28 years of Shah Rukh Khan: How SRK became his own 'Godfather' after being 'struggling actor with no backing'

Remember how Shah Rukh Khan made his debut in Bollywood? Playing a psychotic lover, while an already established superstar (mind you, legendary Raj Kapoor's son and the man who is Bollywood himself, Prithviraj Kapoor's grandson) Rishi Kapoor features opposite him, one would simply have to be crazy enough to think that he could pull off his debut role with 'Deewana'. SRK was crazy enough not only to think that he could pull off the role, but actually did, leaving a mark right from his debut film back in 1992. He also landed the Filmfare award right in his debut.

Ever since, Shah Rukh Khan's journey was switching between dark, intense roles like 'Darr', 'Baazigar', 'Anjaam' and lighter, loveable roles like 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman', 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa', 'Yes Boss', 'Duplicate'. 1993-1994 was quite an era for him, since the actor gave the audiences back-to-back memorable films in the order - 'Baazigar', 'Darr', 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa', 'Anjaam' and 'Karan Arjun'.

Fun fact: Every other actor refused to work in 'Darr' because of the extremely dark and psychotic character but Shah Rukh Khan readily took it up and it has become one of his iconic roles in Bollywood today. In fact, Sunny Deol, who like Rishi Kapoor was also an established actor by then (also a product of nepotism), was upset after a newbie Shah Rukh Khan hogged all limelight in the movie.

After giving an iconic film like 'Karan Arjun' in the beginning of 1995, with Salman Khan (a product of nepotism who was also an established star by then) as his co-star, Shah Rukh Khan found his longest-running movie in Indian cinema, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', which was also YRF head honcho Aditya Chopra's directorial debut. The film is still running in theatres today (not literally, owing to COVID-19 situation in the country), proving how much the audiences have loved and accepted it.

Shah Rukh Khan, already an established name by 1998, had seen his ups and downs, but it would be clear that he was the name to look out for in the coming era. The actor worked in YRF's 'Dil To Pagal Hai' in 1997 which only paved way for exciting things to come. SRK had worked in 'Duplicate' and Mani Ratnam's 'Dil Se...' in 1998, but the film which would become a rage in the 90s was yet to come.

SRK worked with Karan Johar in his debut film 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', and the duo went on to make some memorable movies like 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' and 'My Name Is Khan' in the years to come. 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' was also the movie where Shah Rukh Khan explored his talents apart from acting. With 'KKHH', the actor also turned an action director and directed his own limited stunts. WIthin the next two years, he also explored playback singing and producing films.

The actor worked in 'Baadshah' in 1999, and ever since, the name has stuck with him. In 2000, the actor left a mark with his role as Raj Aryan Malhotra in 'Mohabbatein'. The movie featured him with now-megastar Amitabh Bachchan. The movie reportedly saved Bachchan's career (it came at a time when Big B declared bankruptcy) and it is believed that Shah Rukh Khan recommended senior Bachchan for the movie, since he was fond of the actor. The two then even collaborated for Karan Johar's K3G as father-son.

Shah Rukh Khan was back, romancing actresses like Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and even Sushmita Sen. He had eventually made a name as the 'King of Romance', From being an acting powerhouse in 'Devdas' to hitting the right spot with 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' and 'Veer-Zaara', Shah Rukh Khan kept coming back and making a stronger impression each time. He also worked in a fun movie like 'Main Hoon Na' and at the same time, inspired with 'Swades' within the same year - 2004.

With 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', 'Don - The Chase Begins Again' and 'Chak De India!', Shah Rukh Khan evolved. Don became a franchise, while the other two movies have gone on to become iconic in their own ways. Soon, Shah Rukh Khan paved way for actresses like Deepika Padukone (with 'Om Shaanti Om' in 2007) and Anushka Sharma (in 2008 release 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi').

The next decade (2010-2020), it was all about expermineting for Shah Rukh Khan. He worked in the computer-designed superhero film 'Ra.One', followed by fun films like 'Chennai Express' and 'Happy New Year', narrating his story from the other side with 'Fan', being the loveable consultant in 'Dear Zindagi' and playing a dwarf in his last film as an actor 'Zero'.

Indeed, Shah Rukh Khan came in the industry with no legacy but has created one that not only India, but the world loves him and goes for his films first day first show. The wait to see SRK back on screen, however, continues.