From Fauji to King: Shah Rukh Khan’s 35-year journey

Very few film stars become symbols of a nation’s cinema. Shah Rukh Khan did. Born in New Delhi on 2 November 1965, with no family links to the film industry, he became the most recognisable Indian actor in the world. This is the story of that journey.

Delhi and theatre

Khan grew up in Delhi, studied economics at Hansraj College and trained in theatre with director Barry John. His parents died while he was young — his father in 1981 and his mother in 1991 — a loss he has often spoken about.

Television: Fauji and Circus

His first break came on television. In Fauji (1989), a series about army cadets, he played Abhimanyu Rai and quickly became popular. Circus (1989) and Idiot (1992) followed.

Arrival in films

He moved to Mumbai in 1991 and married Gauri Chhibber the same year. His first film release was Deewana (1992). In 1993 he took the bold step of playing obsessive villains in Baazigar and Darr, roles most leading men avoided. Both were hits.

The romantic hero

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), with Kajol, changed everything. It became one of the longest-running films in Indian history, playing at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir cinema for decades. Films such as Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) made him the face of romance and family drama, especially among Indians living abroad.

Range and risk

He also chose challenging roles: the NASA scientist returning home in Swades (2004), the hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007) and the man with Asperger’s syndrome in My Name Is Khan (2010). Swades and Chak De! are still widely admired.

Businessman

In 2002 he and Gauri founded Red Chillies Entertainment, which produces films and runs one of India’s leading visual-effects studios. In 2008 he co-founded the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, which has won three titles (2012, 2014 and 2024).

Difficult years

The late 2010s brought several disappointments, including Zero (2018). Khan took a long break from acting, and many wondered whether his best years were behind him.

The 2023 comeback

Then came 2023. Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand, and Jawan, directed by Atlee, each earned more than ₹1,000 crore worldwide. Dunki, by Rajkumar Hirani, also succeeded. It was one of the most successful years any Indian star has had.

In 2025 Jawan won him the National Film Award for Best Actor — his first, after more than three decades in cinema. The same year he made his Met Gala debut in New York.

King

His next film, King, directed by Siddharth Anand and co-starring his daughter Suhana, releases on 24 December 2026.

Honours

He received the Padma Shri in 2005, France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Légion d’honneur, and has won many Filmfare awards.

What makes him different

Khan’s appeal mixes charm, wit and an outsider’s determination. He often jokes about himself in interviews, and his speeches about hard work resonate with people who, like him, arrived in a big city with little but ambition. Thirty-five years after Fauji, he remains, for many, simply “King Khan”.