After decades of ruling hearts and box offices, Shah Rukh Khan finally clinched his first National Award — and it couldn’t have come for a bigger film than Jawan. The Atlee-directed blockbuster wasn’t just a commercial juggernaut, it gave SRK the kind of layered, massy-yet-emotional role that showcased the full range of his talent. From action-packed avatars to vulnerable fatherhood, Jawan was a celebration of the superstar’s evolution. Winning the National Award for Best Actor marked a full-circle moment for Shah Rukh, who has long been one of India’s most loved and respected performers, now officially recognised at the highest level.
Shah Rukh Khan has always worn his heart on his sleeve. Whether it’s about his craft or his emotions, the actor doesn’t hold back. In a throwback interview from 2002 with Filmfare, SRK opened up about the real reason awards mean so much to him — and it’s far deeper than just professional validation.
When asked if losing out on awards ever bothered him, SRK didn’t mince words. “Guys who don’t give me an award are losers. They’re killing me with that,” he had said. Bold, but classic SRK — never shying away from expressing how deeply personal it is for him.
Despite having won over 300 awards, including 15 Filmfare trophies, Shah Rukh once confessed that the need to win stems from something rooted in his childhood. “I saw Hema Malini’s house filled with trophies. And I used to wonder, will I ever win even a few in my lifetime?” That curiosity soon became a dream. And today, that dream has taken over entire walls in his home.
He also admitted that while it may sound childish, there’s a child inside him who still craves that recognition. One image stuck with him forever — seeing director Vidhu Vinod Chopra taking his mother on stage while receiving an award. “I had dreamt that one day I’d take my mother on stage like that,” he shared. “But my mother passed away before that could happen. Maybe that’s why I crave awards… maybe I still want her to see me and be proud.”
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In one of the more touching moments from the interview, Shah Rukh added, “I want to win so many awards that my mother can spot me from heaven.” It’s the kind of sentiment that cuts through the glitz and reveals the boy behind the superstar — still chasing that one proud smile from a mother he lost too soon.
He also joked that the Filmfare trophy “looks the best in my hands,” blending his usual wit with the rawness of someone for whom these trophies carry emotional weight.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for his next big release, King, an action thriller where he’ll share the screen with Abhishek Bachchan and his daughter Suhana Khan.
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