Shah Rukh Khan

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Lore & Background

Shah Rukh Khan's journey in the film industry started with a setback. In 1999, he collaborated with Aziz Mirza and Juhi Chawla to start a production company, Dreamz Unlimited, whose first release was the comedy-drama Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) starring Khan and Chawla. The film was a commercial failure as was their next production, Aśoka (2001), leading to a setback. His career prospects improved in 2002 when he starred alongside Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai in Devdas, a period romance that garnered him critical acclaim. In 2004, he collaborated with his wife Gauri Khan to launch another company, Red Chillies Entertainment, whose first feature was the box office hit Main Hoon Na (2004). Khan's popularity continued to increase in the 2000s as he played the romantic lead opposite Preity Zinta, in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Veer-Zaara (2004). He also played against type as a NASA scientist in the drama Swades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports film Chak De! India (2007), and an autistic man in the drama My Name Is Khan (2010). From 2007 onwards, Khan began to star opposite a third generation of heroines, most notably Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om (2007) and Anushka Sharma in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008). He went on to co-star with Padukone in the action-comedies Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014), and reunited with Kajol in Dilwale (2015), all of which were among the biggest Hindi film grossers of the decade. He then starred alongside Sharma in Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and Zero (2018), both of which were commercially unsuccessful. Following a hiatus, Khan made a career comeback with the 2023 action films Pathaan and Jawan, each earning over ₹10 billion (US$100 million) to emerge as his highest-grossing releases.

Reader's Guide

Shah Rukh Khan's career is marked by specific achievements and records. With eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, he shares the record for the most wins in the category with Dilip Kumar. Khan has also starred in several non-fiction films that have documented his popularity, including the documentary The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan (2005). From 2003 onwards, he hosted several award ceremonies, including ten Filmfare Awards and six Screen Awards. In addition, he has featured as the host of television game shows Kaun Banega Crorepati (2007) and the talk show TED Talks India (2017–2019). His filmography includes a wide range of roles, from romantic leads to a NASA scientist in Swades (2004), a hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007), and an autistic man in My Name Is Khan (2010). His production company Red Chillies Entertainment, launched with his wife Gauri Khan in 2004, had its first feature as the box office hit Main Hoon Na (2004). After a period of commercial failures including Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and Zero (2018), Khan made a major career comeback with the 2023 action films Pathaan and Jawan, each earning over ₹10 billion (US$100 million).

Did You Know?

• Shah Rukh Khan began his acting career playing a soldier in the Doordarshan series Fauji (1988).
• He played villainous roles in the 1993 thrillers Baazigar and Darr, which were box office successes.
• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) became the longest running Indian film of all time.
• With eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, he shares the record for the most wins in the category with Dilip Kumar.
• His 2023 films Pathaan and Jawan each earned over ₹10 billion (US$100 million), making them his highest-grossing releases.