Badshah of Bollywood, King Khan, King of Bollywood – just a few of the titles the industry and fans have bestowed on this colossal superstar, who completes 26 years in Hindi films. Back in 1992, he hit the screens with Deewana. It was an unusual debut.

Shah Rukh appeared only in the second half of the film but still won Best Debut that year. His spark was simply too powerful to be ignored, even in the raw, early days. His choices in the ensuing decades have won him numerous accolades in India and abroad, marking him as one of the most successful film stars in the world in terms of audience size and income.

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And he is far from sated. Constantly looking to push the envelope and touch greater heights as a performer, we would recommend you don’t shift your eyes from him for the next 26 years at least. This is Shah Rukh Khan we are talking about here, after all!
Here’s a glimpse into his method and magic, in his own words.

Success Secret

“I don’t think there’s any magic formula,” feels the man who creates magic onscreen and off it too. “I think a large part of it is – I don’t mean to sound philosophical – but I think a large part of it is God-given. But I think it also involves a lot of hard work, a lot of commitment, dedication, sacrifice. And I know to the outside world it seems very glamorous and it seems a lovely life to live, but it’s not as easy and as glamorous as it looks.”

Smile Check

There is one area he is absolutely secure about… “I make people happy. Whether I’m a good actor or not, whether I’m in a hit film or a flop, the one ability I haven’t lost is that I can go into the streets and out of 10, maybe six people will smile. That’s still a good average.”

Inner Recluse

He has always maintained that he is shy and reclusive. “I have to do the public things I do, and I do them with a lot of happiness. But I can’t take them home with me… I’m very sensitive, it’s why I’m very friendly and charming and everything people expect me to be, but I don’t have any friends… I get hurt very easily. I’m not very social. I don’t like keeping relationships. There is hardly anyone I share my feelings with. I believe your feelings are your own and no one understands them as well as you. Somebody can give it a good hearing, but nobody can solve the issue of your feelings, so I keep them to myself.”

Fatherly Worries

He shares that he worries about the children all the time. “After their health, I worry that the shadow of my fame does not destroy their identity, that’s why I’ve sent them abroad to study, to figure out what they want to do. My kids are very balanced, mashallah, but to be children of a famous father … I want them out of this shadow. I wouldn’t even mind the shadow decreasing if it helps them.”

Lessons Learnt

Decades later he has learnt three key lessons in the industry – “That everyone doesn’t understand my humour [grins]. Happiness comes on a successful Friday. And all this happens if you’re happening. The industry is the nicest place to be because it’s straightforward.

If you believe you are a means to an end, you will always be successful in this industry. If you believe you are the end, you will feel cheated, unhappy, let down. The industry is like the Mafia, in a nice way. Shape up or ship out: nothing personal, it’s just business. Karan [Johar] puts it well. He says it’s called the film industry, not film family or fraternity. You’re here to do a job.”