It’s Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday on November 2, and wishes and messages have been pouring in from around the world. Former actress and founder of the non-profit organization No More Tears, Somy Ali, has also wished the superstar on his birthday.
She shared that, more than his acting skills, it’s his humility that has inspired her. She said, “Influenced would be an understatement, but more than his acting abilities, which no one can come close to except Kakaji and Amitji, it’s his humility throughout his entire journey that stands out. I’ve known him since he came to Mumbai but always interacted more with Gauri. They say it speaks volumes about you as a person when you consider who you marry and who your friends are.” She praised his wife Gauri, calling her a beautiful, elegant, and extremely unique individual.
She added, “Despite several naysayers and haters, she never once addressed me in an unkind manner. I never saw her greet me without a smile or without genuine kindness. So, I have to give her a great deal of credit for Shah Rukh’s journey.” Somy said that Shah Rukh is, and always has been, an anomaly and added, “He’s sharp when it comes to being business-minded and definitely knows more than he lets on in that industry, yet he maintains an innocence that’s beyond genuine. While I have literally spent zero hours with him, I feel I know him first through Gauri and through his movies. If you look into his eyes, you immediately know this is a good human being. I simply can’t believe he was just 29. Time flies in the blink of an eye.” She also mentioned that SRK has always said if you want to be successful, you can’t worry about eating or sleeping.
Talking about his motivational words, she said, “Your only focus is your work, and having no friends is a sacrifice one has to make to be the real superstar not only of India but of the entire world.” “Shah Rukh practices what he preaches, and to date, I have not once heard of him treating anyone poorly—unless they deserve it, like Salman during the Katrina debacle, which totally warranted Shah Rukh’s reaction,” she added. Reflecting on his ups and downs and his rise to becoming one of the biggest stars the country has ever seen, she said, “He has stuck to working all the time, thinking about work all the time, not worrying about sleep or food, but focusing only on his performances. I’m telling you this with confidence: in his movies, if you look deep into his eyes, you will see Veer, Dev, Raj, and all the other characters he portrays, who are nothing like him in real life. That’s called being an actor and honing your craft to a level where you’ve shown us everything possible.” “Even when he performs a new character, in his eyes, you’ll see real love or hate based on the character. To date, no one but Shah Rukh can achieve that. Though Allah took his parents, the most important people to him, he gave Shah Rukh a world that would literally take a bullet for him. That’s how good of a person he is,” she added. Calling him a global star, she also confessed that her American and Hispanic friends drool over him and his performances.
“As for me, yes, I wanted to marry Kakaji when I was seven, but Shah Rukh is my real hero. Sorry, Gauri, but I have had the biggest crush on him since Baazigar. I am absolutely a fangirl in love when it comes to Shah Rukh. I refused to watch Kal Ho Naa Ho because I heard he dies in the end,” she said. Somy is a big fan of Veer-Zaara and has watched it over and over again, feeling it’s deeper than a love story across borders. “The film is about the question of the existence of borders. I remember when I first met Yash ji in his office, he spoke about his memories of growing up in Lahore, and it made me realize that no one wants a border. It’s the politicians who want hate to persist as a distraction so both countries can continue their corruption,” she said.
“I have had hours of conversations with Yash ji, Manoj Kumar ji, about their experiences growing up in Lahore, and Chintu ji once told me his dad, Raj Kapoor ji, still has a palace in Peshawar, Pakistan. It blew my mind to learn it’s still there. There was no Pakistan back then. We need to get rid of borders because we’re all the same. Shah Rukh worked with Mahira Khan, a Pakistani actress. Do you think he wants a border between us? No! It’s all the politicians who have caused destruction that can never be rectified,” she added. Wishing him on his birthday, Somy said, “I wish I could say this in person, but I wish you a very happy birthday, Shah Rukh. May Allah bless you and your family with health, prosperity, and peace of mind, as happiness is found in moments but not in consistency. One last thing, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.”
