Introduction to Shah Rukh Khan
For millions of people inside and outside India, Shah Rukh Khan remains one of the most recognizable and memorable icons of the Hindi film industry. This year alone, the actor, who turns 60 on November 2, has had several viral moments: In May, he became the first Indian male actor to walk the Met Gala red carpet, in June, he made a cameo in Ed Sheeran’s "Sapphire" video, and in October, he went viral with a selfie taken in Riyadh with South Korean "Squid Game" star Lee Jung-jae – an image some fans labeled a "collaboration of the century”. Google Trends searches for him range from Mauritius to Myanmar.
The Man Behind the Myth
Since his debut in 1992, Khan has played a variety of roles in more than 80 films: the romantic idol in “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995), which is still playing in a cinema in Mumbai; a disgraced hockey coach seeking redemption in "Chak De! India" (2007); and a vigilante who fights government inefficiency and corruption in “Jawan” (2023) – in which he plays six avatars, each reflecting previous film roles. The latter earned him his first-ever Indian National Film Award for Best Actor in September. Vera Wessel, editor-in-chief of the German-language Bollywood magazine Ishq, said SRK can evoke emotions like no other actor – "even his fans sometimes find it difficult to explain why he has this effect on them."
Through the Lens of the Fans
The female perspective on his myth was deftly portrayed by economist Shrayana Bhattacharya in her 2021 book, Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence. Using Khan as a "narrative device," she brought Indian women of different ages and social classes to "talk about their own frustrated attempts to assert economic and emotional independence in one of the world’s most insidious patriarchies." Bhattacharya posits that Khan’s image will be refracted by the realities of the people watching him on screen. For an immigrant tribal domestic worker, his on-screen gestures of care—helping with household chores, inhabiting feminized domains—are a rare endorsement in a country where men’s participation in care work is among the lowest in the world.
Remix by Gen Z
Much like the loyal fan base of ’90s boy bands, many of Khan’s fans have journeyed and grown with him, sometimes passing the "virus" on to their offspring. His films, which depicted the lives of Indians living abroad, were also well received by the vast Indian diaspora, estimated at 35 million people, and introduced non-Indian fans to Hindi cinema. Khan seems to mesh effortlessly with Generation Z, inspiring mashups, memes and TikToks. These are often the songs he performs in his films, which he lip-syncs – as is common in many Indian films – evoking emotions with his characteristic outstretched arm movements and expressive eyes.
Timeless Icon
Wessel attributes SRK’s continued relevance to his business acumen and says he was among the first Indian stars to successfully engage with their fans online. His work supports major brands, some of which he highlights with his 48.8 million Instagram followers, giving him continued commercial success and a powerful voice. “And whenever he uses that voice, whether in his films or in public appearances, he tends to convey a message of hope and understanding, which he conveys with simple words and wry humor.” Trends come and go, but his popularity seems to remain timeless.
