Dear SRK,

I first met you when I was a five-year-old child who had to stand on tiptoe and crane her neck in the theatre because she was too tiny to be able to see you clearly beyond the sea of humans in front of her. The movie was Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham…, and the year was 2001. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how much of the movie I was able to comprehend at that point, but I could definitely tell you how much I loved it all.

And I’ve been a fan since then. Was I too young to fully appreciate your magic? Yes. Did that stop me from watching you unfold your charm anyway? No.

The awestruck kid of five is now an adult, but your charm lives on. I know waiting doesn’t always mean your Raj will turn up playing a mandolin. Dreams don’t come true only by wishing on a falling star. Andpyaar isn’t always dosti.

But your movies, dialogues and talks give me hope in the rat race of life. Have you ever wondered why a sea of adoring fans gather outside Mannat today to catch a glimpse of the birthday boy? Why so many Gaurav Chandnas across the world cut a cake on your birthday?

Because you taught us to live despite all odds. You taught us to fight against all odds. When you said, “Haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hain,” we believed. We believed when you said, “Aaj ek hansi aur baant lo, aaj ek dua aur maang lo, aaj ek ansoon aur pee lo, aaj ek zindagi aur jee lo, aaj ek sapna aur dekh lo, aaj, kya pata, kal ho naa ho.”

When we need a pick-me-up, Kabir Khan inspires us with his sattar minute speech. It’s Mohan Bhargava’s emotions we relate to when we see a young boy selling chai at a station.

We followed your journey of making it big in an unknown world while dealing with the many struggles life kept throwing at you. And it gave us hope to persevere in our own lives. Every day. To strive for our goals and not let failures act as setbacks.

Thank you.

Thank you for the countless years of magic, charisma and wit both on and off screen. For teaching us to dream and encouraging us to turn them into reality through hard work. For making us believe in love and romance even in a broken world of heartbreaks and adhuri kahaanis. And for helping us believe in “happys endings”.

When we hit new lows, you reassure us that – Humari filmon ki tarah humari zindagi mein bhi end tak sab kuch theek hi ho jata hai. Aur agar theek na ho, toh woh ‘the end’ nahin hai. Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.

Picture abhi baaki hai. We have a long way to go, a long journey that we know will only be made easier with your magic in the years to come.

Thank you for being YOU.

From a sincere fan to a king,

Happy Birthday, Senior.