King Khan: The jawan continues to conquer everyone’s hearts

Perhaps the most sentimental reason for his visits to Delhi is that his parents are in eternal sleep in Qabristan Ahle Islam, which is also known as Delhi Gate Qabristan. On the last occasion he was there at 2.30 am on the occasion of Shabe Baraat. His father, Taj Mohammad, was among those uncompromising secularists, who had rejected the two-nation theory of M. A. Jinnah and left Peshawar when India was divided on communal lines in 1947

SRK’s new film makes Rs 600 cr globally

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's action thriller "Jawan" has gone past Rs 600 crore mark at the worldwide box office, the makers said Wednesday. Directed by Tamil filmmaker Atlee, the pan-India film also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi as well as Deepika Padukone in a special appearance. It hit the screens worldwide on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

After the stunning success of Pathan, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) has delivered another box-office blockbuster ‘Jawan’ to prove that he remains the unchallenged monarch of Bollywood. Agreed that his days of struggle were not long but the fact is that he made a name for himself in Mumbai without the support of any godfather. Till the early 1990s, he worked hard in theatre to understand the nances of acting.

Well, Delhi lives deep-rooted in his heart

“How can he detach himself from the city where he was born, raised and educated? This is impossible. His growing up days were spent with friends in the then Narula Hotel of Defence Colony, Jor Bagh Market and Bengali Market Delhi. Delhi provided the ideal platform to him,” says Dr. J.P. Sharma, an acclaimed Astro-Vastu expert, who was often consulted by his SRK’s mother Fatima Latifa.

Even after becoming King Khan, he often takes pride in eulogising his Delhi roots on TV shows and other functions, including in the Haryanvi that is still spoken in villages of Delhi.

It was more than three decades back that SRK made his presence felt in TV serial Fauji. But not many people perhaps would know that when the serial was on air, the cast of Fauji used to move in places like Connaught Place, Janpath, Karol Bagh and South Extension Market. The idea was to meet the viewers and spend some time with them to ascertain their opinion about the serial.

Perhaps the most sentimental reason for his visits to Delhi is that his parents are in eternal sleep in Qabristan Ahle Islam, which is also known as Delhi Gate Qabristan. On the last occasion he was there at 2.30 am on the occasion of Shabe Baraat.

His father, Taj Mohammad, was among those uncompromising secularists, who had rejected the two-nation theory of M. A. Jinnah and left Peshawar when India was divided on communal lines in 1947.

“Mohammad Younus, Taj Mohammad and my father, W.M. Babar and couple of others left Peshawar at the height of communal orgy and came to India,” says Farhad Suri, former mayor of Delhi and a close family friend of SRK. Mohammad Younus was close to Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and he became the life and soul of the Trade Fair Authority of India (TFAI).

“Fatima Latif was an extremely dignified lady and Congress activist. She was close to Indira Gandhi. She ensured that her kids get quality schooling,” says Dr. JP Sharma, also a prolific author who writes under the name of Dr. J. P. Trikha, on whose recommendation Fatima Latif dutifully changed the name of her restaurant from Ramble to Khatir near Safderjung Tomb. It was shut after she lost the battle to cancer.

The personality of Shah Rukh Khan was transformed after he was enrolled in the prestigious St. Columba’s school, where apart from academics, he excelled in sports and extra-curricular activities and won him the ‘Sword of Honour’ prize.

In his film ‘Main Hoon Naa’ he created the character of his sports teacher who was not fluent in English but pulled it with tremendous confidence. The role was enacted by Satish Shah. And 28 years after leaving Hansraj College, SRK visited the institution in 2016, where he had studied Economics from 1985 to 1988.

Principal of Hansraj College, Dr. Rama, said “As you know only the best of students pursue Economics Honours and Shah Rukh Khan emerged in flying colours. He was active in theatre. Hansraj College family is proud of the fact that he is part of us.”

Now, he hardly visits Delhi, which I mostly uninformed. He visits his in-laws house in Panchsheel Park once in a while.

SRK has reached the pinnacle of his career. One has to pay the price of success. Your friends during the struggling years and success days are not the same.

In one of his interviews, he said he had watched his first film in Vivek cinema hall at Patel Nagar.

“The best part of his personality is that he is a very caring husband to Gauri, doting father to Aryaan and Suhana and is always there for sister Shahnaaz Lalarukh. After the death of her parents, she went into deep depression. She now lives with SRK and his family in Mannat,” says Dr. Sharma, who visits their home often.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)