When Shah Rukh Khan Said, "'Everything I Am Is Because Of The Women In My Life"

Shah Rukh Khan, who celebrates his 59th birthday today, is credited with a range of blockbuster movies paving the way for a flourishing career. His hard work and determination have made him attain superstar status, but Shah Rukh Khan does not give himself credit for his achievements. Instead, he attributes his success to the women in his life”, especially the actresses he shared screen space with. Shah Rukh said, “I lost my father, then my mother, early on. But the women in my life – the actresses – have helped me immensely. Everything I am is because of them. They are doing all that work and, mostly, I take away the credit for the film. I'm Shah Rukh Khan. None of them has become Shah Rukh Khan and I hope they do. I'm not trying to be pompous about myself,” in an interaction with The Guardian. 

Giving the examples of actresses like Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla and Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Madhuri Dixit has held my hand in those dancing scenes and I'm not leading her, she's leading me. Juhi Chawla taught me how to do comic timing, Kajol taught me how to cry. They worked their asses off and then, at the end of the film, it's ‘Shah Rukh Khan: the superstar'. And I know it. I can't deny it. And I can never ever forget I am [there] because of women.”

Shah Rukh Khan revealed that he expresses his gratitude to actresses through his gestures. He said, “All my chivalry, goodness, gentlemanliness only stems from the fact that it's my way of saying thank you. They are fabulous in the films. In every film."

Previously, Shah Rukh Khan disclosed that he loves working with female filmmakers owing to their “sensitivity”. He said, “Men compartmentalise their feelings. But women are more nuanced and overarching. They go all over the place. I think I enjoy working with women because of their sensitivity, to be honest. Women also make the films look nicer.” Read the full story here.

After wowing the audience with three back-to-back films in 2023 (Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki), Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in director Sujoy Ghosh's King. According to reports, he will be sharing screen space with his daughter Suhana Khan for the project. Suhana made her foray into the world of films with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies. Abhishek Bachchan is touted to play the antagonist in King. The film is expected to hit the screens sometime in 2026.