Gauri Khan's parents were not so keen on her decision to get married to Shah Rukh Khan, and they were against their inter-faith marriage. Here's how SRK tried to convince them.
Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan are a power couple in the glamour world. The two have been married for over 30 years now, and still hold the same spark in their relationship. The much-in-love couple has three kids, Suhana Khan, Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan. Shah Rukh and Gauri made us believe in never letting go of someone whom you love with all your heart, no matter what. And their fairytale love story is proof of the same.
While Shah Rukh and Gauri are one of the most celebrated married couples in Bollywood, there was a time when Gauri’s parents did not approve of her relationship with Shah Rukh. While she belonged to a family of Hindu Brahmins, Shah Rukh was a Muslim, so religion became a major issue in their marriage. Moreover, Gauri was only 21 years old when she married Shah Rukh, who was 26 at the time, which was another reason to worry about for her parents.
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Back in 2008, in an interview with Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla on their show, First Ladies, Gauri Khan spoke about how her parents were against her inter-faith marriage with Shah Rukh and recalled the difficult phase. Shah Rukh had just stepped into Bollywood and was struggling to make a mark in the industry when he had decided to marry Gauri. Talking about the same, Gauri said:
“We were so young and then to take a decision to get married and to a person who is going to join films, and being from a different religion.”
With so many hurdles in their marriage, Shah Rukh and Gauri were helpless, as they couldn't find a way to convince their parents. However, the duo left no stone unturned to make their inter-faith marriage possible, as they were sure about spending their lives together. In the same interview, Gauri recalled that they changed Shah Rukh’s name to Abhinav so that her parents would think that he was a Hindu. Calling it a silly decision, she said:
“We changed his name to Abhinav so they feel he is a Hindu boy, but that was really silly and very childish.”
Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan respect each other's religions and celebrate every festival with equal enthusiasm. Once in an interview, SRK opened up about the concept of religion in his family and shared that they have taught their kids, Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan and AbRam Khan that before belonging to any religion, they are Indians. Elaborating on the same, Shah Rukh said:
“Humne koi Hindu-Musalman ki baat hi nahi ki. Meri biwi Hindu hai, main Musalman hoon. Aur mere jo bacche hain, wo Hindustani hain. Jab wo school gae to school me wo bharna padta hai ki religion kya hai. To jab meri beti choti thi, usne aa ke pucha bhi mujhse ek baar, ‘papa hum kaun se religion ke hain?’ Maine usme ye likha ki hum Indian hi hain yaar, koi religion nahi hai. Aur hona bhi nahi chahiye.”
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While Shah Rukh Khan is the undisputable King of Bollywood, his wife, Gauri Khan also has her own identity. Gauri is an acclaimed businesswoman, who has proved her mettle in interior design and film production. She is the proud co-owner of the production house, Red Chillies Entertainment. In 2012, Gauri Khan also launched her own line of furniture, The Charcoal Project, and later, in 2017, she started her store, Gauri Khan Designs, which offers a variety of home decor items.
Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan have time and again proved that humanity is above all religions, and they have taught the same to their kids.
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