It is no wonder that, whenever there is Shah Rukh Khan, there will be something interesting going to happen. Whether it is his marvellous performance in his recently launched chartbuster ‘Pathaan’ or his forthcoming movie ‘Jawan’ that has already created much hype and frenzy among his millions of fans, it will not be a hackney if it is said that wherever he goes he brings with him a fresh splash of colours with himself. Many times he shocked his millions of fans with sudden revelations about his life that were probably not even known to the strictest of his fans. It seems he is playing some game with his fans as well as the interviewers as no one knows the next missile that he is going to launch suddenly. From revealing several untouched chapters of his life such as the origin of his forefathers to how he lost his parents and struggled to become an actor to announcing his special cameo in his once foe-turned-friend Salman Khan’s forthcoming movie ‘Tiger 3’, he possibly has left no stone unturned to surprise his fans throughout the world. This time too, the ‘Jawan’ of the Hindi film industry decided to reveal certain unheard chapters of his romantic life, especially, how he and his childhood crush turned wife Gauri Chibber had to fight against several hurdles to unite with each other due to their different religious and caste backgrounds.

Redefining Love

Shah Rukh Khan and his fashion designer and movie producer wife Gauri Chibber, who had been involved in a cute romantic relationship since they were teenagers, both Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri were 14 years old, when it all started between them, have not just redefined the concept of interreligious marriage but have redefined the concept of love to standing in such orthodox environment. They have shown that true love does not pay attention to any social and linguistic boundaries and would come full circle if it is executed with full dedication and passion. Though they have become a sort of trailblazers for interreligious unions, even they had to fight through several struggles in their love life to finally be in the position, where they are now. It is rightly said that until and unless the path we walk on is full of thorns, there is no joy in walking on and finally crossing it.

“What’s in a Name”? Well the Permission for Marriage

Though the ‘Bard’ of English literature quite aptly pointed out that a mere name cannot describe the quality of something or someone, things did not go too easily regarding this aspect of Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Chibber’s marriage. One of the fundamental changes that both of them had to make to get the license to marry each other was to change their names so that they could suit their social traditions. While Shah Rukh Khan belonged to an Islamic Pathaan family that originally hailed from the region of Lahore of present-day Pakistan, his wife Gauri Chibber was a Hindu Mohyal Brahmin originally hailing from Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. However, to get united with the love of their life, both Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Chibber had to change their names to suit the religious tradition of their spouse. While Shah Rukh Khan changed his name to ‘Jeetender Kumar Tulli’, Gauri changed her name to ‘Ayesha’. After that, they formally registered for court marriage in their names. The name ‘Jeetender Kumar Tulli’ was specially chosen by Shah Rukh Khan as his grandmother was an ardent fan of the yesteryear actor Jeetender and felt that her grandson looked like the yesteryear star. The surname ‘Tulli’ was also specially chosen by Shah Rukh Khan as he wanted to pay tributes to another yesteryear actor Rajendra Kumar. The yesteryear star’s surname was ‘Tulli’. In this way, he ensured that he respects his grandmother’s funny and childish imagination also. This was done to honour the Hindu tradition of marriage. Similarly, Gauri Chibber decided to change her name to ‘Ayesha’ to honour the Islamic tradition of marriage. These adjustments are a reflection of the deep respect that both of them had for each other’s religions and religious traditions and their ardent desire to even compromise on themselves to preserve their love.

The Battle Against Social Hurdles

Everything mentioned just now did not turn out to be quite a path strewn with rose petals for the ever-romantic couple of the Hindi film industry. They faced severe social stigma from every aspect of society. Gauri Chibber’s parents, especially, her mother Savita Chibber were strongly against her daughter marrying someone from a different religion. India which is deeply rooted in strict social and religious traditions was a tad shocked and slow in approving of the interfaith marriage between the two. However, it was the sheer dedication towards their love that had made the two skip over the scepticisms about each other’s religions and dodged the disapproval that was expressed from the various sections of society. Though these things complicated their love story, their unwavering devotion towards their love and their determination to stand by each other helped them skip over these challenges and make them look petty before them.

The Media Circus

As Shah Rukh Khan had already acquired some fame through his exceptional skills in acting and was a known face in the media circle, there was much hype about this interfaith marriage in the media. Their private life became fodder for the media. Several rumours were circulating about their marriage that were finally discarded by the couple and their families. However, they stayed strong in their love and overcame the troubles amidst the social stigma.

The Ever Romantic Inspiration

Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Chiber stand out as an inspiration for millions of lovers out there, who want to fight against all odds and unite with each other. Their entire love story was no less than that of a Shah Rukh Khan movie itself. Their unity proved that India is truly a point of confluence of every religion and caste from various parts of the world. Their unity also proved that true love can transcend boundaries and make them look petty before it. In the end, it is the happy memories from their wedding that prove the true ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’. To know more about the secrets of his life, one must go through the book ‘Shah Rukh Can’ by Mushtaq Sheikh.