When Shah Rukh Khan shared how he inherited the 'fear of failure' from his father

When we envision Shah Rukh Khan, the first thing that usually pops into our head is the Badshah of Bollywood striking his iconic pose with arms wide open and his eternal charm. King Khan has been ruling hearts and crushing box office numbers for decades. In the ensuing decades, he’s done more than become a superstar—he’s an institution unto himself. Be it his fantastic acting journey or his personal life, SRK has made sure that he keeps inspiring millions. What makes him even more special is the way he speaks. Every time Shah Rukh sits down for an interview, it’s not just about entertainment—you always walk away having learned something valuable. Listening to him is truly a delight.

It is very apparent how Shah Rukh Khan's late parents influenced him, right from the life lessons he chose to adapt and continue to follow till today. The King Khan of Bollywood has often talked about his late parents, Taj Mohammed Khan and Lateef Fatima Khan, sharing their profound impact on his life as well as his career. He said they were the reason behind his success.

In a throwback interview with ETV Bharat, he shared some memories about his father, such as how he used to not practice law and was a freedom fighter, a “gentle idealist” who instilled in him deeply held expectations that shaped his ambitions, such as a "fear of failure." Shah Rukh once recalled, "My father was the most successful failure in the world, and I'm very proud of him," explaining with great adoration how eye-opening it was witnessing your father accept defeat with such grace. As mentioned earlier, Taj Mohammed Khan was known for many things, but prominent traits included being tall and charismatic, all while holding deep-rooted principles that made him unwilling to budge on ethics, although it came at the price of suffering hardships.

All these factors contributed to giving Shah Rukh his father's idealistic approach and combining that with his mother's more practical side. While the ethical issues surrounding “not being able to lie” during his father’s profession shaped some of his thoughts, the orderly life commitments from his mother motivated him to achieve. This duality worked for Shah Rukh since he equally wanted to capture all parts of himself—creatively philosophical alongside financially stable. In his words, he turned into what one would describe as a “practical poet” who fuses dreaming and reality.

Khan cherishes the principles inherited from his early years, such as the ‘fear of failure’ branded by his father, which propels him toward scarier heights of success. Coupled with the relentless fighting spirit from her enthusiasm to earn money,’ it supports sustaining the future they mutually dreamed for him.