Shah Rukh Khan was born on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi and turns 61 on 2 November 2026. Over three decades he has gone from television’s Fauji to the star of Pathaan and Jawan, won his first National Film Award in 2025, and has King lined up for 24 December 2026. This is our birthday letter to him, written by a fan.
We first published a birthday letter to Shah Rukh Khan when he turned 55 in 2020, a quiet year when cinemas were shut and many fans wondered when they would see him on screen again. A lot has happened since. So here is a fresh letter, with the facts brought up to date.
SRK at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 November 1965, New Delhi |
| Television start | Fauji (1989) |
| First film released | Deewana (1992) |
| Padma Shri | 2005 |
| First National Film Award | Best Actor for Jawan, 71st National Film Awards |
| Next release | King, scheduled for 24 December 2026 |
Dear Shah Rukh,
Happy birthday in advance. You turn 61 this November, and like every year, crowds will gather outside Mannat in Bandra hoping for a wave. Some of us will be there. Most of us will be watching on our phones, and that is fine too.
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Many of us first saw you on Doordarshan, in Fauji and Circus, long before we understood what a film star was. You were the boy from Delhi with no film family and no godfather, and you made it look possible for the rest of us to dream big.
The films that raised us
Then came the 1990s. Deewana in 1992, the dark turns in Baazigar and Darr, and then Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995, which went on to run at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir for decades. Raj and Simran became the template for every love story that followed. We learnt to open our arms wide on hilltops because of you.
But it is the other films we hold closest. Mohan Bhargava in Swades (2004), coming home to a village and choosing to stay. Kabir Khan in Chak De! India (2007), a disgraced coach who builds a women’s hockey team into champions. Rizwan Khan in My Name Is Khan (2010). These were not the roles of a man playing safe.
The years away, and the return
After Zero in 2018, you stepped away from the screen for more than four years. Fans kept watching the old films, sharing clips and waiting, and the question at every event was the same: when is the next one coming?
And then came 2023. Pathaan in January, Jawan in September and Dunki in December. Both Pathaan and Jawan crossed Rs 1,000 crore at the worldwide box office, according to producers and trade reports. For fans who had waited, it felt less like a comeback and more like a celebration.
A National Award, at last
In August 2025, more than three decades into your career, you were named Best Actor at the 71st National Film Awards for Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail. You received it at the ceremony in New Delhi in September 2025. It was your first National Award. Many fans felt it was overdue. You simply looked grateful.
The same year, you made your debut at the Met Gala in New York in May, dressed by Indian designer Sabyasachi. In 2024, the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland gave you its career achievement award, the Pardo alla Carriera.
Sixty, and the King
On your 60th birthday on 2 November 2025, you unveiled the title of your next film, King, with a teaser that showed you with silver hair. Your usual balcony appearance at Mannat was called off that day because of crowd-control concerns, and you met fans at a separate event instead. Even that felt like you: thinking about everyone’s safety first.
King is directed by Siddharth Anand and also stars your daughter Suhana Khan. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on 24 December 2026. We will be in the first-day, first-show queue.
What you taught us
- That hard work and humour can take you further than connections.
- That it is fine to fail in public and try again.
- That kindness and wit are not opposites.
- That a hero can be soft, and a romantic can be strong.
So thank you, Shah Rukh. For the songs we still hum, the dialogues we still repeat and the hope you gave a lot of ordinary people. Happy birthday, and may the next chapter be your best one yet.
Yours,
A diehard fan with no autograph to flaunt
For more on Bollywood stars, visit our people section and our entertainment section.
Further reading: 55th birthday today.
Frequently asked questions
When is Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday?
Shah Rukh Khan was born on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi. He turns 61 on 2 November 2026.
Has Shah Rukh Khan won a National Award?
Yes. He won Best Actor at the 71st National Film Awards for Jawan, shared with Vikrant Massey. It was his first National Award.
What is Shah Rukh Khan’s next film?
His next film is King, directed by Siddharth Anand and co-starring Suhana Khan. It is scheduled for release on 24 December 2026.
What was Shah Rukh Khan’s first film?
Deewana (1992) was his first film to release, after he began his career on television with Fauji in 1989.
Sources: Wikipedia: King (2026 film), The Statesman on the National Award, The Hollywood Reporter India on his 60th birthday.
