LIFE STORY OF SHAH RUKH KHAN

LIFE STORY OF SHAH RUKH KHAN






Here is my new attempt. The Life Story of Shah Rukh Khan. I started to write for Japanese readers since there are only few information of him available in Japanese . I know it has no meaning for international readers because there are numerous of such stories covered in English . So, this is just for my own sake to organize his biography and digest the information as well as the writing exercise. 

The story is based on several books, interviews and documentaries. Some of them I don't even remember where I got from. So please forgive me if there are, and I'm sure there are lots, any inaccuracy or inappropriate parts. Please take it as a light-hearted attempt of an indiscreet SRK fan.

Here comes "The Life Story of Shah Rukh Khan #1" …

Meer Taj Mohammad Khan, Shah Rukh's father was a beautiful man with tall slim figure, fair skin and bright eyes. He was born in 1928 as the sixth child in a Pathan family who lived near the Qissa Khawani Bazaar(Story teller's Bazaar) in Peshawar. Peshawar was a part of the Indian Empire and ruled by the British Government back then. Meer joined the independent movement from very young age following his brothers. But the family decided to send Meer to Delhi for further study in order to get the Lawyer's certificate. Meer was 18 years old.

Next year, in 1947, the independent movement succeeded but those who wished to establish a Muslim country separated from India was determined and they created Pakistan against the wish of Gandhi and Nehru.

At the border, there were two long long processions of people crossing each other. One was Hindus heading India from Pakistan and the other was Muslims heading Pakistan from India. They left home leaving everything behind.

Peshawar is in Pakistan side and Meer's family was Muslim. However, they were persecuted by the new government because they acted against separation until last minute. Meer's eldest brother was imprisoned for seven long years since the separation. Meer's name was also on the black list and he was refused to enter Pakistan at the border. Then the India Pakistan war had started and Meer Taj lost his home town at the age of 19.


Muslims remained in India were then having hard time with the Hindu fundamentalists attacking them. Meer studying in Delhi was also in danger. His classmates slept around him in a circle to protect him in the dormitory.

Meer attained his lawyer's degree when he was 21 but he never became a lawyer. Nor he didn't become a politician even though he had many offers and actively worked as one of the freedom fighters.Meer was romantic dreamer and idealist, extremely honest person. He had a great sense of humor and was liked by many but rather introverted. Not quite relevant for lawyer or politician but for a poet. He failed in some businesses for he couldn't be tactfully diplomatic or act smart.

When he was around 25, he headed for Mumbai to become an actor just like his own son. The legendary film Mughal-E-Azam was in production and he took audition of a role. When Meer was working in the politics, there were many ladies came to join his political group attracted to Meer's charm. But he couldn't get the role and he was informed to stand in the line of junior artists, extras. I guess he was too proud to either ask for the support from his powerful politician friends or successful actors from his hometown such as Dilip Kumar. He could not settle for a junior artist and strive. He eventually got sick and returned to Delhi one year later.

One day when he was 29, he saw a terrible car accident while walking near the Indian Gate with his friend. The driver crawled out and fled away from the rolled over car. Meer and his friend Major General Shah Nawaz Khan rescued women from the ruined car. One of them was 16 year old Latif Fatima Begum who had burning eyes of passion and charming dimples.


The love story of SRK's parents sounds almost too dramatic to believe. More dramatic than some novels or Bollywood films. It could be exaggerated for Meer is from "The Story Teller's Lane" in Peshawar. Anyway, this is the believed story of their courtship.
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Meer fell in love with Fatima at first sight. Rescued Fatima was severely injured and she was admitted to a hospital right away. She needed blood transmission. As a matter of course, Meer's blood type matched hers and he donated his blood. Surprisingly, Fatima's mother then pregnant with her fifth child miscarried the baby due to the shock she got from her daughter's accident. Meer very generously donated his blood to her as well. 

Lateef Fatima Begum was a daughter of a middle class engineer's family in Bangalore. She had Begum in her maiden name which allegedly represents a Muslim female with higher social status. Her family was apparently wealthy. She was in Delhi for extended education but she was already engaged then. Her fiance was a cricketer, Abbas Ali Baig. Their engagement might have been arranged by both families for Begum and Baig makes balanced pair. 

On the other hand, Meer had no family, no money neither proper job. Fatima's parent was bewildered to hear the proposal from the man who rescued two members of the family. They even murmured "Since he donated his blood to Fatima, he and Fatima became a brother and a sister, so you'd better not marry."

However, Fatima already had started to love this romantic tall man with gray eyes Her will was strong enough to convince their parents and relatives. They were finally granted to marry. Fatima became a step daughter of General Shah Nawaz Khan who was with Meer on the day of the accident. It may have been done in order to level their family status I assume. Anyway, they were finally married. Fatima was 19, Meer was 30. Meer blushed like a bride as some of the guests remembers.


Meer and Fatima were as different as night and day. Meer was tall, fair and calm. Fatima was small and plump, as lively as a morning bird. According to SRK they were like following. 
"My mother would walk into a party, fight, talk or joke and become the center of attention. My father on the other hand, would sits in a corner, do his bit and go."

What's interesting is that we can clearly see the both qualities in their son.

Well, Meer and Fatima finally could marry but their financial situation was rather weak. He then had a transportation company but he was too honest to sustain the business successfully. He tried several different jobs and sometimes made small success but generally speaking, he was a better poet than a businessman. Fatima took substantial part for the financial stability of the family. Fatima used describe Meer as "Honest Failure" for he maintained his honesty no matter how badly betrayed. But SRK described him as "Successful Failure" for he could spend much time with children and taught valuable lessons.

1960, their first child Shehnaz Lala Rukh was born. And on the second of November 1965, our hero Shah Rukh was born. "Noble cheek of red flower", "Face of the King" were the meaning of their names. The names were allegedly from the horses Meer loved when he was in Peshawar but this could be another fantasy of our tall and handsome story teller.

Shah Rukh's birth was not easy. He had umbilical cord tangled around his neck. It could have been fatal or have led to functional disability but he finally came out without any harm. The nurse said "He must be blessed by Hanumanji."

As shown above, baby Shah Rukh was so adorable. He was very lively and naughty but same time, he could spend hours playing his toy piano by himself. One day when he was about three years old, he had been well behaved so Fatima went out for chore. Then a poison snake came into the room. Rajendra Nagar, where they lived then was jungle and residence still mixed and it wasn't unusual for snakes to come into the houses. When Fatima came home, she found Shah Rukh spilling milk around him to avoid the snake to get closer. 

He had series of accidents and diseases. He harmed his back muscle, had malaria, and was frequently bitten by dogs. If I was his mother, I would have been so anxious and stressed to protect his safety. He did pranks and some dangerous experiments like melting Fatima's bangles. At bed time, Meer told him stories. Most of the stories were not fantasy but the true stories of strong willed freedom fighters he knew.

They spent some summers at luxurious house of Fatima's parents' in Bangalore. Though Meer did not join. Shah Rukh sang and danced to the tunes there. Aunts who were watching predicted correctly. "He will be such a lady killer."

6  Grand Father Iftikhar Ahmed with SRK, Lala Rukh and cousin Tasneem Fatima.jpg


Shah Rukh has been maintaining great love and respect towards women since his childhood. His oldest memory is of himself sitting on the fence blowing kisses to the pretty girls passing by. "Hey, sweetheart!"

One day, a girl of 17 to 18 years old came to their house and complained to Meer.

"Your son blows kisses to me."

Meer naturally thought she was confusing with a teenage boy living next door.

"My son is only a small child, dear. You must be coming to a wrong house."

Then Shah Rukh, who had just finished taking a bath came. As soon as he saw the girl, he blew a kiss saying
"Hey, sweetheart!"

You can imagine how Meer was astonished. 

No wonder SRK blows kisses so well and always refer to the women as "sweetheart" or "darling" affectionately. No matter If she was an actress, a fan or a staff at a fast food shop.

Another day, an angry looking middle aged woman came.

"Your son whistles and troubles my daughter when she walks by"

Meer responded.
"If your daughter was as attractive as her mother, I wouldn't blame on my son."


The lady withdrew smiling. 
I'm 100% sure SRK took over his father's wit at fullest.

Shah Rukh had a happy childhood in Delhi. He was an exceptionally bright, active child and deeply loved by his parents. Although they didn't have much of material luxury, he imbibed honesty, courtesy and Intelligent humour from his father, affection, passion and value of hard work from his mother. Meer was running a cafe and petrol station at some point. He was fluent in six different languages such as English, Pushtu, Hindi, Urdu and could speak to the customers in their mother tongue. The cafe business brought humble success thanks to his talent and knowledge.

Meer and Fatima had difference in how they perceive material luxury. However, they both loved children, helped others and treated friends with abundance. They often had feast of Hyderabad and Peshawar dishes abrim on the table. Shah Rukh was fed by Fatima's fingers mixing food and brought to mouth until quite grown up. He was absolutely doted on.

Their religious education was not very strict. They didn't force him five times of Namaaz but the value of Islam was thoroughly conveyed. "Islam means Tolerance" Meer often said. He introduced vast Islamic culture to SRK. Among which was Urdu poems. Meer recited many of great Islamic poets to his son. It led Shah Rukh to write his own poems from early age. 

One of his poem goes...

Parinde udthe hain main dekhta hoon
Log chalte hain main dekhta hoon
Apne huliye ko dekh kar main rota hoon
Kise kya malum main kin sapnon main khota hoon

I watch as the birds fly
I watch as the people walk
I watch myself and cry
Who knows what dream I myself lose

Shah Rukh's poems pleased Meer and he wrote down all of his son's work in a small notebook. Shah Rukh still treasures this notebook with him.

SRK also took part in Ram Leela when he was a child. He acted a monkey soldier of Hanuman. The play extended to 2 or 3 in the morning but his parents allowed it and Shah Rukh had a great time catching bananas acting monkey. He also did some mimic show and poem reading. He even got paid 500 rupees. It was the first paid performance of his career as an actor.

ramlila..jpg


Shah Rukh started to attend St. Columba's, the all boy school run by Irish brothers. The lessons were taught in English and there was subjects like Christian theology. So Shah Rukh learned Islam from his parents, Hindu culture in the neighborhood and Christianity from the school. It was Meer's intention. He told Shah Rukh "you should learn many different religions in many different languages. It will make you respect other religion and also make you proudly Islamic."