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Shah Rukh Khan turns 61

The Delhi dreamer who became Bollywood’s eternal ‘King’

Published : Monday, 2 November, 2026 at 12:45 PM

Observer Online Report

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan turned 61 on Monday (November 2), a day that found the star still in motion, still reinventing himself, and still beloved by millions.

Born in New Delhi in 1965, the actor arrived in Mumbai with no film family behind him and no assured path ahead. He had a fierce love for acting and a stubborn will to prove himself. Decades on, he is known as “Badshah,” “King Khan” and the “King of Romance.”

A boy from Delhi

Khan grew up in Rajendra Nagar in Delhi. His father, Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, took part in India’s freedom movement, and his mother, Lateef Fatima, was an educated working woman.

He received the Sword of Honour at St. Columba’s School and then studied economics at Hansraj College. He began a course in mass communication at Jamia Millia Islamia but left it for the stage, training under theatre director Barry John at Delhi’s Theatre Action Group.

Grief came early. He lost his father in 1981 and his mother in 1991, and took on the care of his elder sister, Shahnaz. Soon after, he left for Mumbai.

From television to the throne

His career began on television. The 1989 serial “Fauji,” in which he played Commando Abhimanyu Rai, first brought him public notice. His big-screen debut, “Deewana,” followed in 1992 and earned him the ‘Filmfareaward’ for best debut.

He then chose a bold path. In “Baazigar” and “Darr” (both 1993) and “Anjaam” (1994), he played dark, obsessive men while his peers chased the hero’s mantle. The gamble set him apart.

The turning point came in 1995 with Aditya Chopra’s “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.” As Raj, opposite Kajol, he became the face of Indian romance. The film ran for years at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir theatre, a rare feat in Indian cinema.

“Dil To Pagal Hai,” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,” “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” and “Veer-Zaara” followed. His outstretched arms became a pose fans have copied ever since.

He was never only a lover on screen. He played a heartbroken Devdas, a NASA scientist returning home in “Swades,” a hockey coach in “Chak De! India,” and a man with autism in “My Name Is Khan.”

Not every film succeeded. After “Zero” in 2018, he took a long break from the screen. When he returned in 2023, “Pathaan” and “Jawan” became huge hits worldwide, and “Dunki” followed the same year.

For “Jawan,” he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor, announced in 2025. He shared the honour with Vikrant Massey, who won for “12th Fail.” He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2005 and has been honoured in France.

Beyond the camera

In 2002, Khan and his wife, Gauri Khan, founded Red Chillies Entertainment, which went on to produce hits and to become a pioneer in visual effects in Indian cinema.

He is also co-owner of the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders, along with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta. The team won the IPL title in 2012, 2014 and 2024.

His seafront home, Mannat, has become a pilgrimage site for fans, who gather outside every birthday.

Khan met Gauri in 1984, and the couple married on October 25, 1991, after a six-year courtship. They have three children: Aryan, Suhana and AbRam. Aryan has begun a career as a filmmaker, and Suhana has entered acting.

‘King’ arrives with a song

On his birthday, Khan released the first song from his upcoming film “King,” titled “Tu Mil Jaye,” on social media at midnight.

The track features Khan with Deepika Padukone and mixes romance with gunfights and hand-to-hand combat. Ed Sheeran, Arijit Singh and Madhubanti Bagchi lent their voices to it.

Singh hails from Murshidabad, and Bagchi from Balurghat in West Bengal. Bagchi has also performed on Coke Studio Bangla.

“Love in these times is only for the lucky ones, where roses bloom amid the smell of gunpowder,” Khan wrote, promising more “this December.”

Reactions were mixed but warm. Many praised the Khan-Padukone chemistry and the line-up of singers, while some felt the visuals echoed “Pathaan” and “Jawan.”

Directed by Siddharth Anand, “King” is Khan and Padukone’s sixth film together. The cast also includes Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Raghav Juyal, Arshad Warsi and Jaideep Ahlawat. It is scheduled for release on December 24.

Khan had earlier collaborated with Sheeran and Singh on the singer’s 2025 single “Sapphire,” whose video he appeared in.

At 61, the Delhi dreamer has not slowed. The roles have changed, the years have passed and the audiences have grown up, but the affection has remained constant.

-SA