*It was King Khan’s 42nd birthday recently, and we share with you some lesser known facts about the Badshah:

*SRK’s parents met under strange circumstances. His mother had had an accident, and needed blood. The donor was his father. They fell in love while he was helping her recuperate.

*SRK and his father Mir Taj Mohammad shared a great relationship. They called each other ‘yaar’. His parents were never restrictive, and he had a lot of liberties as a child.

*Shah Rukh Khan dislikes dabbling in shares, speculation, lotteries and gambling. He counts it a blessing that he does not have to feel the lack of money. He ran a restaurant for a short while in Delhi.

*The superstar believes in being greedy for knowledge and love. His philosophy is – ‘Even if you are not hungry, be greedy. Greed is the core of mankind’s existence’.

*He loved sports as a child, and still does. He was the captain of football and hockey teams, and played cricket at zonal and national levels. He believes that sports should be an integral part of one’s childhood, because that is where you learn how to lose gracefully, and how to win.

He accompanies his children to major sports events like the T-20 tournament. Incidentally, he is considered a lucky mascot for the Indian Cricket Team.

*Young Shah Rukh was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ in school, for being the most outstanding student.

*His least favourite subject in school was Hindi. His mother struck a deal with him – if he scored the highest in Hindi, she would take him for a Hindi movie. SRK did, and his mother took him for Dev Anand’s Joshila.

*The basic principle behind the working of Dreamz Unlimited, which he started with Aziz Mirza and Juhi Chawla, was that everybody was well-fed, received their money, and were self-reliant. Arclightz is his equipment unit, which was set up as a part of his vision as a businessman.

*Shah Rukh has worked as a stunt director for films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Main Hoon Na, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna, and Chak De India.

*His favourite role is the one in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, and his all-time favourite Hindi movies include Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Masoom, Sholay, and Dil Hain Ki Manta Nahin.

*He identifies very strongly with Genghis Khan, Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte.

*His favourite phrase is “Let's do it”.