Meet Shah Rukh Khan: in case you have not heard of the Bollywood movie star, or not it's about time you did

in case you haven't already heard of Shah Rukh Khan — First, the place have you ever been? 2d, why?! — it be beyond time to get to know the Bollywood megastar.

When he's not dominating headlines in South Asia or trending everywhere news aggregation apps, the fifty seven-yr-historic Indian icon is cranking out massive-budget, Hindi-language films. with his actual energy and magnetic allure, he's been bolstering the billion-dollar movie enterprise in Asia for years, together with with two blockbusters this year: the action-packed "Pathaan" and the revenge thriller "Jawan." The movies mark his cinematic comeback after a 4-year hiatus, and they've damaged a few field-office data of his own making.

"SRK is indeed one of the most iconic and general Indian film stars ever," spoke of Rajkumar Akella, the managing director of Comscore motion pictures India, who's based mostly in Hyderabad, India. "His appeal and cultural have an effect on on India and Indian diaspora and even global audiences are a long way higher than the field office data can ever justify."

to date, the actor has looked in as a minimum 109 titles — per IMDb — all the way through his decadeslong career. Reps for SRK could not respond by the point of book to the L.A. times' request for comment.

listed here are some key statistics to understand in regards to the influential cinema icon:

He goes by SRK

sometimes you might see his named spelled Shahrukh Khan too, however he is affectionately known as SRK to his enthusiasts and lively social-media following. His many different nicknames include the regal "King Khan," "Baadshah of Bollywood," "King of Romance" and, now and again, Bollywood's "most crucial cultural export," with his star vigour likened to that of Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks — mixed.

the brand new Delhi-born entertainer grew up within the industrial west coast port city of Mangalore. He described himself on social media in 2010 as "half Hyderabadi (mom), half Pathan (father), and some Kashmiri (grandmother)."

considering the fact that we're relating to fractions, SRK is one-third of the affectionately considered "Bollywood Khan triumvirate" that also boasts Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, none of whom are connected.

SRK succeeded influential Indian film famous person Amitabh Bachchan, who become commonly used because the indignant young Man of Indian Cinema throughout his reign over Indian theaters from 1973 except the flip of the century, Akella spoke of. but what's enjoyable about SRK's ascent to stardom is that he doesn't hail from an influential movie family. in its place, the Baadshah of Bollywood trod the extra humbling boards of tv sound tiers.

"i was driving down a small lane in India lately, and i remembered that two decades ago i used to be riding down the equal lane, and i had possibly $10 or $20 in my pocket," he informed the L.A. instances in 2011. "I could not agree with all that had took place to me. I consider lucky and even guilty to have this a great deal."

He may be the greatest movie star you've by no means heard of

as the L.A. times put it in 2011: SRK "is the largest celeb you could have in no way heard of." however a great deal has modified in the closing decade, and if his videos are not baked into the American cinema-going DNA, they actually are in South Asia.

The celebrity arguably instructions a bigger fan following than any other working actor on earth, given India's 1.4 billion inhabitants and its recent big difference as the world's most populous nation. however, Khan advised CNN's Fareed Zakaria in 2016 that half of his fans are from different places, most likely with many hailing from the Indian diaspora. Few, if any, actors have similar recognition, domestically or overseas.

but first, a observe about Indian cinema ...

India is still the handiest market where Hollywood films combat to compete. And Khan remains its singing, dancing and gun-toting leading man.

Hollywood movies' recognition and salary in that market are certainly transforming into with each and every yr, however their contribution to the normal Indian box office is simply about 15%, according to Comscore. That ability eighty five% of Indian box-workplace revenue comes from native content material, specifically from Bollywood (the Hindi-language film trade), and Telugu and Tamil cinema.

"In no different territory across the world Hollywood's share is as low," Akella pointed out, noting that the chinese market has only develop into harder to destroy into in recent years because the nation has a quota system it really is generating more income for native productions. "however in free markets, India has the optimum share for local content," he noted.

Indian cinema has been a mainstay of the international container office for years, stated Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. And before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dergarabedian talked about in an interview this week, Indian films would just bubble under the proper 10 international container-office films. In contemporary years, they've ascended into the top 5.

"Indian cinema has had a profound have an impact on now not just in India but all over the world," he mentioned. "And Khan is a global celeb, so for any fan of film or movie buff, he should be in your radar."

He acquired his birth in television and instantly grew to be the King of Romance

SRK arrived in Mumbai — the metropolis formerly known as Bombay the place Bollywood originated — in 1991. He made a meager earnings on the Indian television demonstrate "Fauji," but landed his cinematic debut inside a yr within the business hit "Deewana," enjoying a ruthless avenger.

His breakout role got here in 1993 within the romantic thriller "Baazigar," the place he starred as an antihero for the primary time. (His obsessive-lover character tries to influence his lady friend to commit suicide with him to stay away from a pressured marriage — then kills her!)

He extra made a reputation for himself within the 1990s with the psychological thrillers "Darr" and "Anjaam," and a collection of romantic musicals, beginning with his 1995 sensation "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge."

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

That film, coupled 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 additionally padded his film credits with the container-workplace disappointment "Swades" and the sports drama "Chak De! India." youngsters, he became enhanced commonplace to international audiences for his severely acclaimed flip as an alcoholic in the 2002 musical drama "Devdas" and for his position as an autistic man in the 2010 movie "My name Is Khan." (His 2007 romantic musical "Om Shanti Om" made headlines this summer time after going viral for its spot-on "Barbie" reference.")

In 2011, his slick science-fiction film "Ra.One" was touted as the most costly Hindi film production in background with a price range estimated at $30 million. but the superhero flick simplest reached No. eleven on his precise-grossing movies record, in keeping with Comscore.

He launched the semi-hit "Raees" in 2017, followed by the 2018 dramedy "Zero," by which he performed a younger man with dwarfism.

He has two big movies out this 12 months and they're breaking container-office information — speedy

He went on a 4-12 months hiatus that ended earlier this year with the unlock of his blockbuster "Pathaan." In a February #AskSRK session for the film on the platform then referred to as Twitter, the actor explained that he took the break to sit down at home and watch the entire films that he may "to develop into an viewers once again and never be a film maker."

It perceived to work, since the two motion thrillers are amongst his most a success. "Pathaan" nabbed the title of the greatest global opening ever for a Hindi-language film — most effective to be outdone past this month with the aid of "Jawan," which earned $9.4 million in India and $15.6 million global in its opening weekend, based on range.

within the Atlee Kumar-directed "Jawan," SRK has two roles: a soldier named Azad and his father, Vikram, whom he believed to be useless. The motion-packed political thriller has already earned about $one zero one million globally, as of Sept. 18, and when it exceeds $122 million, Khan will make Indian cinematic historical past again because the simplest Indian actor to have two films (also launched within the identical yr) that breached the lofty Indian rupees 1,000-crore mark.

The celeb speaks Hindi, English, Urdu and Kannada, and his movies are translated into even more languages. however, he's expressed many times that he's not interested in crossing over to Western cinema as Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have performed.

"My English isn't good. in the event that they supply me a task of a dumb adult who would not speak, probably then there is a probability," he observed when posed the query at the 2008 Berlin movie competition.

"i'm not attempting to be modest," he introduced, in response to the Indian specific. "i am 42 years historic. i am a little brown. I wouldn't have any (entertaining promoting element) as an actor, I wouldn't have any distinctiveness. I don't know kung fu, I do not dance salsa and that i am not tall sufficient. … I even have viewed the recent European films, there isn't any area for me there, no house for me. I do not consider (I) am gifted adequate. instead, i would like to proceed working in India and take Indian cinema to the world."

Khan, who holds 5 honorary doctorates, handed on acting in the 2008 movie "Slumdog Millionaire," forfeiting the game-show host role to Anil Kapoor.

"it be a extremely great movie, however's not an Indian movie," Khan referred to of Danny Boyle's gold standard picture Oscar winner. "We want a 'life Is beautiful.'"