Shah Rukh Khan has spoken about the role his late mother played in steering him toward acting, describing a path shaped as much by doubt as by ambition. In a 1991 conversation with Deccan Herald, the actor admitted he had never been drawn to cinema — he said the industry and its ways had often left him uneasy, and that joining it was the last thing he had wanted. What changed his mind, he explained, was the loss of his mother and her long-held hope of seeing him on screen.

He recalled that she had always wanted to watch him become an actor, and that after her death he resolved to pursue it in her memory. "I am doing it for her all the same," he said, acknowledging he feared it might already be too late to start. He also described wanting to leave the family''s Delhi home, which carried too many reminders of her, and moving to Bombay to make a clean break and bury himself in work.

The timeline bears out how quickly that resolve took shape. Khan had made his television debut in 1989 with the series Fauji. His mother, Lateef Fatima Khan, died in 1990, and within a year he had signed several films — going on to make his Bollywood debut with Deewana in 1992.

In the same interview, Khan offered an unconventional take on learning the craft. He played down the value of formal acting classes, arguing that observation, steady practice and learning from one''s own mistakes mattered far more. He said he had picked up a great deal simply by watching weaker performers and noting where they went wrong, and voiced a firm belief that acting cannot really be taught — it is either in a person or it is not, improving only with practice.

On the work front, Khan will next be seen in Siddharth Anand''s King, due in cinemas on 24 December. The film''s teaser is set to launch on 2 November, coinciding with the actor''s birthday.