Shah Rukh Khan is the ULTIMATE role model: Life Lessons for Kids from the Bollywood Superstar

Shah Rukh Khan, often called the King of Bollywood, is not only known for his exceptional acting but also for the life lessons he offers, especially to children. His journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the biggest stars in Bollywood is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and resilience. His values, work ethic, and warm-hearted nature serve as a source of inspiration for many, particularly young minds.

Shah Rukh Khan says he is not a role model after quitting smoking

King Khan of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, recently opened up about quitting smoking after 30 years, thrilling his fans and followers online. After making the announcement, the actor also shared that he does not consider himself a great role model, even though many were inspired to quit smoking following his statement.

King Khan of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, recently opened up about quitting smoking after 30 years, thrilling his fans and followers online. After making the announcement, the actor also shared that he does not consider himself a great role model, even though many were inspired to quit smoking following his statement.

On Shah Rukh’s 59th birthday, on November 2, the actor attended a meet-and-greet event for his fans, where he shared the exciting news of quitting smoking. A video shared by SRK’s fan page on Twitter quickly went viral. In the video, King Khan says, “Jab jab zindagi me jaisa accha lage woh karo… Main koi aisa role model nahi hoon… (Whatever you feel is right, do that. I am not a role model).”

The ‘Jawan’ actor also mentioned that it was difficult to give such advice, as he had been smoking for the past 30 years. “We always know it’s not good to smoke. If we can give it up – very good. If we can’t give it up – very bad. But having said that, jo cheez me jaisa lage apne apne time me waisa waisa karo (Do what you deem fit at the time you deem fit).”

During the same event, the actor shared that he expected to feel breathless after quitting smoking but is still struggling with that part, which he hopes will heal soon.

SRK is known for sharing his habit of smoking around 100 cigarettes and drinking 30 cups of coffee a day in several interviews. His announcement about quitting the habit has brought a sense of relief to his fans.

On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will soon collaborate with Sujoy Ghosh for ‘King,’ in which his daughter Suhana Khan will also play a key role. Abhishek Bachchan will portray the main antagonist in this film.

Meet Shah Rukh Khan: If you haven’t heard of the Bollywood superstar, it’s about time you did

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan greets fans at his residence in Mumbai in June. (Sujit Jaiswal / AFP / Getty Images)

If you haven’t already heard of Shah Rukh Khan — First, where have you been? Second, why?! — it’s beyond time to get to know the Bollywood megastar.

When he isn’t dominating headlines in South Asia or trending all over news aggregation apps, the 57-year-old Indian icon is cranking out big-budget, Hindi-language films. With his physical energy and magnetic charm, he’s been bolstering the billion-dollar movie business in Asia for years, including with two blockbusters this year: the action-packed “Pathaan” and the revenge thriller “Jawan.” The films mark his cinematic comeback after a four-year hiatus, and they’ve broken several box-office records of his own making.

“SRK is indeed one of the most iconic and popular Indian film stars ever,” said Rajkumar Akella, the managing director of Comscore Movies India, who is based in Hyderabad, India. “His appeal and cultural influence on India and Indian diaspora and even global audiences are far larger than the box office data can ever justify.”

To date, the actor has appeared in at least 109 titles — per IMDb — during his decades-long career. Reps for SRK couldn’t respond by the time of publication to The Times’ request for comment.

Here are some key facts to know about the influential cinema icon:

He goes by SRK

Sometimes you might see his named spelled Shahrukh Khan too, but he’s affectionately known as SRK to his fans and active social-media following. His many other nicknames include the regal “King Khan,” “Baadshah of Bollywood,” “King of Romance” and, occasionally, Bollywood’s “most important cultural export,” with his star power likened to that of Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks — combined.

The New Delhi-born entertainer grew up in the industrial west coast port city of Mangalore. He described himself on social media in 2010 as “half hyderabadi (mom), half pathan (Dad), some kashmiri (grandmom).”

Since we’re on the topic of fractions, SRK is one-third of the affectionately regarded “Bollywood Khan triumvirate” that also boasts Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, none of whom are related.

SRK succeeded influential Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan, who was known as the Angry Young Man of Indian Cinema during his reign over Indian theaters from 1973 until the turn of the century, Akella said. But what’s unique about SRK’s ascent to stardom is that he doesn’t hail from an influential film family. Instead, the Baadshah of Bollywood trod the more humbling boards of TV sound stages.

“I was driving down a small lane in India recently, and I remembered that 20 years ago I was driving down the same lane, and I had maybe $10 or $20 in my pocket,” he told The Times in 2011. “I couldn’t believe all that had happened to me. I feel lucky and even guilty to have this much.”

He might be the biggest movie star you’ve never heard of

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan poses with others during a Mumbai press conference for “Jawan” on Sept. 15. (Rajanish Kakade / Associated Press)

As The Times put it in 2011: SRK “is the biggest movie star you’ve never heard of.” But a lot has changed in the last decade, and if his movies aren’t baked into the American cinema-going DNA, they certainly are in South Asia.

The movie star arguably commands a larger fan following than any other working actor in the world, given India’s 1.4 billion population and its recent distinction as the world’s most populous country. However, Khan told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in 2016 that half of his fans are from other places, presumably with many hailing from the Indian diaspora. Few, if any, actors have comparable popularity, domestically or abroad.

But first, a word about Indian cinema…

India is still the only market where Hollywood movies struggle to compete. And Khan remains its singing, dancing and gun-toting leading man.

Hollywood movies’ popularity and revenue in that market are indeed growing with each year, but their contribution to the overall Indian box office is only about 15%, according to Comscore. That means 85% of Indian box-office revenue comes from local content, mainly from Bollywood (the Hindi-language movie industry), and Telugu and Tamil cinema.

“In no other territory across the world Hollywood’s share is as low,” Akella said, noting that the Chinese market has only become harder to break into in recent years because the country has a quota system that is generating more revenue for local productions. “But in free markets, India has the highest share for local content,” he said.

Indian cinema has been a mainstay of the global box office for years, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. And before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dergarabedian said in an interview this week, Indian films would just bubble under the top 10 global box-office films. In recent years, they’ve ascended into the top five.

“Indian cinema has had a profound impact not just in India but around the world,” he said. “And Khan is a global superstar, so for any fan of film or film buff, he should be on your radar.”

He got his start in TV and quickly became the King of Romance

SRK arrived in Mumbai — the metropolis formerly known as Bombay where Bollywood originated — in 1991. He made a meager salary on the Indian TV show “Fauji,” but landed his cinematic debut within a year in the commercial hit “Deewana,” playing a ruthless avenger.

His breakout role came in 1993 in the romantic thriller “Baazigar,” where he starred as an antihero for the first time. (His obsessive-lover character tries to persuade his girlfriend to commit suicide with him to avoid a forced marriage — then kills her!)

He further made a name for himself in the 1990s with the psychological thrillers “Darr” and “Anjaam,” and a series of romantic musicals, beginning with his 1995 sensation “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.”

On “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” — the title translates to “The Bravehearted Will Take the Bride” — he teamed with director Aditya Chopra and played a Lamborghini-driving London-based man who pursues his love back to India to win over her family. The film holds the record as the longest-playing movie in Indian film history and had an uninterrupted run in a single cinema for nearly 25 years.

That film, combined with the late-’90s romantic musicals “Dil To Pagal Hai,” “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and the 2001 family drama “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham,” earned SRK the “King of Romance in Bollywood” moniker.

He also padded his film credits with the box-office disappointment “Swades” and the sports drama “Chak De! India.” However, he became better known to international audiences for his critically acclaimed turn as an alcoholic in the 2002 musical drama “Devdas” and for his role as an autistic man in the 2010 film “My Name Is Khan.” (His 2007 romantic musical “Om Shanti Om” made headlines this summer after going viral for its spot-on “Barbie” reference.”)

In 2011, his slick science-fiction movie “Ra.One” was touted as the most expensive Hindi film production in history with a budget estimated at $30 million. But the superhero flick only reached No. 11 on his top-grossing films list, according to Comscore.

He released the semi-hit “Raees” in 2017, followed by the 2018 dramedy “Zero,” in which he played a young man with dwarfism.