There is a Shah Rukh Khan for everyone. To some, he is the ultimate dreamboat Raj/Rahul. To others, he is the aggressive, nation-loving coach Kabir Khan. For many, Khan is the solid combination of ‘baniye ka dimaag and miyan bhai ki daring‘ and it’d be safe to assume more than 11 mulko ki ladkiyan Don ka intezaar kar rahi hai. A beloved actor, an insanely romantic husband, a supremely dedicated father, a love machine for his fans who never stops giving back and the ultimate entertainer for every filmy keeda. SRK is all this and so much more we can perhaps never put into words.

Shah Rukh turns 54 on 2 November 2019 and all we can say is, no amount of gratitude will ever be enough for the gift of Shah Rukh Khan.

DDLJ is Bollywood’s longest-running movie to date. “Mujhe chahiye ek aisi ladki, jise dekhte hi dil ki har aarzoo, saare khwaab, saare rang zinda ho jaaye. Abhi aisa hua nahin hai, lekin ab aisa lagta hai jaise koi andekha anjaana chehera, baadalon mein se pukaar raha hai. Pata nahin yeh baadal kab hatenge, aur kab woh pukaarne waali saamne aayegi…” if you don’t recognize the film this dialogue is from, are you even a Bollywood buff?

Shah Rukh Khan hasn’t just earned the label of being a global star, he lives like one. Bandstand to Berlin, Delhi to Dubai, there is no corner in this world SRK cannot bring to a complete standstill. Various international universities have bestowed doctorate degrees upon him, millions carry him in their hearts every day while our very own Shah spreads love like pixie dust from the balcony of Mannat.

K..K..K..Kiran’s obsessed lover, Raj to a Simran, Rahul to an Anjali, Bauua to an Aafia…Khan has been them all. He romanced Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit with the same passion he went to space for Anushka Sharma, fought with goons four times his size for Deepika Padukone and many more. Main tera haaye re jabra, ho re jabra, fan ho gaya!

Guts, gab, gumption, gimmicks…name it. A self-admitted 16-year-old chichora in the body of a 54-year-old, that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you. From shaking a leg to breaking a leg, SRK in a t-shirt, denim jackets, camouflaged pants and sneakers with undone hair and black sunglasses can make your day even with just 144 characters!

Kolkata Knight Riders fans are faced with the same dilemma every year: watch the match or swoon over KKR’s 12th man? The moment he takes centre stage at every film or song launch or announcement event, he starts writing a script of his own. We dare you to resist to jive when Bollywood’s Badshah dives onto the dance floor! Making a fully-packed Eden Gardens go weak in the knees to TEDx to international celebrities to stealing David Letterman’s thunder on his own show…we trust no one but our ‘Raees’ to win it all. As if we needed more reasons to love him, jo tere khaatir tadpe pehle se he, kya usse tadpana o zaalima…

If you have been a Bollywood journalist and you don’t have a Shah Rukh Khan ‘wait’ story, man, you are missing out on real dope. Often on the field, it is the common topic of discussion. Personally, I have never been a fan of Shah Rukh Khan the larger-than-life superstar and an ever bigger actor. But every time I have shared the room, breathed the air the same as him, the man got me. Yes, you might have to wait for what seems a lifetime, but once he sits on a chair in front of you…the rest of the world disappears. In those 10-20 minutes, SRK is all yours. Even when your phone decides to give up in the very moment you want a selfie with the man of the millennium, he waits patiently and on a lucky day, might offer to click it for you. Wo 20 minutes tumse koi nahi cheen sakta, khuda bhi nahi! 

“Why do you wear shades at night?” King Khan was asked. Pat came the reply, “Because the sun never sets on me!” We really hope somewhere, someone in this kainaat, is writing down these out-of-the-park comebacks. Just let us know where to sign, the book would be a big, fat reply to all the questions in the world. The latter may end, the replies would just keep coming…jab tak hai jaan! 

Shah Rukh Khan’s filmography has always been a distinguishing factor between him and the others. While everyone else started out as a chocolate boy, Shah picked a Baazigar and a Darr early on in his career. If he did Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he followed it up with Koyla. There was a Devdas after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a Swades after Veer Zara, a Chak De! India before My Name is Khan and so on and so forth.

If he has immortalized Rahul and Raj for an NRI in Switzerland, his “baniye ka dimaag aur miyan bhai ki daring” is one of the most cherished stints for a young Bandra boy while he makes critics’ chairs’ creak just as ‘Jug.’

Charm is his superpower. Striking his signature pose with arms wide open and flashing his adorable dimpled smile, Shah Rukh Khan is an embodiment of everything a gentleman stands for. Thank you Shah, for ruining it for all the men out there. We bet the girls ain’t complaining…kuch kuch hota hai Rahul, tum nahi samjhoge! 

Here’s wishing the jaan of the nation, Shah Rukh Khan, a very happy birthday!

Watch Shah Rukh Khan special films, now streaming on ZEE5!