Shah Rukh Khan

Early Life

Khan was born Shahrukh Khan on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi, India, to Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, an independence activist, and Lateef Fatima, a magistrate. He was educated at St. Columba's School in New Delhi and studied economics at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, before studying mass communication at Jamia Millia Islamia. He trained in theatre in Delhi under Barry John and appeared on television in the serials Fauji (1989) and Circus (1989) before moving to Mumbai to work in films.

Education

Khan was educated at St. Columba's School, New Delhi. He studied economics at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, and mass communication at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, and trained in theatre under Barry John in Delhi.

Career

Khan began acting in theatre and television in Delhi, gaining recognition in the television serials Fauji and Circus before making his film debut in Deewana in 1992, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He first drew attention playing anti-hero roles in the thrillers Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993), winning his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Baazigar. He then became the leading romantic star of Hindi cinema with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), all of which won him Filmfare Awards for Best Actor. His later films include the period romance Devdas (2002), the drama Swades (2004), the sports drama Chak De! India (2007) and My Name Is Khan (2010). After a break from leading film roles, he returned to the top of the Indian box office in 2023 with Pathaan and Jawan. He co-founded the production company Dreamz Unlimited in 2002, later renamed Red Chillies Entertainment, with his wife Gauri Khan, and became co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team when the Indian Premier League began in 2008.

Achievements

Khan has won eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor. India honoured him with the Padma Shri, its fourth-highest civilian award, in 2005, and France awarded him the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007 and the Legion of Honour in 2014. In 2025 he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey. His film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) is the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, screened daily at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre since October 1995 and passing 1,000 weeks in December 2014. Beyond acting, he co-founded the production company Red Chillies Entertainment and co-owns the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders.

Legacy

Khan is one of the most recognised stars of Hindi cinema and one of the most widely known Indian actors in the world. His romantic roles of the 1990s, above all in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, shaped the image of the modern Hindi film hero, and that film's unbroken run at a single Mumbai theatre since 1995 is without parallel in Indian cinema. His honours from India and France, and his work as a producer and as co-owner of a major cricket team, have made him a prominent figure in Indian popular culture beyond acting.

Major Achievements

• Won eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor
• Received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2005
• Received France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007 and the Legion of Honour in 2014
• Won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 2025 for Jawan
• Starred in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema, shown daily at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre since its release
• Co-founded the production company Red Chillies Entertainment and co-owns the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders

Contributions

Khan's contribution to Hindi cinema is a body of work of more than 90 films, from the anti-hero roles of Baazigar and Darr to the romantic leads of the 1990s and the action films of 2023. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, in which he starred, is the longest-running film in Indian cinema. As a producer through Red Chillies Entertainment and as co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, he has also worked as an entrepreneur in film and sport.

Notable Works

• Deewana (1992)
• Baazigar (1993)
• Darr (1993)
• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
• Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
• Devdas (2002)
• Swades (2004)
• Chak De! India (2007)
• My Name Is Khan (2010)
• Pathaan (2023)
• Jawan (2023)

Milestones

• 1989 — Gained recognition on television in the serials Fauji and Circus Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1992 — Made his film debut in Deewana, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1993 — Won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Baazigar Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 1995 — Starred in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the longest-running film in Indian cinema Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; The Hollywood Reporter India
• 1997 — Starred in Dil To Pagal Hai, winning another Filmfare Award for Best Actor Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1998 — Starred in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, winning another Filmfare Award for Best Actor Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2002 — Starred in Devdas and co-founded the production company Dreamz Unlimited, later Red Chillies Entertainment Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 2004 — Starred in Swades Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2005 — Received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2007 — Starred in Chak De! India; received France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2008 — Became co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 2010 — Starred in My Name Is Khan Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2014 — Received France's Legion of Honour Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2023 — Returned to the top of the Indian box office with Pathaan and Jawan Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2025 — Won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Jawan Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Timeline

1. 2 November 1965

   Born Shahrukh Khan in New Delhi, India

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
2. 1989

   Gained recognition on television in the serials Fauji and Circus

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
3. 1992

   Made his film debut in Deewana, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
4. 1993

   Won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Baazigar

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
5. 20 October 1995

   Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge released; it began an unbroken run at Mumbai's Maratha Mandir theatre

   Source: The Hollywood Reporter India; Encyclopaedia Britannica
6. 2002

   Co-founded the production company Dreamz Unlimited, later renamed Red Chillies Entertainment, with Gauri Khan

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia; Encyclopaedia Britannica
7. 2005

   Received the Padma Shri from the Government of India

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
8. 2008

   Became co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team in the Indian Premier League

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
9. 2014

   Received the Legion of Honour from the Government of France; Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge passed 1,000 weeks at the Maratha Mandir

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; The Hollywood Reporter India
10. 2023

    Returned to the top of the Indian box office with Pathaan and Jawan

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
11. 2025

    Won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Jawan

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

1. Shah Rukh Khan — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 12 November 2026)
2. Shah Rukh Khan — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 12 November 2026)
3. 30 Years of 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge': Love's Longest Reel at Maratha Mandir — The Hollywood Reporter India (accessed 12 November 2026)
4. File:Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan at TED2017.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 12 November 2026)

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