As Shah Rukh Khan turns 60, we're celebrating the moments, memories, and magic that make him who he is through the eyes of those who've worked closely with him.
One of them is filmmaker Gauri Shinde, who directed him in Dear Zindagi where he played the charming and compassionate Dr Jehangir Khan, a psychologist who taught us that it's okay to pause and reset.
But before Dear Zindagi, Gauri Shinde had already seen the "SRK effect" on her ad film sets.
"When SRK is on set, female hormones are skyrocketing," she laughs. "Even in an ad film shoot I have to round up my girls and tell them, 'BEHAVE YOURSELF. No jaw dropping, put a rubber band!'"
So how does she handle her own hormones?
Gauri Shinde laughs again, "Good question, I don't have an answer for that! Sorry male directors, but as a woman director I can have all these 360-degree feelings about him which you will never know about or understand."
Her first meeting with Shah Rukh Khan was as memorable as the man himself. It was at the premiere of Paa, the 2009 film directed by Gauri Shinde's husband R Balki.
"I was standing there with Balki when SRK came up to us. Balki introduced me by saying, 'That's Gauri,' and Shah Rukh Khan instantly said, 'Oh! Mere paas bhi Gauri hai.' How can you ever forget that? He makes sure you remember him, and he makes it so personal when he speaks to you. It's never just a 'hi, hello, nice to meet you' moment."
When asked to define him, Gauri Shinde doesn't hold back her admiration.
"Shah Rukh Khan is an adjective, it's not just a name. That's why he is who he is. It's like lightning, it strikes you. He is lightning, and you are left thundering with his impact. When he is on screen, you can't look away."
From the therapist who made vulnerability cool in Dear Zindagi to the superstar who lights up every set he steps on, Shah Rukh Khan continues to redefine charisma at 60.
And as Gauri Shinde perfectly puts it - he isn't just a person, he's a feeling, a spark, an adjective that defines everything larger than life.
Happy Birthday, Shah Rukh Khan - may the light never dim.
Also Read | "Best Part Was He Knew My Name": Divya Dutta On Her First, Filmy Meeting With Shah Rukh Khan
