Shah Rukh Khan – The Bollywood Struggle Story

We’re all obsessed with Shah Rukh Khan and his success. From being a commoner to becoming one the biggest stars the world has ever seen, SRK has way too many stories of struggle, fame, school days, and his life that is known to us.

SRK admits to being filmy off-screen and in daily life too. His friend from Delhi, Benny Thomas, who came with him to Bombay during his struggling days narrates an incident where Shah Rukh Khan, standing on Marine Drive, in the backdrop of the setting sun, said ‘I’ll rule this city one day,’ totally unaware that it would turn into reality pretty soon.

Shah Rukh Khan’s family was devastated when his father died of cancer. His mother departed a few years later, leaving his sister in a state of depression. A young Shah Rukh took to managing a restaurant in Delhi as the sole means of living. He also worked as an usher in a Pankaj Udhas concert to earn Rs.50.

Shah Rukh stepped into Bombay in the hopes of making it big in the film industry. Because he had no accommodation, he used to sleep outside a 5-star hotel in Mumbai. He started his career with TV shows like Dil Dariya, Fauji, and Circus. The year 1992 saw Khan bagging the role of the second male lead in Deewana. He was cast as a replacement to a reputed actor and hence, agreed to do the role for a small sum of money. He even took to selling the tickets for the movie at a movie theatre in Mumbai. His patience finally paid off when he won his first Filmfare Award for the Best Male Debut that year.

He not only saw failure but poverty too, especially after his parents’ demise. He vocally admits that he took on less creative work to overcome poverty. Some of the films which he accepted were rejected by big stars, but he took them on to avoid unemployment.