Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian film industry’s global face and one of the most prominent figures in India, has completed 23 super-successful years in the film industry. It was on 25th June 1992 that his debut movie Deewana was released, starring actors Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti alongside the humble debutant Khan.
In these 23 years, Shah Rukh has transformed himself from that humble beginner to the uncrowned king of Hindi cinema. He is one of world’s richest actors with an estimated net worth of more than $600 million.
However, it’s not only his acting and stardom that have earned him all this moolah. Known to have a knack for business, Khan has many a times proved himself to be an even better businessman than an actor. Here are some instances when the world admired the businessman Shah Rukh more than the actor Shah Rukh.
1. When he promised himself that he would rule Mumbai, and went ahead to do much more than that. When Shah Rukh Khan was struggling to find a foot in the film industry, he had told his friend Benny Thomas that he would rule Mumbai one day, and the determinant businessman that he is, he went on to rule not just the city or the country but almost the entire world.
2. When he co-founded his film production company Dreamz Unlimited, just years after being in the industry. It was barely 7 years since he had stepped into the industry when Khan co-founded Dreamz Unlimited, the company that produced three of Shah Rukh’s films before being dissolved. These films were Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Asoka and Chalte Chalte. Having the confidence to produce big budget movies after spending a little time in the industry proved to the world that Shah Rukh Khan was not just an actor but also an inherent businessman.
3. When he transformed Dreamz Unlimited into Red Chillies Entertainment, which became one of India’s biggest production houses. After the success of Chalte Chalte, Shah Rukh realized that he could do much more with film production than just being a part of the team. He then took over Dreamz Unlimited and transformed it into Red Chillies Entertainment, which went on to become one of the biggest and most successful film production houses in India.
4. When he forayed into other facets of production, and proved to be the best yet again. Not many people know that India’s biggest Visual Effects Studios is owned by Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan. Christened as Red Chillies VFX, the unit handles the special effects of all his home productions and of some other movies as well. The company has won a National Award for its special effects for the 2011 movie Ra.One. He also produces television commercials for various global brands, a strategic move which was much ahead of its time.
5. When he stepped into sports, for cricket and much more. We all know that Kolkata Knight Riders is co-owned by Shah Rukh Khan, but did you know that KKR is the richest and the most financially successful IPL team? Reports suggest that to bring financial stability, Shah Rukh made sure that the money he got from the appearances he did for IPL went into the account of his team. He also planned for KKR merchandise, which sold like free cakes, all thanks to his stardom and strategic moves. Other than cricket, he also owns a racing team in the i1 Super Series and plans to buy a football team, areas where he would get the first-mover advantage.
Image credits: Economic Times