in similar fashion to "Sir" in British knighthood), by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, the head of state of Malacca in Malaysia. Khan was honored for "promoting tourism in Malacca" by filming One Two Ka Four there in 2001. Some were critical of this decision. [14]
In 2003, Khan starred in the moderately successful romantic drama, Chalte Chalte.[31] That same year, he starred in the romantic drama movie, Kal Ho Naa Ho, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan’s performance in this movie as a man with heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved to be one of the year’s biggest hits in India and the biggest Bollywood hit overseas.[31]
2004 was a good year for Khan, commercially as well as critically. He starred in Farah Khan’s directorial debut, Main Hoon Na. The movie did well at the box office. He then played the leading role of Veer in Yash Chopra’s Veer-Zaara, which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas.[32] Khan’s performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year, he received critical praise for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades, which won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the sixth time, although the movie was a box office failure. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, winning it for Swades.[32]
Khan’s only movie release in 2005 was the fantasy film, Paheli. It was a box office failure, but won him acclaim.[33] The movie was India’s nomination for the Oscars.
In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the fourth time with the melodrama movie, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. It did well in India and much more so in the overseas market, becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever.[34] His second release in that saw him playing the title role in the action film Don, a remake of the 1978 hit Don. The movie was a success.[34]
Khan’s first release in 2007 was a film about the Indian women’s national hockey team, Chak De India. Earning over Rs 639 million, Chak De India became the third highest grossing movie of 2007 in India[35] and was critically acclaimed.[36] In addition, Khan received his seventh Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance as the coach of the team. Khan also starred in Farah Khan’s 2007 film, Om Shanti Om. The film emerged as the year’s highest grossing film in India and the overseas market, [35] as well as earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony.
In December 2008, the romantic comedy directed and scripted by Aditya Chopra, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, was released.