Shah Rukh Khan was born in Delhi and started his acting career with the television series Fauji in the late 1980s. He made his debut in movies with Deewana in 1992. He made a mark on the Bollywood industry with blockbuster hits like Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Devdas, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Chak De! India, Chennai Express and Dear Zindagi.He was honoured with Padma Shri by the government of India. He has been the co-owner of IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders. He is married to Gauri Khan and founded Red Chillies Entertainment with her in 2002.
The festival site announced Shah Rukh Khan as the recipient of this year's award, and called him the ‘living symbol' for showing the vitality of Indian cinema.
Shah Rukh Khan's maiden villainous portrayal of a stalker in Yash Chopra's Darr (1993) became more memorable thanks to his “I love you K-K-K-Kiran” dialogue.