As Shah Rukh Khan turns 60, fans from across the globe are gearing up to celebrate not just the movie star, but the man who showed them the many shades of love through his films.
On Sunday, the actor, fondly known as SRK or King Khan, will celebrate his 60th birthday. Often hailed as one of the last true superstars of Hindi cinema, alongside Salman Khan and Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh continues to have a global fan following.
Among them are Claudia Calle and Manigret Aparicio, who have travelled to Mumbai all the way from their home country Peru, just to witness the charm of their beloved star.
Claudia, an artist by profession, runs the SRK Peru fan club and remembers how she fell in love with the actor after watching his 2004 hit Veer Zaara.
“I saw the movie with my husband and I instantly fell in love with Shah Rukh. Afterwards, I watched all of his past films on DVD, including Karan Arjun, Baazigar, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
"We are crazy Shah Rukh Khan fans. Our home is a tribute to him, filled with posters and memories. Words can hardly capture our love for him. Shah Rukh means love. We are so looking forward to meeting him,” Claudia told PTI.
Their admiration for SRK runs so deep that they’ve named their home in Peru 'Mannat', inspired by Shah Rukh's iconic sea-facing residence in Bandra.
Claudia said they’ve made a special handmade gift for Shah Rukh.
"We’ve made about 26 to 27 figurines of his popular onscreen characters from different films like Ra.One, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, and Jawan, among others,” she said.
The Delhi-born actor started his acting journey with TV serials such as Fauji and Circus before making his feature film debut with Raj Kanwar’s Deewana in 1992.
Over the years, he captured the hearts of audiences with his unforgettable performances as the brooding hero of Baazigar and Darr or as the epitome of romance in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
SRK has displayed remarkable range, taking on inspiring roles in Swades and Chak De! India, and reaffirmed his superstardom with two action blockbusters in 2023 -- Pathaan and Jawan.
Ahead of his birthday, his fan clubs have begun planning a series of celebrations. Two of the biggest -- SRK Universe and Team Shah Rukh Khan -- boast a significant presence on social media.
Yash Paryani, co-founder of SRK Universe fan club, which has 613K followers on X and 147K on Instagram, said they’re doing a lot of charity work on SRK's behalf.
The club was founded in 2013 by a Maldivian citizen Muhammad Ashraf, and Yash joined in 2014.
“Instead of celebrating his birthday for one day, we are celebrating it for a week. We’re doing it as SRK week. We started with charity work for cancer patients, senior citizens, and differently abled children. We’ve done blood donation drives, we’ve screened Main Hoon Naa for underprivileged kids, and food distribution drive outside Nair hospital,” Yash, a businessman, told PTI.
“He has been an inspiration to millions like us to follow our dream and be successful. He has inspired me to do well for society and be a better person,” he added.
Chennai-based Sudhir Kothari, who leads the SRK Chennai fan club, founded in 2013, said they’ve planned a special surprise for Khan on his birthday.
“We’ve planned some activities outside Mannat, like flying drones and releasing something. We’ve made huge size banners with a special message. We don’t want to reveal much. This birthday, we want to celebrate his entire journey as an actor, and his first national award. For us 60 is just a number, we don’t think he is 60, we don’t want to highlight. For us he is young, age is just a number,” Sudhir told PTI.
Shah Rukh's residence is currently going through renovation work with the actor and his family, including his wife Gauri Khan and three children Aryan, Suhana and Abram, shifting to an alternative place.
But it has dampened the spirits of the fans, who are determined to drop by Mannat, hoping to catch a glimpse of SRK waving from the bungalow’s famous elevated balcony.
“We are having a pre-birthday bash in suburban Mumbai on November 1 and from there we will go to Mannat in the night with a huge rally, holding banners and singing songs. We are expecting him; we know he will be there for fans. Without his glimpse at Mannat on his birthday, the celebration will be incomplete,” Sudhir, who is a financial analyst, said.
Traditionally, Shah Rukh hosts a meet-and-greet with fans coming from all corners of the country to celebrate with him.
This year, the Jawan star will be throwing a huge birthday bash for his fans.
“On November 2, SRK sir is hosting a party; it will be big and special. We will be part of the party. There are some special plans for the fans,” Kothari claimed.
On the professional front, Shah Rukh will next appear in King, directed by Siddharth Anand, who previously collaborated with the actor on "Pathaan".
The film also features the actor’s daughter, Suhana Khan, along with Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Arshad Warsi.
