A Delhi boy with no filmi connections whatsoever lands in the city of dreams. He has worked in a few TV series and has some theatre experience.
Read It has not sunk in yet that we are champions again: SRK
He was just one among the thousands who reach Mumbai everyday to try their luck in the tinseltown and odds were stacked against him. Most of the strugglers fade away, some of them find a toehold but only one went on to become Shah Rukh Khan - the Badshah of Bollywood.
Read 'I am rich because I have beautiful kids'
A day after the IPL 2014 finals, we list the 10 star moments in the life of one of the biggest Bollywood stars we have seen.
Fauji (1988):
How many of us remember Abhimanyu Rai? A lot. This was not the first TV series the-then gangly SRK acted in but it was the most iconic. Those who were kids or teenagers in the '80s can probably also quote a few lines from the series. He followed it up with series such as Circus and Doosra Keval.
Deewana (1992): A man so obsessed with a woman that he follows her around and almost stalks her? Now this would go on to become something of a leitmotif with SRK - Darr, Anjaam, Baazigar - but Deewana was the first time we saw SRK doing that. This was also his Bollywood debut and start to a truly remarkable career.
Baazigar (1993): Deewana was his debut but Baazigar was the film that got him in the A-league. As a son revenging wrongs against his parents, he was vulnerable and terrifying in equal measures. It was also the first film where we saw the SRK-Kajol jodi which sizzled every time they were together on-screen.
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (1995): This film easily makes to the favourite list of most Indians and many from outside India. Enter the loverboy Shah Rukh Khan who romanced India with his brandy eyes. His Raj loved the girl but would marry her only if bauji consented. Now that is what India's young women and their parents wanted! This film also made SRK the favourite of Yash Raj Films and they together went on to deliver many hits including Dil To Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, Mohabbatein and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998): Enter Karan Johar and his vision of Rahul/Raj for Shah Rukh Khan. His brand of cinema and SRK's charisma together gave us hits like KKHH, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kabhi Khushie Kabhi Gham. This was SRK -- the loverboy, the ideal son and the great friend all rolled into one.
Chak De! India (2007): This was another YRF film but completely out-of-the-box. A bearded SRK coaches an underdog women's team which goes on to become the world champion. Probably one of the few times that the King Khan ventured out of his safe zone and managed to hit the bull's eye; Swades is another of his 'different' hits.
Red Chillies Entertainment: Set up in 2002, this was SRK's way of doing his kind of cinema and giving it back to the industry. The production house has been behind hits like Om Shanti Om. Bollywood's Midas man can manage to make money out of most of his initiatives. In fact, a recent wealth report said he was richer than Hollywood celebs such as Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise.
IPL win (2012): In the initial seasons of Indian Premiere League, Kolkata Knight Riders stuck to the bottom of the pile. When they went head-to-head with favourites Chennai Super Kings in IPL 5, it was the first time they were playing in the finals. An impressive performance by KKR later, it was time for victory procession in Kolkata.
Chennai Express (2013):This was the time people were getting ready to write about the phenomenon that 'was' Shah Rukh. His films were doing well but not as well as expected. In such a scenario, entered Rohit Shetty's Chennai Express and went on to break a few records on the BO. Hammy acting, did you say? But then, Bollywood mein jo bikta hai, wo chalta hai.
IPL win (2014): KKR became the second team to clinch two IPL titles after defeating Punjab. Shah Rukh and Kolkata again went euphoric and the tweet stream from SRK's handles is still to ebb.
Deewana (1992): A man so obsessed with a woman that he follows her around and almost stalks her? Now this would go on to become something of a leitmotif with SRK - Darr, Anjaam, Baazigar - but Deewana was the first time we saw SRK doing that. This was also his Bollywood debut and start to a truly remarkable career.
Baazigar (1993): Deewana was his debut but Baazigar was the film that got him in the A-league. As a son revenging wrongs against his parents, he was vulnerable and terrifying in equal measures. It was also the first film where we saw the SRK-Kajol jodi which sizzled every time they were together on-screen.
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge (1995): This film easily makes to the favourite list of most Indians and many from outside India. Enter the loverboy Shah Rukh Khan who romanced India with his brandy eyes. His Raj loved the girl but would marry her only if bauji consented. Now that is what India's young women and their parents wanted! This film also made SRK the favourite of Yash Raj Films and they together went on to deliver many hits including Dil To Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, Mohabbatein and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998): Enter Karan Johar and his vision of Rahul/Raj for Shah Rukh Khan. His brand of cinema and SRK's charisma together gave us hits like KKHH, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Kabhi Khushie Kabhi Gham. This was SRK -- the loverboy, the ideal son and the great friend all rolled into one.
Chak De! India (2007): This was another YRF film but completely out-of-the-box. A bearded SRK coaches an underdog women's team which goes on to become the world champion. Probably one of the few times that the King Khan ventured out of his safe zone and managed to hit the bull's eye; Swades is another of his 'different' hits.
Red Chillies Entertainment: Set up in 2002, this was SRK's way of doing his kind of cinema and giving it back to the industry. The production house has been behind hits like Om Shanti Om. Bollywood's Midas man can manage to make money out of most of his initiatives. In fact, a recent wealth report said he was richer than Hollywood celebs such as Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise.
IPL win (2012): In the initial seasons of Indian Premiere League, Kolkata Knight Riders stuck to the bottom of the pile. When they went head-to-head with favourites Chennai Super Kings in IPL 5, it was the first time they were playing in the finals. An impressive performance by KKR later, it was time for victory procession in Kolkata.
Chennai Express (2013):This was the time people were getting ready to write about the phenomenon that 'was' Shah Rukh. His films were doing well but not as well as expected. In such a scenario, entered Rohit Shetty's Chennai Express and went on to break a few records on the BO. Hammy acting, did you say? But then, Bollywood mein jo bikta hai, wo chalta hai.
IPL win (2014): KKR became the second team to clinch two IPL titles after defeating Punjab. Shah Rukh and Kolkata again went euphoric and the tweet stream from SRK's handles is still to ebb.
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