When Shah Rukh Khan moved from Delhi to Mumbai in the early 1990s, he was chasing a big dream, to become a film star. But even when he had nothing to his name, he had made it clear that the most important people in his life came first, no matter what.In a past to Stardust magazine in 1991, just after he had lost his mother, a young SRK spoke from the heart. He talked about his love for Gauri, who was then still his girlfriend, and why he would never sacrifice his personal life for fame.‘They are the most important people in my life’The ‘My Name is Khan’ actor didn’t hold back, he explained how deeply he valued his relationships, with Gauri, his sister, his uncle and aunt. “I have a personal life. I have friends, a girlfriend, uncle, aunt, sister. And they are the most important people in my life,” he said.At a time when many aspiring actors were talking about giving up their relationships to focus fully on their careers, Shah Rukh stood apart. He criticised those who bragged about breaking up with their partners for the sake of stardom. He remembered reading an interview in the same magazine where an actor proudly said he had dumped his girlfriend so he could focus on acting. Shah Rukh was disgusted. “Love them and leave them, he said. Come on man, you’re talking like a f***ing a**hole man. And then making it public. I mean, flaunting the fact that you screw them and leave them, how crass can you get? What about the moments you shared with the woman?”‘Why can’t you have both?’The ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ actor went on to question why people believed they had to choose between love and success. “And I really don’t understand this big sht about sacrificing this for my career and that for my career. I mean, why can’t you have both? Why are you looking for excuses for your neglect towards your family or wife or girlfriend? And even if you have neglected your personal life for your professional one, what makes you so proud of it? You have no right to hurt people who love you and you tom tom about it, like a f**ing virtue. How ridiculous,” he said.Gauri was still in Delhi, Shah Rukh in MumbaiAt that time, Shah Rukh had just moved to Mumbai to try his luck in films, while Gauri was still living in Delhi. It was a long-distance relationship, made even harder by his struggles and the uncertainty of the film industry. But he didn’t let the distance or pressure shake his priorities.‘Their make-up room is their world’As he observed the industry around him, Shah Rukh noticed how easy it was for actors to get carried away with themselves. He didn’t want to become like that. “The fact is that most of these actors are too preoccupied with themselves to even think about anyone else. They get so involved with themselves – and it’s very easy to get carried away in this profession – that they have no time and room for anyone else. It’s called narcissism. Most of the people out here are like that. Their make-up room is their world and the flatterers, their family. They are so cut-up from reality. They lose themselves to this world. I wish that never happens to me. And if it does, I will be very sad,” he shared.One month later, they were marriedJust one month after the interview was published, Shah Rukh and Gauri got married. His big Bollywood debut in ‘Deewana’ came the following year in 1992, and his rise to superstardom began. But what stayed constant through it all was his relationship with Gauri — the same woman he loved before he became a star.
