Shah Rukh Khan may be best known for his common man roles but he has excelled as a soldier on the big and small screens too. As he celebrates the success of Jawan, where one of his roles is as Captain Vikram Rathore, we take a look at some of his other memorable performances as a soldier.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan stars Shah Rukh as Major Samar Anand, a bomb disposal expert in the Indian Army. Samar is fearless when it comes to defusing dangerous explosives, but beneath his brave exterior lies a man haunted by a tragic love story. One of the striking aspects of Samar’s character is his unwavering belief in destiny — that life is preordained and nothing can change one’s fate — which becomes the central theme of the film, driving him to make choices that will test the strength of his love and his commitment to duty.

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Main Hoon Na (2004)

In this action-packed film directed by Farah Khan, Shah Rukh Khan plays Major Ram Sharma, an army officer who goes undercover to preserve a peace treaty and to protect an army general’s daughter Sanjana (Amrita Rao) from terrorists.

As part of his cover, Major Ram enrolls as a student at St. Paul’s College in Darjeeling where Sanjana is a student. This leads to a series of hilarious and heartwarming situations as Ram tries to balance his military duties with the challenges of college life while also falling for his charming chemistry teacher Chandni Arora (Sushmita Sen).

A dashing and disciplined officer, Major Ram’s mission, however, goes beyond just military objectives. His personal mission is to reconcile with his estranged stepbrother, Laxman (Zayed Khan), who studies in the same college, and fulfill his late father’s wish of reuniting their broken family.

Streaming on: Netflix

Veer-Zaara (2004)

Though he’s not portrayed as a soldier in the conventional way, Shah Rukh plays Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian Air Force officer, in Yash Chopra’s grand love story. Veer is called in to rescue passengers after a bus meets with an accident at the Indo-Pakistan border. There he meets Zaara Hayaat Khan (Priety Zinta) and falls in love with her. The lovebirds are, however, constrained by the formidable barriers of their nationality, religion and families.

What makes Shah Rukh’s portrayal of Veer so memorable is his ability to capture the essence of a man deeply in love yet steadfast in his principles. Veer is willing to sacrifice his own happiness for Zaara and the peace of their respective nations.

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

Army (1996)

In this Raam Shetty-directed film starring Sridevi and Danny Denzongpa, Shah Rukh has a special appearance as devoted army officer Major Arjun Singh and Sridevi’s screen husband. When Major Arjun gets embroiled in the criminal underworld, trying to take down the notorious gangster Naagraj (Danny Denzongpa), his cover is blown and he is killed brutally. The rest of the film is about how Geeta goes about avenging her husband’s death.

Streaming on: ZEE5

Fauji (TV serial; 1988)

For those who grew up through the ’80s and ’90s, Shah Rukh Khan crashlanded into our hearts as Lt. Abhimanyu Rai in the hugely popular Doordarshan serial Fauji. The show portrays the life and adventures of a group of young cadets in the Indian Army, and Shah Rukh has the lead role of a charismatic and talented army officer in the making. Abhimanyu Rai reflected a young Shah Rukh’s passion and zeal to make a mark and the show directed by Lt. Col. Raj Kumar Kapoor went on to become a milestone in SRK’s career.

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video