Mumbai, Maharashtra: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, affectionately known as SRK, celebrated his 61st birthday on Monday, November 2nd, receiving an outpouring of heartfelt wishes from across the film fraternity.
From veteran actors to contemporary stars, social media was abuzz with tributes, many also expressing anticipation for his upcoming film, ‘King’.
Filmmaker Karan Johar lauded SRK’s physical transformation for ‘King’, exclaiming, “Ap sab gym jate ho??? Bhai toh khud gym ban chuka hai! This body is INSANE!!! Pathan ab aur bhi Jawaan ho gaye hai! Humare KING ban gaye hai aur bhi ROC-KING! KING is Back & How… 61? Never looked this fine.” Shilpa Shetty, his co-star from ‘Baazigar’, shared a still from ‘King’ with the caption, “HAPPY birthday! Here’s to keeping us drooling always, King #MondayMotivation @iamsrk.” Sonam Kapoor also extended her wishes, stating, “Happy happy birthday, @iamsrk lots and lots of love to you, always! Can’t wait to see you in King!”
Anil Kapoor reminisced about their enduring friendship, writing, “Happy Birthday, Shahrukh! Years of laughter, countless memories, and you haven’t lost an ounce of that charm or madness, and clearly neither of us is counting the years. Here’s to many more. Jaldi milte hai, Lots of love always! @iamsrk.” Ajay Devgn shared a nostalgic photograph, adding, “Picture purani hai aur dosti bhi…. Happy Birthday, Shah Rukh! @iamsrk.” Fashion designer Manish Malhotra and singer Harshdeep Kaur also conveyed their wishes, with Kaur noting, “Raees toh bahut honge, par dilon ka KING ek hi hai!”
Adding to the celebrations, SRK officially launched the promotional campaign for ‘King’ on his birthday. Giant promotional posters adorned his Mumbai residence, Mannat, at midnight. The excitement peaked with the release of the film’s first song, “Tu Mil Jaaye,” a romantic-action track featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, notable for marking global pop sensation Ed Sheeran’s Indian playback singing debut. Directed by Siddharth Anand, ‘King’ also stars Abhishek Bachchan and SRK’s daughter Suhana Khan, and is slated for release on December 24, 2026. Meanwhile, thousands of fans gathered outside Mannat, recreating his iconic arms-wide-open pose, eager to catch a glimpse of their beloved superstar.