‘The King of Bollywood’ coming to Yale as a Chubb Fellow

Bollywood actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan, one of the world’s most popular movie stars with a fan following in the billions, will visit Yale University as a Chubb Fellow on Thursday, April 12.

As part of his visit, Khan will speak to the Yale community and the general public in an event at 4 p.m. at the Shubert Theater, 247 College St. Admission to the event is by ticket only. Update: Tickets for the talk have been claimed in record time.

Often referred to as “The King of Bollywood,” Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films. He has won 14 Filmfare Awards from 30 nominations for his work in Indian films. In 2005, the government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian awards, for his contributions to Indian cinema.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Delhi, Khan started his career appearing in theater and several television programs in the late 1980s. Early in his career he was recognized for his unconventional choice of negative roles in films such as “Darr,” “Baazigar,” and “Anjaam.” Since then, Khan has played leading roles in a wide variety of film genres, including romantic films, comedies, thrillers, action movies, and historical dramas.

Eleven of the films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $1 billion. Khan’s films such as “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” and  “Kuch Kuch Hata Hai” remain some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, while films like “My Name is Khan” and “Don 2” have been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets, thus making him one of the most successful actors from India.

In addition to acting in films, Khan is a television presenter, a regular stage performer, and a social activist. He is the founder/owner of two production companies: Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment; and — along with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband, Jay Mehta — Khan is the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. In 2008, Newsweek named Khan one of the “Fifty Most Powerful People in the World.”

The Chubb Fellowship is devoted to encouraging and aiding Yale students interested in the operations of government and in public service. Established in 1936, through the generosity of Hendon Chubb (Yale 1895), the program is based in Timothy Dwight College, one of Yale’s residential colleges. Each year three or four distinguished men and women have been appointed as visiting Chubb Fellows. Chubb Fellows spend their time at Yale in close, informal contact with students and deliver a public lecture. Former Chubb Fellows include Presidents George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter; authors Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, and Toni Morrison; filmmaker Sofia Coppola; architect Frank Gehry; choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov; and journalist Walter Cronkite.