Shah Rukh Khan’s rise from an ordinary young man in Delhi to one of the biggest superstars in the world is a story of perseverance, pain, and an unyielding drive to succeed. An outsider in the glamorous world of showbiz, he had no influential mentors or industry connections to pave the way. What he did have, however, was a profound loss that shaped his life and career — the untimely deaths of his parents.

Born to Mir Taj Mohammed Khan, an Indian independence activist, and Lateef Fatima, a magistrate, Shah Rukh experienced tragedy early in life. His father passed away from cancer in 1981 when Shah Rukh was just 14. A decade later, in 1991, his mother succumbed to complications from diabetes. By then, Shah Rukh had not yet set foot in the world of cinema.

At a recent event, the Global Freight Summit in Dubai, the actor opened up about how losing his parents became the foundation for his relentless ambition. “After my parents died, I had no money. I (initially) studied to be a scientist, then I went on to be an economist, then I learned mass communication. So I did my masters in all these things, which sometimes may not seem relatable to why I became an actor,” he said. But life had other plans. “Television came into India, and I was sitting there. They paid me Rs 1,500, which was a lot of money back then. I said okay, this is a job, and I’ll start doing it. One thing led to another.”

Shah Rukh recounted how deeply his parents’ loss affected him. Quoting Oscar Wilde, he shared, “‘To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.’ I felt very sad and had nowhere to go. It was just me and my sister left.” Despite the overwhelming grief, a belief began to take shape in his mind. “One morning, I felt my parents were somewhere out there, and I would meet them again. I started thinking of them as stars in the sky. Then I thought, won’t they be worried right now thinking, ‘Oh my god, what must be happening to our 24-year-old kid who has no sustenance?’”

This thought became his driving force. “I became very determined to succeed. I didn’t want my parents to feel bad or guilty that they weren’t there to fend for me. It’s a strange way to look at things, but I wanted to work hard, earn money, and become successful so I could tell them, ‘I’m doing good; don’t feel guilty you died early.’”

Now, as one of the most beloved stars in the world, Shah Rukh’s focus has shifted to his children. “I am very determined now, in a good way, that my children’s lives should be healthy and happy. All three of them are beautiful, lovely, loving, and hardworking. I just want them to be healthy and happy.”