New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- For a middle-class man, nothing matters more than having a home he can truly call his own. A place where his wife can host guests during Diwali, where his children can grow up chasing dreams, where his unmarried sister feels at home and one day, something he can leave behind for his grandchildren. Shah Rukh Khan understands that sentiment better than anyone. He once said that after his parents passed away, he didn't really have a home. But now, he has Mannat. "Someday my great-grandchildren will live here, like an old Parsi family," he said in an interview, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Back in 2011, Shah Rukh shared how he grew up in a lower-middle-class family in Delhi and couldn't even afford a proper birthday party. Cut to today, he's one of the richest actors in the world, worth around $1.4 billion. But for most Indians, Shah Rukh isn't about money or mansions. He represents the big, beating heart of middle-class India - full of dreams, emotions and that perennial urge to make something of yourself.
Born on November 2, 1965, in New Delhi, Shah Rukh lost his father to cancer in 1981 and his mother a decade later, in 1991. When he arrived, emotionally shattered, in Mumbai, he had no godfather and no connections. But he had something that keeps the common, middle-class Indians going-self-belief and determination. A famous director once called him 'ugly', and he turned his criticism into rewards. "If I'm ugly, I'll do bad guy roles," he said years later. At a time when heroes dreaded playing antagonists fearing rejection from the audiences, Shah Rukh played anti-heroes in 'Baazigar', Darr' and 'Anjaam'. Those grey characters turned him into a sensation.
It was during 'Darr' that Yash Chopra offered him 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (DDLJ). And that film changed everything. As Raj, Shah Rukh became the man every girl fell in love with and every Indian mom wanted for her daughter. Raj was charming and flirtatious, but with boundaries. In an age when heroes ran away with their lovers, he stood his ground and said, "Main usse bhaga kar nahi le jaunga." That one line made him the nation's most beloved hero. Move aside, he has earned the respect of Indian parents.
After 'DDLJ', he became the face of love itself, not just romantic love, but love with values, love that respected families. Whether it was 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham', where he's the ideal son caught between duty and emotion; 'Swades', where he returns home to reconnect with his roots; 'Pardes', where he protects Indian culture abroad; 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', where he mends a broken family or 'My Name Is Khan', where he turns compassion into strength, Shah Rukh proved that family and love are in his very DNA.
At times, it seems, beyond the screen, he's still that same middle-class man at heart. He's crazy about sports; always cheering for KKR or teaching his sons cricket and football. After a long shoot, all he wants is to go home and play with AbRam. He's the doting dad who beams when AbRam performs at a school event and the protective one who stood by Aryan through his tough times. And you could see an 'emotional Indian dad' when he introduced his son, Aryan, as a director recently. He requested everyone to give his son 150 percent of the love they have given him over the decades. Also, remember the Wankhede stadium incident in 2012 and when he got into a heated argument with security officials for allegedly mishandling Suhana and her friends? That was an Indian dad - angry, emotional and protective to the core.
For a typical middle-class Indian man, family is everything and Shah Rukh lives that truth every day. He and Gauri have been married for 31 years, a love story that's weathered time and fame, something almost unimaginable in today's 'pat mangni, pat divorce' world. He's also the perfect son-in-law, the kind every Indian 'saas' (mother-in-law) dreams of. You'll always spot Gauri's mother at events with SRK, making sure she's comfortable and cared for.
Also, in films like 'Dear Zindagi' or 'Chak De! India', when Shah Rukh talks about life, it feels like that one close friend or elder in the family giving you real advice. When he said, "Don't become a philosopher before you become rich," you know it comes from experience, not from a pedestal. The way he talks about respecting women, whether it's fixing Rani Mukerji's saree on stage or handling a fan in a crazy crowd, only shows who he really is. And when people call him a 'friend of friends', it's not just a statement made to impress the Badshah of Bollywood. His old Delhi buddies, his struggle-time friends, even his Bollywood peers, everyone talks about him with that same warmth and loyalty.
And in a country often divided by religion, he stands as the perfect symbol of unity. Whether it's Diwali, Eid or Christmas, all are celebrated with equal joy at his home. Of course, we can't talk about him without mentioning that charm; the arms wide open, the dimpled smile or the way he makes millions feel like he's talking just to them. But beyond that larger-than-life image is a man who dared to dream without privilege, who built everything from scratch and who still believes in hard work and love as the greatest powers. "If you're not a king by birth, be one by deeds," he once said. And he lived by it.
Happy 60th birthday, King Khan. You're the king of all seasons and for all the right reasons.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.