Intro
Shah Rukh Khan turns 61 today. 🎂
Born on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi, he is known around the world simply as SRK — the “King of Bollywood” and the “King of Romance”.
His birthday gift to fans arrived at midnight: “Tu Mil Jaaye”, the first song from his upcoming film King, reuniting him on screen with Deepika Padukone.
From a Delhi boy with no film family behind him to one of the most recognised faces on the planet, his story is still being written.
Then: The Delhi Outsider Who Took a Chance
Khan grew up in Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood and attended St. Columba’s School, where he excelled at sport and won the school’s Sword of Honour.
He studied economics at Hansraj College, Delhi University, and spent his free time with Delhi’s Theatre Action Group, learning acting under theatre director Barry John.
His first starring role was on television. He led the army-cadet series Fauji in 1989, followed by Circus in 1989–90.
After his mother died in 1991, he moved from Delhi to Mumbai to act in films full time. His Hindi film debut came in Deewana in 1992, which won him the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award.
The Villain Who Became the Romantic Hero
Khan did not start out playing heroes. In 1993 he won praise — and his first Filmfare Best Actor Award — for playing a murderer in Baazigar, and an obsessive lover in Darr.
Then came the role that changed everything. In Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), he played Raj, the young man who wins over Kajol’s family — and a generation of cinemagoers.
The film became one of Indian cinema’s biggest hits and is still showing in Mumbai decades later. It made Khan the defining romantic star of his era.
Hit after hit followed: Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003).
The Middle: Awards, Risks and a Quieter Patch
Khan kept stretching himself. He played an alcoholic in Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist returning home in Swades (2004) and a hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007).
He won eight Filmfare Best Actor Awards in total, and received India’s Padma Shri in 2005. Off screen, he co-founded Red Chillies Entertainment and became co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team.
After the box-office failure of Zero in 2018, he stepped away from films for a few years. Many wondered whether the King still had another act in him.
Long careers built on reinvention are rare. Jamie Lee Curtis has done something similar, moving from Halloween (1978) all the way to an Oscar win in 2023.
Now: The Comeback King
The answer came in 2023. Khan returned with three films in one year: the spy thriller Pathaan, the action drama Jawan and Dunki.
Pathaan and Jawan both ranked among the highest-grossing Indian films ever. For Jawan, he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor in 2025.
Like Penn Badgley, who went from teen-TV fame to a darker streaming lead, Khan’s second act surprised people who thought they knew his range.
Next: King, This Christmas
Now all eyes are on King. Directed by Siddharth Anand, who also directed Pathaan, the action thriller is due in cinemas on 24 December 2026.
It stars Khan alongside his daughter Suhana Khan in her feature-film debut, plus Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Anil Kapoor.
The first song, “Tu Mil Jaaye”, was released on his 61st birthday. Composed by Sachin-Jigar, it features vocals by Arijit Singh and Madhubanti Bagchi, with an English rap by Ed Sheeran.
Fans gathered outside his Mumbai home, Mannat, as usual this year — though with the house under reconstruction, he did not make his traditional balcony appearance, and a handwritten note from him was displayed for supporters instead.
From Fauji to King, from Delhi’s stages to the world’s biggest screens, Shah Rukh Khan has never just played the hero. He has outlasted every era that tried to move past him. 👑