Samar Khan’s much awaited book on superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic journey in the film industry is finally out. Unveiled by Royal Stag Mega Music and titled “25 Years of a Life”, the book narrates the story of how the King of Bollywood made it large.

From Aditya Chopra’s ‘Raj’ who became the King of Romance with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Farhan Akhtar’s suave and discerning ‘Don’, this book captures myriad hues of Shah Rukh Khan’s inspiring journey in Indian cinema.

Sharing his experience, Samar Khan, journalist turned filmmaker stated, “This book was the perfect chance for me to tell the SRK story from a different lens”, while Shah Rukh Khan also expressed his gratitude towards all those whom he has worked with in the industry.

“25 years in the film industry was a big dream for a boy who came from Delhi all those years ago. These years have been full of excitement, hard work, and various ups and downs and this book is a tribute to all the film makers who believed in me and my dreams. I am extremely thankful to all my fans who have made me what I am today and would like to thank Royal Stag Mega Music, Samar and everybody associated with this book for giving me the chance to relive all those wonderful memories and characters once again,” stated Shah Rukh Khan.

Launched in Mumbai, the book captures interesting incidents and anecdotes from King Khan’s successful journey in the industry through the eyes of the directors he has worked with. Here are a few excerpts from the book.

Rohit Shetty– Chennai Express

“While making Chennai express I got to know Shah Rukh a little. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Everyone can be a part of your success but very few can make you feel special. Shah Rukh has that ability in him. He will charm his way into your heart.”

Yash chopra –  Darr

“That’s that. His answer to everything is ‘Yash ji ne kaha, bas theek hai’. A director and his muse need to have that kind of trust in each other. Sometimes I think Shah Rukh’s roles in my films are written in a certain way because of the person he is in reality. He has so many layers to his personality.

For the duration of the film, you feel like he’s given up all his inhibitions and bared his soul to you. I think that’s what makes his king of romance. The audience is hungry for him even after they come of the theatre…they want to see the man they saw in there. But outside, he’s and enigma. One minute he’s with you and the next he is gone. If he’s not in the room with you, he’s not yours. He belongs to everybody and nobody.”

Farhan Akhtar – Don

“I think Shah Rukh was cast in the role of Don even before I started writing the screenplay of the film. Both Shah Rukh and Don have immensely magnetic personalities. It’s like they radiate a force field that draws you in. When you spend time with, you really enjoy his company; and when he’s gone, you miss it. I needed that kind of magnetism to make Don come alive on screen.”

Karan Johar – My Name Is Khan

“In ‘My Name is Khan’ I wanted him to do something he had never done. I wanted him to really put himself out there and play a dysfunctional, special needs person. It was a character that didn’t resemble the real-life Shah Rukh.

His intelligence is one of his biggest assets as well as his biggest flaw!”

Shimit Amin – Chak De! India

“When you’re working with Shah Rukh, you have to go in with the mindset that there will be suggestions, inputs and alterations. He is that kind of a  person. He gets into the character and then the character takes over and sometimes behaves in a way you hadn’t scripted or expected. What you have to understand is that Shah Rukh doesn’t do it to get mileage for himself or to add to his repertoire. It’s just the character as he understands it.”

Ashutosh Gowariker –  Swades

“When two people with strong vision come together, there is always going to be a difference in perception over how a scene could and should be approached. It happened with Shah Rukh and me as well. Whenever that happened we would both give our versions of how something should play out, till we hit a common note that worked best. Mohan Bhargava is an outcome of that synergy.”

Farah Khan – Main Hoon Na

“I had the discipline but he gave my work ethic. Those difficult days are the foundation of our friendship. They are what define us. Just like our fallout happened regardless of the financial implications on my career, we have made up not for business gain, but because we are two friends who stay mad at each other for too long.”

Nikhil Advani – Kal Ho Na Ho

“No one knows what he is thinking, but somehow, he always manages to add that little extra  to the scene that isn’t In the script and take it to another level.

Initially Saif was anxious about working with Shah Rukh. The amusing thing about such situations is that even though other actors can get insecure, in reality Shah Rukh is someone who goes out of his way to help his co actors push their limits.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali – Devdas

“Another reason why Shah Rukh fit Devdas’ character so beautifully is because, personally, I think he carries tragedy the best. He seems like a very happy go lucky kind of a person, but up close there’s something very sad and lonely about him. I don’t know why it’s there; may be because he lost his parents when he was quite young and he doesn’t have a complete family- but you feel there’s an inherent sense of loss in him and I wanted to tap into that loneliness.”

Aditya Chopra – Dil Waale Dulhaniya Lejayenge

“As an actor, I think he is the best actor in the whole world and that we have seen only 10 percent of his talent. That 90 percent is still to come and blow us away. As a filmmaker and a friend, I hope that soon, he is offered roles that tap into the remaining 90 percent. I hope I can give him roles that tell the world “You’ve seen Shah Rukh the superstar, now see Shah Rukh the actor.”