Shahrukh Khan (Urdu: ‫شاہ رُخ خان‬, Hindi: शाहरुख़ ख़ान; born 2 November 1965), often credited

as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor and a prominent Bollywood figure, 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 in Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous
commercially successful films and has earned critical acclaim for many of his performances.
Khan has won fourteen Filmfare Awards for his work in Indian films, eight of which are in the
Best Actor category (a record). In 2005, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma
Shri for his contributions towards Indian Cinema.

Khan's films such as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Chak
De India (2007), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) remain some of
Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho
(2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010) have
been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets, making him one of the most
successful actors of India.[2] 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. Globally, Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie
stars,[3] with a fan following numbering in the billions[4] and a net worth estimated at over 2,500
crore (US$555 million).[5] In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in
the world.[3]

Biography

Shah Rukh Khan attended the elite St. Columba's School in New Delhi where he won the
school's highest accolade, The Sword of Honour.
Khan was born in 1965 to Muslim[6] parents of Pathan descent in New Delhi, India.[7] His father,
Taj Mohammed Khan, was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India.
According to Khan, his paternal grandfather was originally from Afghanistan.[8] His mother,
Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua
Rajput clan, who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose.[9]
Khan's father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the partition of
India,[10] while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, British India.[11] Khan has an elder
sister named Shehnaz.[12]

Growing up in Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood,[13] 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 Bachelors degree in 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.[14]

After the death of his parents, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991.[15] In that same year, before any
of his films were released, he married Gauri Chibber, a Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding
ceremony on 25 October 1991.[16] They have two children, son Aryan (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 deities.[17]

In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and
Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film
contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book
Still Reading Khan, which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by
Anupama Chopra, King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema,
was released in 2007. It describes the world of Bollywood through Khan's life.[18][19]

Film career
Background

Khan studied acting under celebrated Theatre Director Barry John at Delhi's Theatre Action
Group (TAG). In 2007, John commented thus on his former pupil that, "The credit for the
phenomenally successful development and management of Shahrukh's career goes to the
superstar himself."[20] Khan made his acting debut in 1988 when he appeared in the television
series, Fauji, playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai.[15] He went on to appear in several
other television serials, most notably in the 1989 serial, Aziz Mirza's Circus, which depicted the
life of circus performers.[21] The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television
English-language film, In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones, which was based on life at Delhi
University and was written by Arundhati Roy. When Khan appeared in those teleserials, people
found in him some resemblance with legendary actor Dilip Kumar and also compared his acting
style with the thespian.[22]
1990s

Upon moving from New Delhi to Mumbai in 1991,[15] Khan made his Bollywood movie debut in
Deewana (1992). The movie became a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood.[23]
His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. He went on to star in Maya
Memsaab, which generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex
scene in the movie.[24]

In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances in villainous roles as an obsessive lover and a
murderer, respectively, in the box office hits, Darr and Baazigar.[25] In Khan's entry in
Encyclopedia Britannica's "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" it was stated that "he defied the
image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist
hero."[26] Darr marked his first collaboration with renowned film-maker Yash Chopra and his
banner Yash Raj Films, the largest production company in Bollywood. Baazigar, which saw
Khan portraying an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocked its Indian audience
with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula.[27] His performance won him
his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. In that same year, Khan played the role of a young musician
in Kundan Shah's Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, a performance that earned him a Filmfare Critics
Award for Best Performance. Khan maintains that this is his all-time favourite among the movies
he has acted in.[28] In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in Anjaam,
co-starring alongside Madhuri Dixit. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's
performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.[29]

In 1995, Khan starred in the two biggest hits of the year in India. His first release was Rakesh
Roshan's Karan Arjun. The film, which dealt with reincarnation, became the second-highest
grossing film of the year.[30] He followed it with Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, the romance
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. A major critical and commercial success, the movie became the
year's top-grossing production in India.[31] In 2007, it entered its twelfth year in Mumbai theaters.
By then the movie had grossed over 12 billion rupees, making it one of India's biggest movie
blockbusters.[32] Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge won ten Filmfare Awards, and Khan's
performance as a young NRI who falls for Kajol's character while on a college vacation, won
him his second Best Actor Award. In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the 25
Must See Bollywood Films, citing it as a "trendsetter of sorts".[33] In that same year's retrospective
review by Rediff, Raja Sen stated, "Khan gives a fabulous performance, redefining the Lover for
the 1990s with great panache. He's cool and flippant, but sincere enough to appeal to the junta.
The performance itself is, like the best in the business, played well enough to come across as
effortless, as non-acting."[34]

1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his movies released that year failed to do well at
the box office.[35] This was, however, followed by a comeback in 1997. He saw success with
Subhash Ghai's social drama Pardes — one of the biggest hits of the year — and Aziz Mirza's
comedy Yes Boss, a moderately successful feature.[36] His second project with Yash Chopra as a
director, Dil to Pagal Hai became that year's second highest-grossing movie, and he won his
third Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role as a stage director who falls in love with one of his
new actresses.[36]
In 1998, Khan starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which was the
biggest hit of the year.[37] His performance won him his fourth Best Actor award at the Filmfare.
He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se. The movie did not do well
at the Indian box office, though it was a commercial success overseas.[38] Khan's only release in
1999, Baadshah, was an average grosser.[39]

2000s

Khan at the Zee Carnival in Sun Tech City, Singapore, in 2008

Khan's success continued with Aditya Chopra's 2000 film, Mohabbatein, co-starring Amitabh
Bachchan. It did well at the box office, and Khan's performance as a college teacher won him his
second Critics Award for Best Performance. He also starred in Mansoor Khan's action film Josh.
The film starred Khan as the leader of a Christian gang in Goa and Aishwarya Rai as his twin
sister, and was also a box office success.[40] In that same year, Khan set up his own production
house, Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla (see below). Both Khan and Chawla starred in the
first movie of their production house, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.[40] His collaboration with
Karan Johar continued in 2001 with the family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham which was
the second biggest hit of the year. He also received favorable reviews for his performance as
Emperor Asoka in the historical epic, Asoka, a partly fictionalised account of the life of Ashoka
the Great (304 BC–232 BC).[41]

In 2002, Khan received acclaim for playing the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-
winning period romance, Devdas. This was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra
Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name, and surfaced as one of the biggest hits of
that year.[42] Khan also starred opposite Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the family-drama
Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, which did well at the box office.[42] In 2003, Khan starred in the
moderately successful romantic drama, Chalte Chalte.[43] That same year, he starred in the
tearjerker, Kal Ho Naa Ho, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan's
performance in this movie as a man with a fatal heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved
to be one of the year's biggest hits in India and Bollywood's biggest hit in the overseas markets.
[43]

2004 was a particularly good year for Khan, both commercially and critically. He starred in
Farah Khan's directorial debut, the action comedy Main Hoon Na. The movie did well at the box
office. He then played the role of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh in Yash Chopra's love
saga Veer-Zaara, which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas.[44] The film
relates the love story of Veer and a Pakistani woman Zaara Haayat Khan, played by Preity Zinta.
Khan's performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year,
he received critical acclaim for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's drama Swades. He was
nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, winning it for
Swades.[44]

In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the fourth time with the melodrama 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 of all-time.[45] His second release that year saw him
playing the title role in the action film Don: The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 hit
Don. The movie was a success.[45]

Khan's success continued with a few more highly popular films. One of his most successful
works was the multiple award-winning 2007 film, Chak De India, about the Indian women's
national hockey team. Earning over Rs 639 million, Chak De India became the third highest
grossing movie of 2007 in India and won yet another Filmfare Best Actor Award for Khan.[46]
The film was a major critical success.[47] In the same year 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, and became India's highest grossing production ever up to that point.[46] It
earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. His 2008 release, the
romantic drama Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was a box office success. His only 2009 release was Billu
where he played film superstar Saahil Khan who is reunited with his childhood friend Billu
played by Irrfan Khan.

2010s

Khan's next film was My Name Is Khan, his fourth collaboration with director Karan Johar and
the sixth movie in which he is paired with Kajol. Filming commenced in December 2008 in Los
Angeles and ended in October 2009. While on one shoot in Los Angeles, along with his wife
Gauri and director Karan Johar, he took a break from filming to attend the 66th Golden Globe
Awards, held in Los Angeles, California, on 11 January 2009,[48][49] where he was introduced as
the King of Bollywood.[50] Khan introduced Slumdog Millionaire, a movie he had previously
turned down, along with a star from the film, Freida Pinto. My Name Is Khan was released on 12
February 2010.[51] Based on a true story, and set against the backdrop of perceptions on Islam
post 11 September attacks, My Name Is Khan stars Khan as Rizwan Khan, a Muslim man
suffering from Asperger syndrome who sets out on a journey across America on a mission to
meet the country's President and clear his name. Upon release, the film received positive reviews
from critics and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in the overseas market.
Khan won his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his portrayal, threby joining Dilip
Kumar as the record holder in this category. He is currently filming for Anubhav Sinha's science
fiction Ra.One opposite Kareena Kapoor, which is due for release on October 26, 2011.
Producer

Khan at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival in Germany

Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi
Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in:
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Asoka (2001) were box office failures.[41] However, his
third film as a producer and star, Chalte Chalte (2003), proved a box office hit.[43]

In 2004, Khan set up another production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and produced
and starred in Main Hoon Na, another hit.[44] The following year, he produced and starred in the
fantasy film Paheli, which did poorly.[52] It was, however, India's official entry to the Academy
Awards for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, but it did not pass the final selection.
Also in 2005, Khan co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal with Karan Johar, and
performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. Kaal was moderately
successful at the box office.[52] His company has gone on to produce Om Shanti Om (2007), in
which he starred, and Billu (2009), in which he played a supporting role as a Bollywood
superstar.

Apart from film production, the company also has a visual effects studio known as Red Chillies
VFX. It has also ventured into television content production, with shows like, The First Ladies,
Ghar Ki Baat Hai', and Knights and Angels. Television advertisements are also produced by the
company.[53]

In 2008, Red Chillies Entertainment became the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the
BCCI-backed IPL cricket competition.

Television
In 2007, Khan replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the third series of the popular game
show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.[54] The
previous had hosted the show for five years from 2000–05. On 22 January 2007, Kaun Banega
Crorepati aired with Khan as the new host[55] and later ended on 19 April 2007.[56]
On 25 April 2008, Khan began hosting the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?,
the Indian version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,[57] whose last episode was telecasted
on 27 July 2008, with Lalu Prasad Yadav as the special guest.[58]

In February 2011, he began hosting Zor Ka Jhatka, the Indian version of the American game
show Wipeout, on Imagine TV.[59]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of Shahrukh Khan's awards and nominations

Khan has been awarded several honours which includes the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest
civilian award from the Government of India in 2005.[60] In April 2007, a life-size wax statue of
Khan was installed at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, London. Another statue was installed at
the Musée Grévin in Paris, the same year.[61] 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”.[62] There are also statues in Hong Kong [63] and New York [64]

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 honoured for
"promoting tourism in Malacca" by filming One Two Ka Four there in 2001. Some were critical
of this decision.[65] He was also honoured with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from
Britain's University of Bedfordshire in 2009.[66]

Filmography
Film actor

Year Film Role Notes

Deewana Raja Sahai Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut
Idiot Pawan Raghujan
Chamatkar Sunder Srivastava
1992
Raju Ban Gaya
Raju (Raj Mathur)
Gentleman
Dil Aashna Hai Karan
Maya Memsaab Lalit Kumar
King Uncle Anil Bhansal
Ajay Sharma/Vicky
Baazigar Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Malhotra
1993
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best
Darr Rahul Mehra
Performance in a Negative Role
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa Sunil
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1994 Anjaam Vijay Agnihotri Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a
 Negative Role
Karan Arjun Arjun Singh/Vijay
Zamana Deewana Rahul Malhotra
Guddu Guddu Bahadur
Oh Darling! Yeh Hai
Hero
1995 India!
Dilwale Dulhania Le
Raj Malhotra Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Jayenge
Ram Jaane Ram Jaane
Trimurti Romi Singh
Vikram/Hari/Gopal
English Babu Desi Mem
Mayur
1996 Chaahat Roop Rathore
Army Arjun Cameo
Dushman Duniya Ka Badru
Gudgudee Special appearance
Koyla Shankar
1997 Yes Boss Rahul Joshi Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Pardes Arjun Saagar
Dil To Pagal Hai Rahul Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Bablu Chaudhry/Manu Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best
Duplicate
Dada Performance in a Negative Role
1998 Achanak Himself Special appearance
Dil Se Amarkant Varma
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Rahul Khanna Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best
1999 Baadshah Raj Heera/Baadshah
Performance in a Comic Role
Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Ajay Bakshi
Hindustani
Hey Ram Amjad Ali Khan
Josh Max
2000
Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega Rahul Cameo
Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Mohabbatein Raj Aryan Malhotra
Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Gaja Gamini Himself Special appearance
One 2 Ka 4 Arun Verma
Asoka Asoka
2001
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Rahul Raichand Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Gham...
Hum Tumhare Hain
Gopal
Sanam
2002 Devdas Devdas Mukherjee Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Shakti: The Power Jaisingh Special appearance
Saathiya Yeshwant Rao Cameo
Chalte Chalte Raj Mathur
2003
Kal Ho Naa Ho Aman Mathur Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
 Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke Dushant
Main Hoon Na Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2004
Veer-Zaara Veer Pratap Singh Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Swades Mohan Bhargava Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye Himself Special appearance
Kaal Special appearance in song Kaal Dhamaal
Silsilay Sutradhar Cameo
2005 Paheli Kishenlal/The Ghost
The Inner and Outer
Documentary directed by British-based author
World Himself (Biopic)
and director Nasreen Munni Kabir
of Shah Rukh Khan
Alag Special appearance in song Sabse Alag
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Dev Saran Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006 Don - The Chase Begins Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Vijay/Don
Again Nominated—Asian Film Award for Best Actor
I See You Special appearance in song Subah Subah
Chak De India Kabir Khan Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Heyy Babyy Raj Malhotra Special appearance in song Mast Kalandar
2007
Om Prakash Makhija/
Om Shanti Om Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Om Kapoor
Krazzy 4 Special appearance in song Break Free
Bhoothnath Aditya Sharma Cameo
2008
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Surinder Sahni/Raj Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Kismat Konnection Narrator
Luck by Chance Himself Guest appearance
2009
Billu Sahir Khan
Pawan Raj Gandhi
Dulha Mil Gaya Extended appearance
(PRG)
2010 My Name Is Khan Rizwan Khan Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Shahrukh Bola
Himself Cameo
Khoobsurat Hai Tu
Koochie Koochie Hota
Rocky (Voice-over) Post-production
Hain
2011 Ra.One G.One Post-production
Don 2 - The Chase
Don Post-production
Continues
2012 2 States Krish Announced[67]

Producer

 Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000)

 Asoka (2001)
 Chalte Chalte (2003)
 Main Hoon Na (2004)
 Kaal (2005)
 Paheli (2005)
  Om Shanti Om (2007)
 Billu (2009)
 Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011)[68]
 Ra.One (2011)[68]

Playback singer

 Main to hoon Pagal - Baadshah (1999)

 Apun Bola - Josh (2000)
 Khaike Paan Banaraswala - Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006)
 Ek Hockey Doongi Rakhke - Chak De India (2007)
 Sattar Minute - Chak De India (2007)

Stunts director

 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

 Main Hoon Na (2004)
 Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
 Chak De India (2007)
 Om Shanti Om (2007)

Television appearances

 Dil Dariya (1988)

 Fauji (1988) ... Abhimanyu Rai
 Doosra Keval (1989)
 Circus (1989)
 In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989)
 Idiot (1991) ... Pawan Raghujan
 Kareena Kareena (2004) ... Special appearance
 Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.....Guest
 Koffee with Karan (2004–2007) ... Guest (3 episodes)
 Kaun Banega Crorepati (2007) ... Host
 Jjhoom India (2007) ... Guest
 Nach Baliye (2008) .... Guest
 Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? (2008)  .... Host
 Oye! It's Friday! (2009)  ... Guest
 Tere Mere Beach Mein (2009)  ... Guest
 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (2010)  ... Guest
 Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout (2011) ... Host