SRK b’day special: 'King of Romance' journey from the passionate lover to the devoted husband

It's the day of 'Badshah' of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, who stands tall as the epitome of romance, and has painted the silver screen with a myriad of love stories that have become immortal classics. The actor turned 58 on Thursday, and his magnetic presence, soulful eyes, and enchanting dimpled smile has charmed his way into our hearts from the past more than three decades.

From iconic 'Rahul' of 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' to the passionate 'Raj' of 'Dil To Pagal Hai', SRK's characters have etched unforgettable moments in the hearts of movie lovers across the globe.

Through the lens of movies like 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', 'Mohabbatien', and 'Devdas', SRK has not only made us believe in the power of love, but has also taught us that true romance knows no limits.

From the passionate lover to the devoted husband, SRK's journey is a saga of love, determination and an unwavering commitment to his craft. As we celebrate the undisputed hero of love, here's a slate of some of his romantic dramas which will sweep you away in a whirlwind of romance.

'Deewana'

The 1992 romantic drama was SRK's debut film, directed by Raj Kanwar, and stars Rishi Kapoor, and Divya Bharti. The film revolves around an effervescent girl Kaajal (Bharti), depicting her travels as a widow after the disappearance of her husband Ravi (Kapoor) and how her obsessive lover Raja (SRK) wins her over.

'Baazigar'

The 1993 romantic thriller film directed by Abbas-Mustan, stars Kajol alongside SRK. It also features Shilpa Shetty. The movie explores themes of love, betrayal, and vengeance.

'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'

'DDLJ' is 1995 musical romance film written and directed by Aditya Chopra. It also stars Kajol along with SRK. The plot revolves around Raj and Simran, two young non-resident Indians, who fall in love during a vacation through Europe with their friends. Raj tries to win over Simran's family so the couple can marry, but Simran's father has long since promised her to marry her off to his friend's son.

'Dil To Pagal Hai'

The 1997 musical romance film directed by Yash Chopra, follows the love lives of the members of a musical troupe, in which two dancers played by Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor get entangled in a love triangle with their choreographer played by SRK, with Akshay Kumar playing the childhood friend of Madhuri's character.

'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'

The 1998 musical romance film written and directed by Karan Johar, stars SRK, Kajol, and Rani Mukherji in lead roles, along with Salman Khan in a special appearance. The plot combines two love triangles set years apart. The first half covers friends on a college campus, while the second tells the story of a widower's young daughter who tries to reunite her dad with his old best friend.

'Mohabbatein'

The 2000 musical romantic drama film, written and directed by Aditya Chopra, stars Amitabh Bachchan, SRK and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles. It narrates the story of Narayan, the strict principal of Gurukul college whose daughter Megha, commits suicide after he opposes her relationship with Raj, a music teacher at the college. The story follows Raj aiding three Gurukul students and their love interests to rebel against Narayan's intolerance of love.

'Devdas'

The 2002 period romantic drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, stars SRK, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in lead roles. It is based on the 1917 novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and the flick narrates the story of Devdas Mukherjee (SRK), a wealthy law graduate who returns from London to marry his childhood friend, Parvati "Paro" (Aishwarya). However, the rejection of their marriage by his own family sparks his descent into alcoholism, ultimately leading to his emotional deterioration and him seeking refuge with the "golden-hearted" courtesan Chandramukhi (Madhuri).

'Kal Ho Naa Ho'

The 2003 romantic drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, stars SRK, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta in the lead roles. In the film, Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity) and Aman Mathur (SRK) fall in love, but a secret prevents him from reciprocating his feelings and results in a plan to set Naina up with her best friend, Rohit Patel (Saif).

'Veer-Zaara'

The 2004 epic romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra, stars SRK and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (SRK) is an Indian Air Force officer, and Zaara Hayaat Khan (Preity) is the daughter of a Pakistani politician. Veer is imprisoned on false charges, and a young Pakistani lawyer, named Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji), fights his case.

'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'

The 2008 romantic comedy film, written and directed by Aditya Chopra, stars SRK as Surinder Sahni, a mild-mannered office employee who marries his deceased teacher's miserable daughter Taani Gupta, portrayed by Anushka Sharma in her debut. His friend Balwinder "Bobby" Khosla, played by Vinay Pathak, eventually transforms him into the fun-loving actor "Raj Kapoor" to win Taani's love.

'Jab Harry Met Sejal'

The 2017 romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali, stars Anushka Sharma and SRK. The story revolves around Harry (SRK), a tour guide in Europe who is lost and searching for something meaningful in his life. He meets Sejal (Anushka) , a spirited young woman who has lost her engagement ring during her vacation in Europe. Sejal convinces Harry to help her find the lost ring, and they embark on a journey across Europe together. During their search, they discover more about each other and themselves, leading to a deeper understanding of love and relationships.