What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear of Shah Rukh Khan?
Romance? Fame? Super Star? Rich? King Khan?
And, he is all of it indeed! But, seldom do we realize that behind that charming face, extraordinary talent and an unbeatable sense of humor, lies a fifty years old man with scars embedded deep, that can inspire million other souls.
A poor brat from Delhi, who came to Mumbai for a job with his sister after his parents died, and, became the face of modern Indian cinema.
India’s biggest movie superstar, who has now experienced every sort of luxury that a human can possibly afford, has also spent many sleepless nights in his life – he has slept on streets of the city he now rules, struggled hard to support himself and his sister and has lost his parents even before his first movie could release.
The man who saw poverty up-close, also saw his sister seeking psychological support after his parents’ death.
He was offered movies which every other actor rejected.
Even his initial career on TV was a hard earned one. He got the role of an army officer after many desperate efforts, that too with a very humble payment of just Rs. 3,500.
FOR ME, SUCCESS WAS BEING RICH. IT IS BAD TO BE IN POVERTY. I HAVE SEEN IT. SO, I DID MOVIES REJECTED BY OTHER ACTORS NOT OUT OF ANY CREATIVE DESIRE BUT BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE JOBLESS. BUT I WORKED REALLY HARD TO BECOME WHAT I AM TODAY.
-SHAH RUKH KHAN, AIMA 2014
But then, due to his remarkable acting skills, he got noticed and recommended by Hema Malini.
After his first film, Deewana hit the theatres, followed by several others like Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… he finally became the ‘Badshah of Bollywood’.
And now, after almost fifty years of an incredible life, the man still keeps moving forward.
Reportedly, he went into a series of panic attack and depression after his recent shoulder injury. The underlying cause being, his fear to be jobless and not work anymore because of the injury. But then he hit back again to by giving three 100 crores blockbuster movies- Happy New Year, Dilwale and Raees.
So, the life of King Khan tells us that one should always be afraid, but ready to fail and more importantly, desperate to be successful.
The transformation of a common teenager with life issues, into India’s biggest public figure and world’s second-most richest actor (alongside many other of his virtues), tells us that how good a teacher failure can be. And, what wonders can happen in life, only if you can just remain humble to it and keep working with honesty and dedication.
As the actor himself, once said-
DO NOT GLORIFY YOUR STRUGGLES UNTIL YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL. EARN IT FIRST AND THEN WEAR IT LIKE A MEDAL. AND, IT’S NOT THAT HARD. ALL YOU NEED IS TO BE LESS SERIOUS ABOUT LIFE AND KEEP HANGING ALONG.
Yes, he really does!
