King Khan, as he is endearingly touted to be, is not just the jack of many trades but also the heartbeat of millions of citizens. Over the decades, he has come to be known and identified as his many memorable characters—the quintessential lover boy. “Badshah”, “Don”, etc.
For almost three decades now, SRK has given mesmerising performances, characters to remember forever, dialogues that we still relate to and can repeat in our sleep, and his infectious smile and magnetic demeanour that we can die for.
I reckon we millennials have felt his Rahul’s (KKHH) and Raj’s (DDLJ) truly, longed for them, yearned for his love stories and gradually outgrew the protagonists only till he recreated his magic and pulled us back in the enigma of his Kabir Khan (Chak De India) and Jehangir (Dear Zindagi). They say he has “the” gift—the gift to charm anyone and everyone, and I believe that that could be true to a great extent.
Now that times are different and hard, I take this opportunity to remind all of you why SRK has ruled Bollywood and our respective hearts for years and has always been and will continue to be the heartthrob of the nation.
So without further ado, let’s delve into and peruse a few reasons why Shahrukh Khan is very rightly the Badshah of Bollywood.
1. He Started From Scratch
One of the prime reasons why any common man in India respects and adores SRK is how he carved an avenue for himself all by himself. Despite not being a conventionally good-looking actor, SRK garnered a lot of attention and notice, right from the time he appeared in Fauji.
2. He Gave Us A Full Niche Of Films
KKHH, DDLJ, DTPH, KKKG, KANK, KHNH, you know what I am talking about right? He is largely responsible for the box office response of all these films and more. And sure there are some toxic elements in these films but tell me if we have not once obsessed over Raj and Rahul and Aman.
Special Mention to Veer Zaara in this category.
3. He Has Genius Levels Of Acting Prowess
Having talked about his niche of films, how can we miss out on his versatility? His acting skills and screen presence stand testament till date, credits to his characters like Gaurav Chandana (Fan), Rahul (Chennai Express), Sahir Khan (Billu), and Surinder Sahni/Raj Kapoor (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), etc.
4. He Is An Avid Reader
In several interviews and web talks, SRK has been very vocal about his reading interests. He believes that his reading habit has influenced and shaped up his perspectives in life, only to make them better. Some of his fascinating reads include Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies by Blake Snyder, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, etc.
5. He Is A Brilliant Speaker
As we all know, SRK has always been unabashed and grateful about his success. And also, he has never shied away from giving talks at Ivy League universities that include Yale and Harvard. He has also indulged in Ted Talks, thus, inspiring millions of teenagers across the world.
6. He Has An A1 Sense Of Humour
Unless you live under a rock, you won’t be oblivious to the bang on and zingy sense of humour that SRK walks with. Right from the time when he dedicated his award to Sallu Bhai at Filmfare to his candid interview with David Letterman, all the “heart-to-heart” Koffees with Karan and thousands of stray interviews in between, he has always brought about a chuckle with his words.
7. He Is A Family Man
I know that this is an outdated concept but I still cannot resist putting this point up. Simply because he is not only a doting husband but also a super amazing father. Time and again, he has spoken up about his parenting techniques, how he wants to be friends first with his children. And true to his words, he is often seen spending substantial amounts of time with his family.
8. His Commitment For His Work
Since he started with Fauji till now, he has only worked and worked better. True his films are not a clarion call for social issues, but he is India’s most loved romantic hero, the best poster boy and has over 12 Filmfares in his kitty. That says something, eh?
9. Who Wouldn’t Melt At That Smile?
Well, I wanted to put this up right at the top. But then I thought I should talk some sense before sounding vain. But tell me if I am wrong, who wouldn’t fall for that smile right there.
10. He Gave India The Signature Romantic Pose
Keeping the technicalities at bay for a little while more, SRK also gave us the most romantic and his quintessential signature pose. The pose has been performed time and again by thousands of people globally. But no one has ever come close to recreating the magic of SRK even once.
11. His Love Story Is Truly What Dreams Are Made Of
From our childhood, we grew up uwu-ing and gushing to the love story of King Khan and Gauri Chibber. SRK met Gauri at a common party when he was 18 years old and Gauri was 14. It is said that a romantic banter between the couple led Gauri to move to Bombay without telling Shahrukh.
So in the pursuit of her love and affection, Shahrukh ran away to Bombay with a meagre sum of 10,000. He finally found Gauri at the Gorai Beach where the couple made up. The rest, of course, is history as to date Gauri and Shahrukh continue to be one of the most loved and admired couples of Bollywood.
12. He Has A Heart Of Gold
Over the years, SRK has been seen as a good Samaritan lending a helping hand to people in need. He is the only Indian whose charitable works have been recognised by UNESCO. In 2011, he was awarded the prestigious Pyramide con Marni Unesco award for his charity.
In addition to that, he funds a number of charitable organisations and is also known to have adopted 17 impoverished Indian villages amongst other a la carte charities.
13. He Gave Us The Most Iconic Songs
Do I need to list them for you? I think not. From Main Koi Aesa Geet Gaau, to Yun Hi Chala Chal, Dard-e-Disco and Mitwaa, SRK has given us a non-exhaustive playlist for all moods, occasions and feels. And not just the music, the lyrics are such feels that I just can’t! Meaning “Taaveez banaake pehnoon usay, aayat ki tarah mil jaaye kahin” or “Aankhon ne kuch aaise chhua, halka halka uns hua”. Do you get me?
14. He Can Dance Around Trees And Make It Seem Romantic
There was a time in the 90s where you could typically see the hero and heroine romancing and dancing around trees. Sure, the Badshah of Bollywood made it seem like a child’s play but mind you, it is anything but that. In recent interviews, Shahrukh has also opened about the dance choreographies and his struggle to perform a romantic scene by cuddling trees.
15. He Is Also The King Of Wit
And Razor Sharp Sass. He has an answer for everything. He has established his territory many times on several occasions. One of the most recent examples of this is at the KWK episode when he took a dig at Ranveer Singh in his film Befikre by commenting on his padded underwear.
16. He Gave Us The Archetypal Dialogues
Which defined our lives for the longest time. Remember, “Hum ek bar jeete hain, ek bar marte hain, aur pyaar bhi ek bar hota hai” or “Itni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai, ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki koshish ki hai” or “Kabhi kabhi kuch jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai. Aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai”.
I can go on and on with this one. But you know what I mean right?
17. He Destroys Twitter
Ever since SRK joined Twitter in 2010, he has taken the social media platform by storm. Occasionally, he indulges with his fans online in fun and witty banter.
18. A Global Icon That Has A Flower Named After Him
In addition to the wax statue at Madame Tussauds, there is a red-orange orchid at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore named after King Khan. Beat that.
19. Simply Because He Is Aging Like Fine Wine And Looks Like This
As you must have realised by now, I can go on and on about this enigmatic person. But I guess I will stop now. Tell me if you have more points in mind while I go swoon a little more over King Khan. Melting away!