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Shahrukh Khan (born 2 November 1965), often credited as Shah Rukh Khan and informally referred to as SRK, is an Indian film actor, producer, TV host, mentor and philanthropist. Referred to in the media as "Badshah of Bollywood" or "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 50 Hindi films in genres ranging from romance to action and comedies.[4][5] His work in India's film industry has garnered him numerous achievements, including fourteen Filmfare Awards from thirty nominations. His eighth Filmfare Best Actor Award win made him the most awarded Bollywood actor of all time in that category, tied only with actor Dilip Kumar. He was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2005, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2007 for his contribution to films.[6]
Born 2 November 1965
New Delhi, India[1][2]Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[3] Occupation Actor, producer, television presenter Years active 1988–present Spouse(s) Gauri Khan (m. 1991) Children 3 Signature
Starting his career appearing in theatre and several television series' in the late 1980s, he later made his Hindi film debut in 1992 with Deewana. Early in his career, Khan was recognised for his unconventional choice of portraying negative roles in films such as Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993), and Anjaam (1994). He later rose to prominence by playing a series of roles in romantic comedies or dramas like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995),[7] Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).[8] The commercial success of these films earned him the tag of "the King of Romance".[7] Khan then subsequently earned wide critical appreciation for his portrayal of a NASA scientist in Swades (2004), a hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007), and as the titular characters in Devdas (2002) and My Name Is Khan (2010).[9][10] Thirteen of the films he has acted in, have accumulated gross earnings of over1 billion (US$16 million) worldwide,[11][12] making him one of the most successful leading actors of Hindi cinema.[13]
Khan currently occupies the position of co-chairman of the motion picture production company, Red Chillies Entertainment and its subsidiaries. He is also co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.[14] The year 2007 marked his debut as a television presenter with the Star Plus gaming show Kaun Banega Crorepati.[15] Khan is often labelled by the media as "Brand SRK" due to his various brand endorsement and entrepreneurship ventures. He has also been involved in philanthropic endeavors related to Health care, relief funds and children's education, for which he was honoured with the UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award in 2011.[16][17] Khan is considered to be one of the biggest film stars in cinematic history, with a fan following claimed to number in the billions; in 2011, the Los Angeles Times called him "the world's biggest movie star." He has also been regularly featured in the listing of the most influential names in Indian culture and in 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.[19]
This article is part of a series on
Shahrukh Khan- Biography
- Filmography
- Awards
Contents
- 1 Early life and background
- 2 Acting career
- 2.1 1988–92: Early work and breakthrough
- 2.2 1993–97: Critical and commercial success
- 2.3 1998–2002: International recognition
- 2.4 2003: Spine injury and subsequent surgery
- 2.5 2003–10: Stardom and critical acclaim
- 2.6 2011–present: Continuing other ventures
- 3 Producer
- 4 Non-film work
- 4.1 Television
- 4.2 Stage performances
- 4.3 Endorsements
- 4.4 Ownership of IPL cricket team
- 5 Humanitarian causes
- 6 Public image
- 7 In popular media
- 8 Acting style and analysis
- 9 Selected filmography
- 9.1 Actor
- 10 Awards and nominations
- 11 See also
- 12 Footnotes
- 13 References
- 14 Bibliography
- 15 External links
Early life and background
Khan was born on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi, India,[1][2][a] and brought up in Mangalore for the first five years of his life.[21][22] His grandfather was a Chief engineer in Mangalore port in 60s.[23] His father, Taj Mohammed Khan, an ethnic Pathan, was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India (present-day Pakistan).[24] According to Khan, his paternal grandfather was originally from Afghanistan.[25] His mother, Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Shah Nawaz Khan, a Major General in the Indian National Army.[26] Shahrukh Khan's father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the 1947 partition of India.[27] Regarding his origin, Khan described himself on Twitter as "half Hyderabadi (mother), half Pathan (father), some Kashmiri (grandmother)"[28] His father died of cancer when Khan was 15 years old, and his mother died in 1990 after prolonged illness.[29][30] Khan was very attached to his parents as a child and describes their early deaths as a turning point in his life and as his biggest motivation for hard work. Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz.
Growing up in Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood of Delhi,Khan attended St. Columba's School and the Hansraj College (1985–1988) earning his Bachelors degree in Economics. Though he pursued a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, he later opted out to pursue a career in Bollywood.[33] He also attended the National School of Drama in Delhi.
After the death of his mother, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991.[35] He married Gauri Chibber, a Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991.[29] According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Islam, 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.[36] They have a son Aryan (born 1997) and a daughter Suhana (born 2000). In 2013 they became parents of a third child named AbRam[37] via a surrogate mother.[38][39] Khan's older sister Shehnaz also lives with them.[40] Their eldest son, Aryan, currently studies at Sevenoaks School, one of England's most prestigious educational institutions. On his decision to enrol his son there, Khan was quoted as saying "I want my son to build an identity of his own, away from the constant media attention that accompanies being the son of a superstar. Either me or Gauri go up there [London] most weekends, so he will not be away from his family." His daughter, Suhana, currently studies at the Dirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai.
Acting career
1988–92: Early work and breakthrough
Khan studied acting under the mentorship of theatre director Barry John at Delhi's "Theatre Action Group" (TAG).[41] Khan's first starring role was in Lekh Tandon's television series Dil Dariya, but due to production delays, the 1988 television series, Fauji was his television debut. He played the leading role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai in the critically acclaimed show, which earned him mass recognition.[35][42] He went on to appear in Aziz Mirza's Circus (1989)[43] and played a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989). His appearance in these teleserials, led critics to compare his acting style with that of film actor Dilip Kumar.[44] In 1991, Khan shifted base to Mumbai and received his first film offer with Hema Malini's directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai.[35] However, due to production delays, his second film, Deewana (1992), alongside Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti released first.[34] The film became a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood[45] and he won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, the following year.
In 1992 he played the titular character in the comedy, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, which was his first of many collaborations with actress Juhi Chawla. The film proved to be a box office hit.[46] He went on to star in Ketan Mehta's Maya Memsaab (1993), an adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary.
1993–97: Critical and commercial success
In 1993, Khan garnered appreciation for portraying negative roles, that of an obsessive lover and a murderer, respectively, in the box office hits, Darr and Baazigar.[48] The "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" analyzed that "he defied the image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist hero."[49] Darr marked the first of many collaborations of Khan with film-maker Yash Chopra and his banner Yash Raj Films. Khan's stammering in the film and the usage of the phrase, "I love you, Kkkiran," were popular with the audiences.[50] His other release, Baazigar, in which he played an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, "shocked the Indian audiences" with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula.[51] His performance in Baazigar won him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award.
The same year, Khan played the role of a love-struck musician in Kundan Shah's dramedy Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, a performance that earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. In a retrospective review in 2004 for Rediff, Sukanya Verma called it Khan's best performance.[52] Khan, himself in 2006, considered this film to the best film that he has acted in.[53] In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover in Anjaam, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. Though the film was a commercial failure, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.[54]
Khan and wife Gauri Chhibber in 2012; they married even before he began his film career in 1992
In 1995, Khan starred in two box-office blockbusters. His first release was Rakesh Roshan's melodramatic thriller Karan Arjun, in which Khan was a part of an ensemble cast that included Salman Khan, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Raakhee and Amrish Puri. The film, which dealt with the concept of reincarnation, became the second-highest grossing film of the year in India.[55] He followed it with Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, the romance Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. A major critical and commercial success, the film became the year's top-grossing production in India and abroad.[56] The film was declared an "all time blockbuster"; it remains the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema[57] and as of 2011, it is still playing at the Maratha Mandir theatre in Mumbai.[58] Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge has grossed over
1996 proved to be a disappointing year for Khan, as he appeared in two critical and commercial failures, Praveen Nischol's English Babu Desi Mem and Mahesh Bhatt' Chaahat[61] However, in 1997, his starring role in Subhash Ghai's social drama Pardes earned him commercial success. The film, which also featured Mahima Chaudhry and Apurva Agnihotri, saw him portray the role of Arjun, a musician facing a moral dilemma. His performance earned him a nomination for the Best Actor at the Filmfare Award ceremony. He then featured in Aziz Mirza's romantic comedy, Yes Boss, opposite Juhi Chawla. Upon release, the film performed moderately well at the box-office.[62] His final release of the year was Yash Chopra's blockbuster musical romance, Dil to Pagal Hai. The project, also featuring Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor, marked his second collaboration with the film maker. Khan essayed the role of Rahul, a stage director who falls in love with one of his new actresses, played by Dixit. The film as well as his performance met with critical appreciation; he won his third Best Actor Award at the Filmfare.[62]
1998–2002: International recognition
In 1998, Khan appeared in three films. His first release was Mahesh Bhatt's action comedy, Duplicate opposite Juhi Chawla and Sonali Bendre. The film, which saw him portray a double role, marked his first of many collaborations with Yash Johar's production company, Dharma Productions. The film however, failed to do well at the box office.[63] He then won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's acclaimed Dil Se... The film was the third in Ratnam's trilogy of terror films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, after Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995).[64][65] Khan played the part of Amarkant "Amar" Varma, an All India Radio correspondent, who develops an infatuation for a mysterious terrorist, played by Manisha Koirala.[66] Rediff.com published, "Khan delivers a compelling performance. He plays the part with taut restraint, and expresses exasperation superbly."[67] The film, which failed financially in India, however, emerged as a commercial success overseas,[68] becoming the first Indian film to enter the top 10 at the United Kingdom box office.[69]
His final release of the year was Karan Johar's candyfloss romance, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which paired him with Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The film was declared an "all time blockbuster", with a worldwide gross of over
Khan's next release was Mansoor Khan's action drama Josh. The film starred Khan as the leader of a Christian gang in Goa, with Aishwarya Rai playing his twin sister. The film emerged as a box office success in both India and abroad.[72] Vinayak Chakravorty of Hindustan Times wrote that Khan "basks in his tailormade role, donning with panache the garb of a streetsmart tough."[73] He next played the role of a Muslim archaeologist, beaten to death during the unrest following the partition of India in Hey Ram. Directed by and co-starring Kamal Hassan, the film was critically acclaimed and was selected as India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars that year.[74] Additionally, for the Tamil version of the film, Khan dubbed for his own lines.[75] His final release of the year was Aditya Chopra's romantic drama, Mohabbatein, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film was a major financial success, and Khan's performance as a music teacher was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama mentioned him to be "outstanding as Raj Aryan." He was awarded his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
In 2001, Khan produced and essayed the titular role in Santosh Sivan's historical epic, Asoka, a partly fictionalised account of the life of Ashoka the Great.[76] The film was screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival to a positive response.[77] The film, which also featured Kareena Kapoor received generally positive reviews with Khan receiving favourable reactions for his performance; Rediff concluded that "he puts in a strong performance, in this well defined role."[78]
He next collaborated with Karan Johar again in the family drama, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, in which he featured as a part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. The film was a major financial success in India and the top-grossing Indian production of all-time in the overseas market until 2006, earning over
In 2002, Khan played the titlular role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance, Devdas, which was the most expensive Bollywood film ever made at the time.[82] This was the third Hindi film adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name. Featuring opposite Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, Khan's performance as a rebellious alcoholic was well received and he won yet another Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film surfaced as the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of
2003: Spine injury and subsequent surgery
In December 2001, while filming a special appearance for Krishna Vamsi's Shakti: The Power, Khan suffered a spine injury while doing an action sequence.[87] He flew to Lucknow a week later for a series of stage shows which led to further aggravation of his condition.[87] By the time he returned to Mumbai, Khan was experiencing severe pain.[87] He was subsequently diagnosed with a prolapsed disc between vertebrae six and seven.[87] Khan tried multiple alternative therapies from homoeopathy to Reiki but nothing offered a permanent solution.[87] He eventually shot Devdas (2002) and Chalte Chalte (2003) in acute pain and continued with the shoot for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003).[87][88]
By the beginning of 2003, Khan's condition severely worsened.[87][89][89] In February, Khan was told by doctors that he had to undergo an urgent Anterior Cervical Discectomy.[89][90][91] The surgery took place on 24 February in Wellington Hospital, London and lasted for one hour – a titanium disc was inserted in his spine and he was discharged after two days.[87] He faced several post-operative problems including hoarseness, weakness, pain and high risk of infection.[87][90] He resumed shooting Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Main Hoon Na (2004) in June of the same year however, the injury resulted in Khan cutting down noticeably on work and reducing his number of films per year.[88][92]
2003–10: Stardom and critical acclaim
In 2003, Khan produced and starred in Aziz Mirza's, Chalte Chalte, a romance dealing with the troubles faced by a married couple, opposite Rani Mukerji. The film was moderately successful in India and additionally, fared better in the overseas markets.[93][94] His following release was Kal Ho Naa Ho, a dramedy set in New York City; written by Karan Johar, directed by Nikhil Advani and co-starring Jaya Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. Khan received unanimous critical appreciation for the portrayal of Aman Mathur, a man with a fatal heart disease. The Hindu noted, "His enthusiasm unbounded, his energy unbridled, Shah Rukh is in form here. And as a guy with a few days to live and a life to spend in a moment, he looks for your sympathy. He reduces many to tears. And with each tear he rises a rank higher in the echelons of actors".[95] The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming the second highest grossing film domestically and the top-grossing Bollywood film in the overseas market that year.[93] When adjusted for inflation its total gross worldwide is
2004 was a critically and commercially successful year for Khan. He produced and starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, the action comedy Main Hoon Na alongside Suniel Shetty, Sushmita Sen, Kirron Kher, Amrita Rao and Zayed Khan. Dealing with a fictionalized account of the India–Pakistan relations, the film emerged as a major commercial success.[97] He then played an Indian Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh in Yash Chopra's love saga Veer-Zaara alongside Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. The film was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas, with a worldwide gross of over
In December 2004, Khan received wide critical acclaim for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's social drama, Swades. Also featuring Gayatri Joshi, Swades narrated the story of a NASA scientist who returns to India to get in touch with his roots. Several film critics consider Khan's performance in the film to be his best till date.[9] Critic Jitesh Pillai analyzed, "Ultimately your heart leaps out to the magical Shah Rukh Khan, who unarguably gives his career's finest performance. Shorn of any artifice or nervous energy, his anguish is tangible. He inhabits Mohan Bharghava with consummate ease, you can feel the earnestness of his intentions, the wetness of his tears".[100] Filmfare included his performance in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances".[101] He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, and eventually won the award for Swades.[97] The film itself was featured on Rediff's list of the 10 Best Bollywood Movies of the Decade.[102]
His only release in 2005, Paheli opposite Rani Mukerji, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards.[103] Despite flopping at the box-office, Paheli was critically acclaimed, as was Khan's performance, which Raja Sen called " A top-notch performance, [That] justifies his supremacy in the film world".[104] The following year, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the third time for the adult-drama, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. With an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher, the film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which results in an extramarital affair. Khan played the role of Dev Saran, a bitter and cynical former football player, who is insecure of his wife's (Zinta) successful career as a fashion magazine editor. The film received polarizing reviews from film critics but emerged as a major commercial success; emerging as India's biggest grosser in the overseas market, with earnings of over
He subsequently essayed the titular role in the action thriller, Don, a remake of the 1978 film of the same name. The film as well as Khan received mixed comments from film critics. His performance was extensively compared to that of Amitabh Bachchan, the actor in the original.[106] Taran Adarsh noted that Khan "does very well as Don. He enacts the evil character with flourish. But he fails to carry off the other role [Vijay] with conviction. It looks made up, it doesn't come natural to him at all."[106] While Derek Elley of Variety argued that "it's hard to accept him (Khan) as the title character" and that "Khan is far more convincing as Vijay, playing up to his rom-com fanbase with plenty of boyish humor."[107] The film became the fifth-highest grossing film of the year in India[105] and the highest grossing film of the year in the overseas market. It grossed a total of
In 2007, Khan featured in Yash Raj Films' Chak De! India, a semi-fictional account of the Indian women's national hockey team. Khan noted that while his background helped him during the filming (he was part of his university's hockey team during and aspired to be a professional hockey player before he suffered a back injury), he felt playing again after a long time was "very difficult and different". Khan tore a hamstring three days before the filming was over.[29][108][109] Chak De!India was a major critical and commercial success in India and abroad.[110] Earning over
In the same year, Khan starred in Farah Khan's second film, Om Shanti Om alongside Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade and Arjun Rampal. In the re-incarnation melodrama, Khan essayed the role of Om Prakash Makhija, a junior artiste from the 1970s who is reborn in the 2000s as a superstar named Om Kapoor. His performance was generally well received by critics; Khalid Mohammed from Hindustan Times wrote, "[T]he enterprise belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who tackles comedy, high drama and action with his signature style – spontaneous and intuitively intelligent."[112] The film emerged as the year's highest grossing motion picture in India and the overseas market with a worldwide gross of over
After turning down an opportunity to star in Danny Boyle's Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, Khan began shooting for My Name Is Khan, his fourth collaboration with director, Johar and sixth with actress, Kajol.[118][119] Based on a true story, and set against the backdrop of perceptions on Islam, post the 11 September attacks, the film featured Khan as Rizwan Khan, a Muslim man suffering from mild-Asperger syndrome who sets out on a journey across America to meet the country's President. Khan spent several months researching by reading books, watching videos and talking to people affected with the disorder in an effort to portray the character of Rizwan Khan.[120] In an interview with Hindustan Times he said, "Whenever you're dealing with a disorder or a near atypical situation, the first thought is that the sort of parameters you have to set that in no which way you are derogatory or deriding the disorder. The second part is you have to come as close to reality in depicting that characterization and so one had to study a lot and one does get worried"[121] Upon release, My Name is Khan received positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time in the overseas market. Khan's performance in the film was appreciated by most critics with Jay Wesissberg from Variety reviewing, "Khan uses the mannerisms associated with Asperger's – averted eyes, springy steps, stuttered repetitions of memorized texts – yet captures the personality beneath the condition in a standout performance sure to receive the Autism Society's gold seal of approval."[122] My Name is Khan fetched Khan his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor, thereby sharing the record with actor Dilip Kumar.
2011–present: Continuing other ventures
In 2011, Khan produced and starred in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction superhero film Ra.One, alongside Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor. The film, which follows the story of a London-based videogame designer who creates a villain that escapes the reel world into the real world, was billed as Bollywood's most expensive production with an estimated budget of
Khan with co-stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal during the premiere of Ra.One in London
His second release of the year was Don 2, a sequel to the 2006 hit, Don.[131] In order to prepare for his role, Khan exercised extensively and performed most of the stunts himself.[132] His performance fetched him positive comments from critics with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India noting, "Shah Rukh remains in command and never loses his foothold, neither through the dramatic sequences nor through the action cuts."[133] The film was a major success in India and it went on to become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood production abroad with a worldwide gross of more than
Khan's only release in 2012 was Yash Chopra's last romantic drama Jab Tak Hai Jaan, opposite Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.[139] It served as the fourth collaboration between Chopra and Khan,[139] the former returning as a director after eight years post Veer-Zaara, which released in 2004[139] and would eventually become Chopra's last directorial venture before his death on 21 October 2012.[140] The film received positive to mixed reviews from critics in India and positive reviews from critics overseas. Jab Tak Hai Jaan went on to become one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time both in India and abread and was declared a "worldwide blockbuster" with revenue of over
In August 2013, Khan produced and appeared in Rohit Shetty's action comedy Chennai Express under his own company Red Chillies Entertainment. Despite earning mixed critical response, the film broke a majority of the box office records of Hindi films in India and abroad and became the fastest film to enter the coveted Bollywood 100 Crore Club.[143][144] The film went on to break the record of 3 Idiots thus becoming the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time and was declared a Blockbuster in India by Box Office India.[145][146] It eventually grossed almost
Producer
Main article: Red Chillies EntertainmentKhan turned producer in 1999 in a collaboration with actress Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza for a production company called Dreamz Unlimited.[150] In 2004, Khan transformed it into Red Chillies Entertainment with his wife Gauri also serving as a producer.[151] He produced three films under his first company; Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000), Asoka (2001) and Chalte Chalte (2003).[152]
The first film to be produced by Red Chillies Entertainment was Main Hoon Na (2004), which served as choreographer Farah Khan's directorial debut.[97] The following year, he produced and starred in the fantasy film Paheli and co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal along with Karan Johar.[153]
Khan unveiling Kolkata Knight Riders' new logo in 2011
In 2007, Khan produced Om Shanti Om. Also directed by Farah Khan, the film was a major commercial success, and was declared India's highest grossing production ever up to that point. It was also nominated for the Filmfare Best Movie Award. His company has further gone on to produce Billu (2009), and Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011). During the filming of My Name Is Khan, Karan Johar producer of the film and head of Dharma Productions, requested Khan to co-produce the film under his production company.[154] They both collaborated again on Johar's directorial venture Student of the Year (2012). In 2011, the company produced the Sci-fi superhero film, Ra.One which witnessed the inclusion of several visual effects techniques being incorporated by his own animation studio.[155] Khan is also a co-producer of Don 2 (2011) with Excel Entertainment. In 2013, he produced Chennai Express which broke several box-office records and was a huge success, becoming the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time in India and worldwide.[156]
The company has four sub divisions, apart from film production. The animation studio known as Red Chillies VFX has been involved with many major films including Ra.One, Chennai Express and Krrish 3. A studio for TV commercials known as Red Chillies TVC and TV shows known as Red Chillies Idiot Box, which conceived shows like Up Close & Personal with PZ and Ishaan. The company also has a little over 50% stake in the Cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Non-film work
Television
In 2007, Khan replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the third season of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, popularly known as KBC, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. For his work at KBC 3, Khan won the best anchor at various awards ceremonies including The Global Indian Film and Television Honours and Indian Telly Awards.
A year later, Khan began hosting the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, the Indian version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.[158] In 2011, he returned to television with Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout, the Indian version of the American game show Wipeout, on Imagine TV. Although it was organized in Buenos Aires, the end-game bits featuring Khan were shot at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.[159] Contrary to his previous two television anchoring, the show opened with dismal viewer ratings and continued declining through its run, eventually ending in less than a month with fifteen episodes aired.[159]
Stage performances
Khan is a stage performer and has participated in several world tours and concerts. In 1997, he performed in the Asha Bhosle's: Moments in Time in Malaysia. He returned to another concert there the following year with Shahrukh—Karisma: Live in Malaysia concert. The same year he participated in the "The Awesome Foursome" world tour across the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America along with Juhi Chawla, Akshay Kumar, Kajol.[160] The world tour marked the later's first and only world tour to date.[161] In 1999, he resumed the tour in Malaysia, in which Salman Khan and Twinkle Khanna replaced Akshay Kumar and Kajol.[162] In November 2002, Khan took part in the Fire & Flames concert in Malaysia, alongside Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan and Raageshwari with a 40-member troupe of singers and dancers.[162] In the same year, he participated in the show From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta and Aishwarya Rai. It took place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.[163]
Khan during a performance in a concert at the Army Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2010.
Khan participated in a concert tour titled Temptations 2004 which was the most successful Bollywood concert at the time. Khan performed alongside Arjun Rampal, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe. He sang, danced and performed in skits.[164] In 2008, Khan set up Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, ended at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands.[165] Several months later, he again joined Rampal, Kapoor and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.[166] In 2010, Khan performed alongside Arjun Rampal, Rani Mukerji, Neeraj Shridhar and Ishaa Koppikar for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience.[167]
In 2011, Khan performed at the opening ceremony of the fourth edition of Indian Premier League held in M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai alongside Sunidhi Chauhan and Shriya Saran where they danced to a variety of Tamil songs.[168] and later that year, he joined Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the Friendship Concert, celebrating 150 years of India-South Africa friendship in Durban, South Africa.[169] Khan took part in The Temptations Reloaded concert of 2012 in Jakarta, he performed with Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Bipasha Basu.[170] In January 2013, he performed a tribute to his mentor, filmmaker Yash Chopra at the Zee Cine Awards along with Katrina Kaif, Karisma Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.[171] Khan performed alongside Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, and Pitbull for the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.[172] The same year, he performed for the Temptation Reloaded 2013, yet another series of concerts, across Auckland, Perth and Sydney. The show also featured alongside him, Rani Mukherji, Madhuri Dixit, Jacqueline Fernandez, Honey Singh and Meiyang Chang.[173]
Endorsements
Khan is often labelled by the Media as "Brand SRK" due to his various brand endorsement and entrepreneurship ventures. The Times of India noted "Khan has established himself as a brand on the map of the film industry. Hailing from a non-filmi background with no pedigree to boast of and no godfather to pull strings, the St. Columba's alumnus has become a muse."[174] In 2013, Forbes India named him Shah Rukh.Inc and declared him India's biggest Brand.[175]
1999 marked Khan's first foray in the world of celebrity endorsements.[176] and his popularity in the advertising world has been increasing ever since.[176] He is one of the top paid Bollywood actors in this respect and one the most visible celebrities in television ads.[14][177] In 2009, a survey conducted by AdEx India ranked him first on the list of top-notch brand ambassadors of the year.[178] He has also been endorsing the highest number of brands amongst Indian celebrities on television;[179] while in 2003, he endorsed eight brands, his endorsement rose up to a total of thirteen brands in 2004 and in 2005 he endorsed twenty one brands, thirty four brands in 2009 and twenty five in 2011.[176][177] Some of the brands that Khan has endorsed over the years are Pepsi, Sprite, Nokia, Hyundai, Sunfeast, Videocon, Airtel, Emami, Nerolac Paints, Dish TV, Linc Pens, D'decor, LUX, Frooti, Compaq and TAG Heuer.[176][177] Subsequently, Khan has been crowned "Brand Ambassador of the Year" at various business awards ceremonies over the years.[180][181] In 2005, he launched his own perfume, labelled "Tiger Eyes by SRK" by the French perfume brand Jeanne Arthes.[182]
SRK at a Tag Heuer press conference, promoting the Carrera Monaco GP watch.
In December 2007, Khan was declared as the face of Force India, the Formula One racing team representing India in international motor race championships. Force India stated about their collaboration with Khan: "We thought the fastest way to announce our arrival in the country is to use [Shahrukh] Khan as the team's brand ambassador. He is famous, successful and the most potent icon of young and confident India. Those are the same values that the team is trying to project on the biggest stage of motorsports."[183] And in 2011, Khan was appointed the brand ambassador of the Champions League Twenty20, an annual international Twenty20 cricket competition between the top domestic teams from major cricketing nations.[184] In 2010, Khan was named the global ambassador of the live entertainment theatre and leisure destination Kingdom of Dreams which is described as Bollywood's very own Broadway.[185] In April 2012, he was roped as the official brand ambassador for Prayag Film City, a
In February 2011, Khan was appointed brand ambassador for the state of West Bengal.[187] He was offered the position by the state's chief minister Mamata Banerjee during an interaction with Khan on the sidelines of the inaugural function of the 17th Kolkata Film Festival earlier that year. Khan's acceptance came in the form of a letter to the chief minister where he said, "West Bengal is my second home."[188] In August 2012, a promotional film starring Khan and directed by filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury was released. The three minutes clip featured Khan speaking a few lines in Bengali, urging people to come and visit what is called "Beautiful Bengal".[189]
Ownership of IPL cricket team
In 2008, Khan in partnership with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta acquired ownership rights for the franchise representing Kolkata in the Twenty20 cricket tournament Indian Premier League, for a price of
As of 2009, KKR was one of the richest teams in the IPL and had been ranked as the most valued with a brand value of $42.1 million.[190] Financially, Kolkata Knight Riders were the most profitable and successful franchise in the IPL as well. The team was surrounded with controversy and poor on-field performance through the first three years of the tournament.[192] Its performance, however, improved from the fourth season and they eventually became the IPL champions for the first time in 2012 .[192]
On 9 April 2012, Khan was served a notice by the Rajasthan Police for smoking in public after he was seen smoking on camera during a match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajasthan Royals on 8 April.[193] On 16 May of the same year, he received a five-year ban from the Wankhede Stadium by the Mumbai Cricket Association for arguing with security at the ground after a match between his team and The Mumbai Indians.[194] Khan later apologised to his fans after his team won the final match at Chennai on 27 May.[194]
Humanitarian causes
Khan is known for keeping a low profile and secrecy on his social commitments and Humanitarian work.[16][195] In an interview with The Guardian he stated that his reason for keeping his charity work guarded was because of his religious beliefs. He said: "Somewhere in the Quran it says that if you do charity for a reason, it's not charity."[196]
Khan has been brand ambassador of various governmental campaigns throughout the years, notably those of Pulse Polio and National AIDS Control Organisation.[197] Khan is a member of the board of directors of Make-A-Wish Foundation in India.[198]
In February 2005, Khan performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in company with other Bollywood stars and also donated
Khan with Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of Russia during the latter's visit to India in 2011
In 2008, Khan took part in The Rock on For Humanity concert along with other Bollywood stars. The concert raised over
In 2009, during his conferment ceremony of an honorary doctorate by the British Bedfordshire University, Khan pledged his dedication to further the cause of child education in India.[209] In 2011, he teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan and English actress Judi Dench to promote Resul Pookutty's foundation that works to better the living conditions of the underprivileged in India.[210] The same year, he was honoured with the UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award for his charity engagements and social commitment towards providing education for kids and became the first Indian to win the accolade.[17]
In 2011, Khan was appointed by the UNOPS to be the first global ambassador of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.[211] Khan also supports Cosmopolitan Magazine's "Real Men Don't Hit Women"[212] and the social campaign, Men Against Rape and Discrimination which was launched by Bollywood film director and actor Farhan Akhtar in 2013.[213]
Public image
Khan was given the birth name "Shahrukh" (meaning "Face of the King"), but prefers his name to be written as "Shah Rukh Khan", and is also commonly referred to as SRK.[214] Khan has various homes in India and abroad. His house in Mumbai called Mannat is a well-known tourist spot and is considered a heritage building, deemed important to the townscape and hence exempt from demolition.[3] In addition, he also has a house in New Delhi.[215] Khan also owns a £20 million apartment in London and a
Khan at the Berlin Film Festival in 2008
Khan is often considered the most popular Bollywood celebrity in India, has been described as a sex symbol and heartthrob and has a reputation as one of the most desirable men in Indian Khan's six pack abs and his dimples have been cited by the media as his characteristic distinctive physical features. Rediff noted: "The actor is the proud holder of probably the most famous set of dimples in India".[226] He was voted the sexiest Asian man in the world by Eastern Eye in 2007, and was ranked third in 2008 and 2011.[227][228] He has also been regularly featured on the top 10 in the Times of India 's list of the 50 most desirable men in India.[229][230] Khan's look and performances have also established him as a style icon in India.[231] In 2011, GQ magazine's British edition declared him one of the best dressed men in the world.[232] The following year, GQ India included him in their list of Bollywood's 11 best dressed men[233] Karan Johar stated: "Shah Rukh Khan is one person who will look good in casuals as well as in formals. He can carry off almost anything."[234]
Globally, Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars, with a fan following claimed to number in the billions. He is also of one the most watched movie stars in the world, and one of the most recognisable faces of Indian cinema.[196][235][236][237] In 2011, The Los Angeles Times noted: "He is the biggest movie star you've never heard of. And perhaps the world's biggest movie star, period."[238] His success and popularity have been attributed as the result of his emergence in the era of liberalisation and changing economic scenario in the 1990s.[239][240] He is often described as the face and catalyst of a new consumerist urban society, and that he has managed to personify "the restless spirit of post-liberalization, ambitious, assertive and yet feel-good India."[241]
Khan has been featured regularly in the listing of the most powerful names of Indian Cinema. In 2004, he was awarded the Filmfare Power Award (shared with Amitabh Bachachan) for topping the Filmfare list of the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", and again in 2005. In 2006 he was ranked as second overall behind Yash Chopra and his son Aditya and the most powerful actor, an achievement he would go on to repeat till 2009.[242][243] He occupied the top slot of Box Office India's Top Actors list for the first time in 1994 for two consecutive years, then again in 1998 and for the majority of the 2000s (from 2002 till 2008).[244] He was also declared by FICCI as one of the "Ten Most Powerful Entertainer of the Decade".[245] In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.[19] In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper DNA, he was voted one of India's most popular icons.[246] Khan was ranked at number one on Forbes India's "Celebrity 100 list", twice in a row, in 2012 and 2013 which named him the most powerful celebrity in India.[175][247] In 2013, Khan pledged that the names of his female co-stars will appear before his name in future film credits, starting with Chennai Express.[248]
In popular media
In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced and directed a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Featuring his Temptations 2004 concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. In 2010, Discovery Travel & Living channel produced a ten-part series titled Living with a Superstar-Shah Rukh Khan. The series was the biggest Indian show on television, with a budget of nearly
Khan at the launch of his official Opus, in 2011.
In April 2007, his lifelike wax statue was installed in London's Madame Tussauds wax museum, making him the second Indian actor to receive this honor.[251] Additional versions were installed at Madame Tussauds museums in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and New York in 2010 and yet another one in Washington in 2012.[252] In 2005, Khan was the subject of a series of 20 paintings by Indian artist Anjana Kuthiala.[253] Greatly inspired by M.F. Husain's work with actress Madhuri Dixit, she hence chose Khan (her favorite artist) to be the muse and subject of her collections.[254] She first met Khan in 2002, where she discussed with him the idea of "immortalizing him on canvas".[254] In a 2011 interview with Times of India, she described her work with Khan as "a turning point in her career."[254] Khan and three other Bollywood actors (Priyanka Chopra, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan) had their likenesses made into a series of miniature dolls for Hasbro and the UK-based Bollywood Legends Corporation.[255]
The book Still Reading Khan by Mushtaq Sheikh, which details his family life, rare photographs and unusual memories from his youth was released in 2006.[256] 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.[257][258] In 2007, well-known journalist, critic, columnist and screenwriter Deepa Gahlot released a book titled SRK: King Khan which analyses the various phases of Khan's life and career through the years.[259] A second book by Sheikh, titled Shah Rukh Can was released in 2008.[260] Khan is also the first actor and the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to have an official Opus dedicated to him.[261]
Acting style and analysis
Khan has been praised by contemporaries and commentators for his acting skills and devotion to his work.[262] Filmmaker Aziz Mirza described Khan as a "natural" explaining that he had "a rawness in him" and "a crowd appeal, even when he was just with friends."[263] He is also known to committing heavily to each role and doing monumental research for his characters.[264][265] Commenting on this, director Karan Johar said: "He has no limit and no limitation. He can give a role much more than what you can dream of. He can do anything and be anyone. Also, what really makes him stand apart is the fact that he goes by the tonality of the character. He is somebody who has no boundaries."[265] Khan, on the other hand, has also been criticized by some film critics for his "trademark" overacting[266] and limited acting chops. Derek Bose writes: "The joke going around then was that Shahrukh Khan had no more than five expressions to play about with and by cleverly juggling them in film after film, made his mark as a superstar".[267] Similarly, while reviewing his performance in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, another critic noted: "Someone give the man an oxygen tank before he overacts himself unconscious."[268]
Khan at the International Film Festival of Marrakech in 2012.
During the span of his career, Khan has played an array, of roles from various film genres; romantic dramas, comedies, action thrillers, horrors, sport films, period films and Sci-fi superhero films.[269] Following the success of Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993), Khan's film roles were subject to wide critical analysis.[270] His performance in the early stages of his career has often been described as "energetic" and "intense".[270] The Daily News and Analysis wrote:"[and] then he came, sliding down stairs on a slab of ice, cartwheeling, somersaulting, lips trembling, eyes trembling, bringing to the screen the kind of physical energy not seen since Shammi Kapoor in his heydays. This was a totally different kind of acting from we had ever seen – visceral, intense, maniacal one moment and cloyingly boyish the next."[270] He was also praised for being a risk taker by "pushing the envelope" playing characters that were considered taboo at the time.[269][270] Khan was credited for changing the image of the typical conventional Indian hero; being one of the pioneers of returning the romantic boyish character to the Indian screen.[269][270] Harish Dugh from The Indian Express noted: "The die was cast when [King] Khan replaced the Bachchan bravado with the portrayal of a very humane and likeable, simple and feeling young man." He also added: "Welcome to a new-look Bollywood. Today, it stands virtually transformed by SRK single-handedly into an entity that caters to people's desire to see their superstar reflect their own weaknesses, pain and anguish."[269]
With the release of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Khan began his long lasting foray into the romantic genre which will continue with numerous films such as Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Devdas (2002), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) Due to his appearance in these films, he has developed a "romantic lover" image and has been often tagged as an icon of romance in Hindi cinema.[262] An image that has been met with polarizing reactions; while some argue that he "became trapped in the conventional romantic lover-boy image, continuing to essay, over the years, a series of roles that were mind-numbingly alike" others debate that "it is the romantic SRK that |I] connect with the most" and that he "plays the romantic man with such pizzazz and in the old-world style that he is treat to watch, as he woos the hearts of his co-stars and his audience!".[272] Anupama Chopra further noted: "You have to admire his ability to play the romantic hero. We've seen him do it for two decades but he still makes it compelling."[273]
Following his portrayal of such characters as those in Dil Se.. (1998), Swades (2004), Chak De! India (2007) and My Name Is Khan (2010) and Don 2 (2011), Khan was recognized for his versatility.[262][269] In 2010, Filmfare Magazine included two of his performances—from Swades and Chak De! India—in its list of "80 Iconic Performances". The Indian Express noted: [Khan] has tailored and leveraged his acting skills in such a versatile manner as to impress a demanding audience world-over with his ability to change his acting in a manner unforeseen in the annals of Indian cinema."[269]
Selected filmography
Main article: Shahrukh Khan filmographyActor
Year Role Notes 1992 Raja Sahai Filmfare Award for Best Debut 1993 Ajay Sharma / Vicky Malhotra Filmfare Award for Best Actor 1994 Sunil Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance 1994 Vijay Agnihotri Filmfare Award for Best Villain 1995 Raj Malhora Filmfare Award for Best Actor 1997 Rahul Khanna Filmfare Award for Best Actor 1998 Rahul Khanna Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2000 Raj Aryan Malhotra Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor 2002 Devdas Mukherjee Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2004 Mohan Bhargava Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2007 Kabir Khan Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2010 Rizwan Khan Filmfare Award for Best Actor Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Shahrukh KhanSee also
- List of Indian film actors
- Newark Airport Incident
- The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Shahrukh Khan Biography
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