On his birthday, Shah Rukh Khan is celebrated for 34 years of contributions to Hindi cinema. Known as King Khan and the Box Office Badshah, he has built a career on choosing stories that are entertaining and ahead of their time, often taking creative risks even after achieving superstar status.

While Khan's blockbusters including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Baazigar, and Pathaan received widespread acclaim, several of his films have gained cult status retrospectively and deserve greater recognition. Five underrated classics highlighted include: Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, in which Khan's character Sunil departed from the typical larger-than-life Bollywood hero archetype, presenting instead a simple, innocent protagonist with a different understanding of love; Swades, an Ashutosh Gowariker film exploring rural India and the tension between village life and urban living that many industry experts predicted would earn Khan a National Award (his first National Award ultimately came for Jawan in 2025); Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, a story about a man from humble origins whose professional success changes his behaviour and ethics while preserving his work integrity; Anjaam, a 1994 thriller that established Khan as an anti-hero and earned him his first Best Villain award; and Fan, a thriller about a superstar facing obsessive fan devotion, directed by Maneesh Sharma, which was ahead of its time and now reads as prescient.

Khan's early career films showcased his ability to resonate with ordinary characters before his transition to romance-hero roles. On his birthday, Khan marks a special reveal from his upcoming film King, expected to dominate the box office before 2026 concludes.