Type	City
Type 2	Port City
Native name	Kochi (Cochin)
Other name	കൊച്ചി
State name	Kerala
Nickname	Queen of the Arabian Sea
Locator position	center
Skyline	Kochi Collage 01.jpg
Skyline caption	From Top Clockwise: Waterfront Skyline, Parikshith Thampuran Museum, Oberon Mall, Chinese Fishing Nets, Vismaya Building in Infopark
Image seal	Logo of Corporation of Cochin.jpg
District	Ernakulam
Leader title 1	Mayor
Leader name 1	Tony Chamminy
Leader title 2	City Police Commissioner
Leader name 2	M.R. Ajith Kumar IPS
Altitude	0
Coastline	48
Climate	Am
Precip	3228.3
Population as of	2011
Population total	601,574
Population total cite
Population density	6340
Population metro	1,564,089
Population metro cite
Population metro as of	2010
Area magnitude	8
Area total	94.88
Area telephone	91-(0)484-XXX XXXX
Postal code	682 0XX
Vehicle code range	KL-7, KL-43
Sex ratio	1.017
Literacy	85.6
Unlocode	INKOC
Website	www.corporationofcochin.net }}

Kochi ( ), formerly Cochin, is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea. ''Kochi'' is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. ''Kochi'' is often called by the name Ernakulam, which refers to the western part of the mainland ''Kochi''. The civic body that governs the city is the Corporation of Cochin, which was constituted in the year 1967, and the statutory bodies that oversee its development are the Greater Cochin Development Authority and the Goshree Islands Development Authority.

The city of Kochi (pop. 601,574) is Kerala's second largest city and is part of an extended metropolitan region (pop. 1.35 million), which is the largest urban agglomeration in Kerala. It is the most densely populated city in the state. Kochi city is also a part of Greater Cochin region and is classified as a B-1 grade city by the Government of India, making it the highest graded city in the state.

The city lies about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram and about south of Kozhikode, the third largest city in Kerala.

In 1102 AD, Kochi became the seat of the Kingdom of Cochin, which traced its lineage to the Kulasekhara Empire. Heralded as the ''Queen of Arabian Sea'', Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the Arabian Sea coast from the 14th century. Occupied by the Portuguese Empire in 1503, Kochi was the first of the European colonies in India. It remained the capital of Portuguese India until 1530, when Goa was chosen instead. The city was later occupied by the Dutch and the British, with the Kingdom of Cochin becoming a princely state.

Kochi is home for the Southern Naval Command, of the Indian Navy, state headquarters (''DHQ4'') and ''Air Squadron 747'' of the Indian Coast Guard, maritime-related facilities including the Port of Kochi, an International Container Transshipment Terminal, the Cochin Shipyard, offshore SPM of the Kochi Refineries, and the Kochi Marina. Kochi is also home for several major chemical industries like the FACT, TCC, IREL, HOCL and Kochi Refineries, industrial parks like the Cochin Special Economic Zone and Infopark. Kochi is home for the High Court of Kerala & Lakshadweep, and the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Etymology

Ancient travellers and tradesmen referred to Kochi in their writings, variously alluding to it as ''Cocym'', ''Cochym'', ''Cochin'', and ''Kochi''. The Cochin Jewish community called Cochin as Kogin (קוגין), which is seen in the seal of the synagogue which is still owned by the community. The origin of the name "Kochi" is thought to be from the Malayalam word ''kochu azhi'', meaning 'small lagoon'. Yet another theory is that Kochi is derived from the word ''Kaci'' meaning 'harbour'. Accounts by Italian explorers Nicolo Conti (15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called ''Kochchi'', named after the river connecting the backwaters to the sea. After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name Cochin stuck as the official appellation. The city reverted to a closer anglicisation of its original Malayalam name, ''Kochi'', in 1996. However, it is still widely referred to as Cochin, with the city corporation retaining its name as Corporation of Cochin.

History

Kochi was the centre of Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the Yavanas (Greeks) as well as Romans, Jews, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port at Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by massive flooding of the river Periyar in 1341. The earliest documented references to Kochi occur in books written by Chinese voyager Ma Huan during his visit to Kochi in the 15th century as part of Admiral Zheng He's treasure fleet. There are also references to Kochi in accounts written by Italian traveller Niccolò Da Conti, who visited Kochi in 1440.

According to many historians, the Kingdom of Kochi came into existence in 1102, after the fall of the Kulasekhara Empire. The King of Kochi had authority over the region encompassing the present city of Kochi and adjoining areas. The reign was hereditary, and the family that ruled over Kochi was known as the ''Perumpadappu Swaroopam or Kuru swaroopam'' in the local vernacular. The mainland Kochi remained the capital of the princely state since the eighteenth century. However, during much of this time, the kingdom was under foreign suzerainty, and the King often only had titular privileges.

Portugese navigator, Pedro Álvares Cabral founded the first European settlement in India at Kochi in 1500. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled by Portugal. This Portuguese period was a harrowing time for the Cochin Jews, as the Inquisition was active in Portuguese India. Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama, the first European explorer to set sail for India, who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539. The Portuguese rule was followed by that of the Dutch, who had allied with the Zamorins to conquer Kochi. By 1773, the Mysore King Hyder Ali extended his conquest in the Malabar region to Kochi forcing it to become a tributary of Mysore. The hereditary Prime Ministership of Kochi held by the Paliath Achans ended during this period.

Meanwhile, the Dutch, fearing an outbreak of war on the United Provinces, signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 with the United Kingdom, under which Kochi was ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for the island of Bangka. However, there are evidences of English habitation in the region even before the signing of the treaty. In 1866, Fort Kochi became a municipality, and its first Municipal Council election was conducted in 1883. The Maharaja of Cochin, who ruled under the British, in 1896 initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry and Ernakulam. In 1925, Kochi legislative assembly was constituted due to public pressure on the state.

Towards the early 20th century, trade at the port had increased substantially, and the need to develop the port was greatly felt. Harbour engineer Robert Bristow was brought to Kochi in 1920 under the direction of Lord Willingdon, then the Governor of Madras. In a span of 21 years, he transformed Kochi as one of the safest harbours in the peninsula, where ships berthed alongside the newly reclaimed inner harbour equipped with a long array of steam cranes. In 1947, when India gained independence from the British colonial rule, Cochin was the first princely state to join the Indian Union willingly. In 1949, Travancore-Cochin state came into being with the merger of Cochin and Travancore. The King of Travancore was the Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union from 1949 to 1956. Travancore-Cochin, was in turn merged with the Malabar district of the Madras State. Finally, the Government of India's States Reorganisation Act (1956) inaugurated a new state — Kerala — incorporating Travancore-Cochin (excluding the four southern Taluks which were merged with Tamil Nadu), Malabar District, and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara. On 9 July 1960 the Mattancherry council passed a resolution—which was forwarded to the government—requesting the formation of a municipal corporation by combining the existing municipalities of Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, and Ernakulam. The government appointed a commission to study the feasibility of the suggested merger. Based on its report, the Kerala Legislative Assembly approved the corporation's formation. On 1 November 1967, exactly eleven years since the establishment of the state of Kerala, the corporation of Cochin came into existence. The merger leading to the establishment of the corporation, was between the municipalities of Ernakulam, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, along with that of the Willingdon Island, four panchayats (Palluruthy, Vennala, Vyttila and Edappally), and the small islands of Gundu and Ramanthuruth.

Kochi witnessed economic stagnation in the years following India's independence. The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after economic reforms in India introduced by the central government in the mid-1990s. Since 2000, the service sector has revitalised the city's stagnant economy. The establishment of several industrial parks based on IT and other port based infrastructure triggered a construction and realty boom in the city. Over the years, Kochi has witnessed rapid commercialisation, and has today grown into a commercial hub of Kerala.

Geography and climate

Geography

Kochi is located on the southwest coast of India at , spanning an area of 94.88 square kilometres (36.63 sq mi). The city straddles the backwaters, encompassing the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and a portion of the mainland. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east is the urbanized region in the rest of the mainland area. Much of Kochi lies at sea level, with a coastline of 48 km.

The current metropolitan limits of Kochi include the mainland Ernakulam, Fort Kochi, the suburbs of Edapally, Kalamassery and Kakkanad to the northeast; Tripunithura to the southeast; and a group of islands closely scattered in the Vembanad Lake. Most of these islands are very small, varying in extent from six square kilometre to less than a square kilometre (1,500 to less than 250 acres).

Soil consists of sediments such as alluvium, teri's, brown sands, etc. Hydromorphic saline soils are also found in the areas surrounding the backwaters.

Predominant rock types found here are Archaean-basic dykes, Charnockites and Gneisses. An ecologically sensitive area, the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is located in the central part of the city. It has a wide range of mangrove species and is nesting ground for a vast variety of migratory birds.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Kochi features a tropical monsoon climate. Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity. Annual temperatures range between 23 and 31 °C (73–88 °F) with the record high being 38 °C (100 °F), and record low 17 °C (63 °F). From June to September, the south-west monsoon brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats. From October to December, Kochi receives lighter (yet significant) rain from the northeast monsoon, as it lies on the leeward side. Average annual rainfall is , with an annual average of 132 rainy days.

Civic administration

{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:center; margin: 0em 0em 0em 1em" |- !colspan="2"|Kochi City officials |- |Mayor |Tony Chamminy |- |Deputy Mayor |Bhadra Satish |- |Police Commissioner |M.R. Ajith Kumar |- |}

The city is administered by the Kochi Corporation, headed by a mayor. For administrative purposes, the city is divided into 74 wards, from which the members of the corporation council are elected for five years. Earlier; Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam were the three Municipalities in Cochin area, which was later merged to form the Cochin Corporation. The Corporation has its headquarters in Ernakulam, and zonal offices at Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Palluruthy, Edappally, Vaduthala and Vyttila. The general administration of the city is handled by the Personnel Department and the Council Standing committee Section. Other departments include that of town planning, health, engineering, revenue and accounts. The corporation is also responsible for waste disposal and sewage management. The city produces more than 600 tons of waste per day and the a large portion of waste is decomposed at Brahmapuram Soild Waste plant into organic manure. The supply of potable water, sourced from the Periyar River is handled by Kerala Water Authority with support of Water works department of Kochi Corporation. Electricity is provided by the Kerala State Electricity Board. The GCDA and GIDA are the government agencies initiating and monitoring the development of Greater Cochin area, mainly in developing infrastructure facilities for the city.

Law and order

Kochi is the seat of High Court of Kerala, the highest judicial body in the state and thus several judicial offices are located here. The Kochi City Police is headed by a Police Commissioner, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The city is divided into five zones and each zone under a circle officer. Apart from regular law & order, the city police comprises the Traffic Police, Narcotics Cell, Riot force, Armed Reserve Camps, District Crime Records Bureau and a Women's Police station. It operates 19 police stations functioning under the Home Ministry of Government of Kerala. An anti-corruption branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation also operates out of the city. CISF maintains 3 squadrons for providing security to various central and state heavy industries, airport and seaport zones. Other major central agencies are NIA, DRI and Indian Customs due to the presence of major port.

Politics

Kochi is part of the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency. The current elected Member of Parliament representing the constituency is Prof. K V Thomas who belongs to the Indian National Congress. Prof. Thomas is currently holding the portfolio of Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency elects six members to the Legislative Assembly. Out of this, four constituencies, namely Kochi, Ernakulam,Thripunithura and Thrikkakara represent the city.

Economy

Kochi is widely referred to as the commercial capital of Kerala. Kochi is home to Cochin Stock Exchange, the only stock exchange in Kerala. Availability of electricity, fresh water, long coastline, backwaters, good banking facilities, presence of a major port, container trans-shipment terminal, harbor terminal and an international air terminal are some of the factors which accelerated the industrial growth in the city and its adjoining district. Sales tax income generated in the Kochi metropolitan area contributes heavily to state revenue. The district contributes the highest portion, 14.47%, of the state's GDP. Construction and manufacturing combined contributes 37%, and trade, tourism and hospitality together provides another 20%. Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services, and banking. Kochi is recognized as one of the seventeen major industrial cities of India by World Bank, Doing Business Group. However, in the 2009 rankings of ease to start and operate a business, among the 17 Indian cities selected, Kochi was rated as the second most difficult city to start business and was ranked 16th, above Kolkata. As in most of Kerala, remittances from non-resident Indians (NRI)s is a major source of income. Eloor, situated 17 kilometres (10.5 mi) north of the city-centre, is the largest industrial belt in Kerala, with more than 250 industries manufacturing a range of products including chemical and petrochemical products, pesticides, rare earth elements, rubber processing chemicals, fertilisers, zinc and chromium compounds, and leather products. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), one of the oldest fertilizers and chemical industry in Kerala is located in Kochi. Kochi Refineries of (BPCL) at Ambalamugal is one of the largest oil refining facilities in South India. Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal, for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs. Central Government establishments like the Coconut Development Board, the Coir Board and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) have head offices located in the city. Like elsewhere in Kerala, tourism is one of the strongest drivers of the local economy. Ernakulam district, in which Kochi is situated, ranks first in the total number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, and thus contributes to the economy of the city. The tourist enclave at Fort Kochi and presence of several historical monuments, museums etc. as well as natural attractions like the Vembanad lake and the backwaters attract large number of tourists to the city. Presence of several leading hospitality brands have been a major source of employment for locals. The Kochi Port is one of the leading ports where international cruisers call on regularly. The city has the first marina facility in the country Kochi Marina which attracts large number of yacht-totters. Real Estate industry is also one industry which is contributing a lot to the economy of Kochi. Many players have entered the market and have developed residential properties. Kochi is the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command, the primary training centre of the Indian Navy. The Cochin Shipyard, which was the largest shipbuilding facility in India till 2008, contributes to the economy of the city. The fishing harbour at Thoppumpady is a minor fishing port in the state and supplies fish to local and export markets. To further tap the potential of the all-season harbour at Kochi, an international cruise terminal and several marinas are being constructed.

Exports and allied activities are also important contributors to the city's economy. The Cochin Port currently handles export and import of container cargo at its terminal at Willingdon Island. The International Container Transshipment Terminal operating out of Vallarpadam, is India's largest transshipment terminal. Cochin Port Trust also planning to build an Outer Harbour near Puthuvype. Upon completion it will be the largest port in South Asia. Kochi's historical reliance on trade continues into modern times, as the city is a major exporter of spices and is home to the International Pepper Exchange, where black pepper is globally traded. The Spices Board of India is also headquartered in Kochi. The IT and ITES related industries are growing up in Kochi. Availability of cheap bandwidth through undersea cables and lower operational costs compared to other major cities in India, has been to its advantage. Various technology and industrial campuses including the government promoted InfoPark, Cochin Special Economic Zone and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park operate in the outskirts of the city. Several new industrial campuses are under construction in the suburbs of the city. SmartCity at Kakkanad is the prominent project under proposal. Cyber City at Kalamassery is another integrated IT township SEZ being built in the private sector.

Kochi has an established electronics hardware industry with companies such as V-Guard Industries, FCI OEN Connectors and SFO Technologies. The Government of Kerala has announced a project to build an industrial park named Electronic City spanning an area of , to cater to the electronic hardware industries. The private operator NeST is building a Special Economic Zone specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of .

The Cochin International Airport is in the process of setting up an aerotropolis at Nedumbasserry.

Transport

Air

The air gateway to Kochi is the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) located at Nedumbassery, which is about north of Kochi city, and handles both domestic and international flights. It is the first international airport in India to be built without Central Government funds.

The Cochin airport provides direct connectivity to popular international destinations in the Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore and to most major Indian cities apart from tourist destinations like Lakshadweep. Kochi is also the headquarters of the Air India Express service. With a terminal area of , and a passenger capacity of 1600, it is the largest airport in the state and the fourth busiest international airport in India in terms of international passengers, and seventh busiest overall.

Road

Kochi is well connected to neighboring cities and states via several highways. It is a node in the North-South Corridor of the National Highway system.

National Highways

The NH47 which originates from Salem passes through the city of Kochi before ending at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. The Salem-Coimbatore-Kochi stretch of the NH47 is part of the North-South Corridor of India's National Highway System, passing through Coimbatore, Palakkad and Thrissur. The entire stretch of NH47 passing through Kochi and its urban agglomeration has four lanes, with some stretches six-laned.

NH47A is a stretch of highway connecting Kundanoor Junction on the mainland to the Willingdon Island. It is the shortest stretch of highway on the Indian National Highways system.

NH47C is a four-lane stretch of highway connecting Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal. The four-laning of the stretch is nearing completion and carries 11 major bridges and a grade separated interchange where it branches off NH47.

NH17 connects Kochi to Mumbai along the west coast of India, passing through Kozhikode, Mangalore and Goa. The highway terminates at the Edappally Junction in the city.

NH49 connects Kochi to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu passing through Madurai thus providing another link to the North-South Corridor National Highway System.

State Highways

Several state highways also connect Kochi with other parts of Kerala. SH 15, Ettumanoor-Ernakulam Road, connects the city to Kottayam. SH 41, Palarivattom-Thekkady Road, provides a corridor to the eastern parts of the district. SH 63, Vypeen Pallipuram Road and SH 66, Alappuzha – Thoppumpady road are coastal roads that serve the narrow sliver of land between the backwaters and the sea.

City Roads

The main arterial road of the city is Mahatma Gandhi Road in Ernakulam, constructed in 1925 which runs parallel to the coast. Other major roads include Chittoor Road, Banerji Road, Shanmugham Road (in Marine Drive) , Kochi Bypass, Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, Park Avenue, Seaport-Airport Road and S.A Road.

Public Transport

The primary form of public transport within the city is largely dependent on privately-owned bus networks. The state-run also operates its services in the city through the Thirukochi service. The major bus terminals in the city are Ernakulam Town, Ernakulam Jetty and the private bus terminal at Kaloor. An integrated transit terminal namely The Mobility Hub at Vytilla is under construction, in order to move the long distance bus services away from the city centre, and also to provide access to the other public transport facilities.

Kochi is one of the few cities to be granted the new generation air-conditioned low floor and non air-conditioned semi low-floor buses under the JNNURM city transport development project. Call taxis and auto rickshaws (called ''autos'') are available for hire throughout the day.

Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala.

Rail

The city has two major railway stations – Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town (locally known as the ''South'' and ''North'' railway stations respectively). The main rail transport system in Kochi is operated by the Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways, and comes under Thiruvananthapuram Railway division.

The South station is one of the busiest railway stations in South India, with more than 128 scheduled train services daily,. The North station situated on the northern side of the city, caters mostly to long distance services that bypass the South station, and also is an additional halt station for many trains. The railway line connecting these two stations cuts the city longitudinally in two, with three narrow bridges connecting the two halves.

Edapally Railway Station is a smaller halt station for passenger services and few express trains. The major station at Aluva, Thripunithura station, and the halting stations at Kalamassery, Nettoor, Kumbalam and Aroor serves the outskirts of the city and the surrounding metropolitan area.

The spur line to the port, and the Cochin Harbour Terminus station are temporarily out of commission because of an accident at the harbour bridge. A spur line exclusively for freight traffic connects the International Container Transshipment Terminal to the main line at Edapally. India's longest rail bridge – the 4.62 km long Vembanad Rail Bridge is also part of this line. In addition, Southern Railways are planning a suburban railway system connecting Kochi to nearby towns and cities, using Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit services, with the first services expected to begin in early 2011 between Kollam and Ernakulam for which works are underway.

There is a historic station named as Ernakulam Terminus(station code:ERG) situated behind the High Court. Great personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and The British Viceroy have visited Cochin through this old railway station. Ernakulam Terminus was the first station to serve the city but had to be abandoned in the early 60's. Now this station operates as a goods depot of Southern Railway.

Kochi Metro

The Kochi Metro, a metro rapid transit service, intended to considerably ease congestion, is currently awaiting sanction of the Indian government. A feasibility study is also currently being conducted to study the possibility of running Bullet trains on Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam route.

Ferry

Kochi ranks among India's major seaports, partly due to being one of the safest harbours in the Indian Ocean. The port, administered by a statutory autonomous body known as the Cochin Port Trust, offers facilities for bunkering, handling cargo and passenger ships and storage accommodation. It also operates passenger ships to Colombo and Lakshadweep. Boat services are operated by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation, the State Water Transport Department and private firms from various boat jetties in the city. The ''junkar'' ferry for the transshipment of vehicles and passengers between the islands are operated between Ernakulam and Vypin, and between Vypin and Fort Kochi. However, with the construction of the Goshree bridges (which links Kochi's islands), ferry transport has become less essential. The main boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Boat Jetty near Park Avenue, High Court Jetty in Banerjee Road, Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi Jetty.

Demographics

With a population of 601,574 , the city of Kochi has Kerala's highest population density parameter with 6340 people per km². , Kochi had a metropolitan area population of 1,355,972. Scheduled castes and tribes comprise 14% of the city's population. The female-to-male ratio is 1,024:1,000, significantly higher than the all-India average of 933:1,000. Kochi's literacy rate is 94%. The female literacy rate lags that of males by 1.1%, amongst the lowest such gaps in India.

Kochi's major religions are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism and Buddhism, with smaller followings, are also practised in Kochi. Though 47% practise Hinduism, Christianity's large following (35%) makes Kochi a city with one of the largest Christian populations in India. Kochi is one of the few cities in India without a Hindu majority. The majority of the city's residents are Malayalis. However, there are significant ethnic minority communities including Tamils, Gujaratis, Jews, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs, Konkanis and Tulus. Malayalam is the main language of communication and medium of instruction for primary education, although a number of schools do offer English medium education. The higher education is invariably in English medium, and it is the preferred language in business circles. Tamil and Hindi are widely understood—albeit rarely spoken.

Like other fast-growing cities in the developing world, Kochi suffers from major urbanisation problems, poor sanitation, vector problem, heavy pollution and unemployment. The city was ranked 23rd, which was one of the lowest, among Indian cities in terms of house-cost and availability, urban household crowding and household incomes.

Shortage of potable water is a major concern in the city. The situation is aggravated by the threat posed by pollution in industrial areas. Water pollution in Kochi is very high with about 80% of the open wells are polluted. Kochi is also one among the 50 most polluted cities in India, which was ranked 24th by Central Pollution Control Board.

The region of the district where the city belongs registered an unemployment rate of 21.6% in 2003, which is roughly 6% more than the rate in 1998. The city also has a growing slum-dwelling population. The government has plans to make the city slum-free by 2016. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the city holds the fourth position in the number of recorded crimes in India. In 2009, the city recorded an average crime rate of 646.3 against the national average of 181.4.

According to the CII/Institute of Competitiveness report on Liveability, Kochi stands first in the state, and 12th in the country. Kochi is ranked seventh in the list of the Top Ten most affluent cities in India by Nielsen Company.

Culture

As a result of successive waves of migration over the course of several centuries, the population of the city is a mix of people from all parts of Kerala and most of India. The pan-Indian nature is highlighted by the substantial presence of various ethnic communities from different parts of the country. Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Malayalis, Konkanis, Gujaratis, Marathis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Biharis and a few families of Jews among other denominations, all living in peaceful co-existence. The city once had a large Jewish community, known as the ''Malabar Yehuden''—and now increasingly as Cochin Jews—that figured prominently in Kochi's business and economic strata. The Syro-Malabar Church, one of the 22 ''sui iuris'' Eastern Catholic Churches, has its seat at Ernakulam. The headquarters of the Archdiocese of Verapoly and the Diocese of Cochin are also situated in the city. Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Cathedral, the St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor and St Mary's Bascilica,Vallarpadam. Appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam and Vishu along with North Indian Hindu festivals like Holi with great fervour. Christian and Islamic festivals like Christmas, Easter, Eid ul-Fitr and Milad-e-sherif are also celebrated. A merry making fest called the ''Cochin Carnival'' is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.

The residents of Kochi are known as Kochiites; they are an important part of the South Indian culture. However, the city's culture is rapidly evolving with Kochiites generally becoming more cosmopolitan in their outlook. The people are also increasingly fashion-conscious, often deviating from the traditional Kerala wear to western clothing.

Kochiites generally partake of Keralite cuisine, which is generally characterised by an abundance of coconut and spices. Other South Indian cuisines, as well as Chinese and North Indian cuisines are popular. Fast food culture is also very prominent. Being a tourist hotspot, Fort Kochi have a number of restaurants that offer international cuisine, like Italian, French, Mexican etc. Being close to the ocean and the backwaters, Kochi has an abundance of seafood, which reflects in the cuisine. A service known as ''You Buy, We Cook'' is available at the waterfront of Fort Kochi, where the fresh seafood purchased from the nets is cooked as per the customers needs. Arabian food joints that serve Shawarma and roasted chicken are a new addition to the fast food scene in the city.

Kochi was home to some of the most influential figures in Malayalam literature, including Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, G. Sankara Kurup, and Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon. Prominent social reformers such as Sahodaran Ayyappan and Pandit Karuppan also are from Kochi.

The Maharajas of Kochi (then Cochin) were scholars who knew the epics and encouraged the arts. The paintings at the Hill Palace and the Dutch Palace are testimony to their love for arts.

Kochiites are known for their enthusiasm in sports, especially football and cricket. The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi is one of the large multi-use stadiums in India with international class lighting for football matches. The Regional Sports Centre is an important centre of sporting activity in the city.

Education

Primary Education

The pattern of primary education is essentially the same all over the state. There are government owned schools and government aided schools, which are affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board. A few privately owned schools are also affiliated to the system. Most of the schools owned by private organizations or individuals are affiliated to the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) have some schools affiliated to them as well. The state education board offers both Malayalam and English medium instruction, while the other boards offer English medium alone. There are a few schools that follow international curricula, such as IB and IGCSE.

There 34 government schools, 67 private aided schools and 31 unaided schools affiliated to the Kerala State Education Board in the city and suburbs. There are 62 CBSE Schools, 2 IGCSE and 9 ICSE Schools as well.

The general pattern of education is ten years of common schooling to reach the secondary level. Kindegartens are widely available, but considered separate from formal schooling, and generally unregulated. After the secondary level, three streams, namely Arts, Commerce or Science are offered for higher secondary education. After finishing the school, students can opt for higher education related to the streams they had undergone for higher secondary schooling.

The notable schools in the government sector are Sree Rama Varma High School, Edappally High School, Government School-Kochi and Govt Girls High School. There are Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chinmaya Mission and Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs. There are several fully private schools that are owned by secular and religious trusts which are of particular renown, such as Rajagiri Public School, Toc-H Public School, Global Public School, Choice School, Vidyodaya School and Mar Thoma Public School.

Higher Education

The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) the main university named after the city, is located in the outskirts of the city. Most of the colleges offering tertiary education are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University or with the Cochin University. Other national educational institutes include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, the National Institute of Oceanography and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

The city is also home to two medical colleges – Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre at Elamakkara (offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in medicine, dentistry and nursing) and the Co-operative Medical College at Kalamassery. Some of the prestigious general colleges are Maharaja's College, St. Albert's College, St. Teresa's College, Sacred Heart College, Bharata Matha College Aquina's College, Cochin College etc. The engineering and technology colleges located in the city and suburbs are CUSAT Engineering Schools, Model Engineering College etc. Cochin University's School of Management Studies (SMS) is the first and oldest Managerial education institution in South India. Leading managerial institutions include Amrita School of Business, Rajagiri School of Management, SCMS B-School, Albertian Institute of Management, Toc-H B school etc.

Being seat of Kerala High Court, several top legal education institutes are located in the city. The Government Law College-Ernakulam is the one of the oldest law schools in Kerala. The prestigious National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is located here, in the city.

Social Service Organisations

Some of the main orphanages and rehabilitation shelters in Cochin City are Palluruthy Relief Settlement in Palluruthy Veli, Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan, Don Bosco Big Boys, Crescent Girls Orphanage, YMCA Boys Home, Bal Bhavan, Valsalya Bhavan.

Palluruthy Relief Settlement is under Corporation of Cochin and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice. There are about 300 inmates and many of them are mentally ill. . The night shelter for Ladies run by Corporation of Cochin near Kerala State Road Transport Corporation Bus Stand provides free and safe accommodation . Peoples Council for Social Justice was found in 1985 under the patronage of Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, with the aim to work for human rights protection, free legal aid and to strive for social justice.

The Orphanages for Children under Don Bosco Sneha Bhavan Cochin are Sneha Bhavan Annexe, SnehaBhavan, Valsalya Bhavan, Don Bosco and Bosco Nilayam. The ChildLine India project in Cochin is taken in collaboration with Don Bosco and children in distress and in need of help can contact in '1098' (toll free number). Sneha Bhavan Annexe is the first point of contact with children and children can stay as a safe night shelter. Sneha Bhavan is a home for the children from the streets and for those from unhealthy and risky situations The Valsalya Bhavan centre is solely for the young girls who are rescued from the streets. Runaways, street children, children of sex workers, abused children and child labourers all live here. Along with primary and high school education at a local school, the centre provides shelter, food, clothing and educational support.

There are many good people doing independent social service .The Italian Sister Sabiola conducts a home at Fort Cochin known as “Ashwasa Bhavan”, for young orphaned children. Br.Judson run his own mobile bath in his vehicle for the abandoned. Judson's “Mobile Bath Service" moves around Kochi, in the morning time and in evenings to clean and clothe people living on the streets. Judson washes and cleanses their wounds, provides them new clothes and food, and takes them to shelters in the city.

Media

Major Malayalam newspapers published in Kochi include ''Malayala Manorama'', ''Mathrubhumi'', ''Madhyamam'', ''Deshabhimani'', ''Deepika'', ''Kerala Kaumudi'', ''Janmabhumi'', etc. Popular English newspapers include ''The Hindu'', ''The New Indian Express'', ''The Pioneer ''and ''The Deccan Chronicle''. A number of evening papers are also published from the city. Newspapers in other regional languages like Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu are also available.

A number of financial publications are also published in the city. These include ''The Economic Times'', ''Business Line'', ''The Business Standard'' and ''The Financial Express''. Prominent magazines and religious publications like the ''Sathyadeepam'', ''The Week'' and ''Vanitha'' are also published from the city.

Kochi houses several leading Malayalam television channels like Indiavision, Jeevan TV, Manorama News and We (music channel of Kairali TV) as well as major news studios of Asianet, Kairali TV, Amrita TV and Doordarshan. Prasar Bharati maintains its earth station and broadcasting center in Kakkanad, Kochi. Satellite television services are available through DD Direct+, Dish TV, Sun Direct DTH and Tata Sky. FM radio channels broadcast from Kochi are Rainbow FM (AIR) 101.9 MHz, AIR Kochi 102.3 MHz, Club FM 94.3 MHz, Radio Mango 91.9  MHz, Red FM 93.5 MHz

There are over twelve cinema halls that screen movies in Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi. The city hosts Kerala's first cine multiplex, at the Oberon Mall with four screens. Gold Souk Grande Kochi also has a cine multiplex operated by Q cinemas. 16 more multiplex screens are expected in the city in the near future.

Kerala has the highest density of telephones in India. Telephony services are provided by various players like Aircel, Airtel, Idea cellular, Vodafone, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Docomo, MTS, Uninor, Tata Indicom and the state owned BSNL.

Sports

Like elsewhere in Kerala, football is the most passionate sport among locals. Kochi is home to two of India's major professional football teams, FC Kochin and Viva Kerala and also teams like Josco FC since 2008.

India's fourth largest stadium and third largest cricket stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium located in Kaloor, is a major facility for football and cricket. Recently, the stadium was renovated to facilitate more cricket tournaments as well as for hosting IPL Matches. Kochi is home to the Indian Premier League cricket team, the Kochi Tuskers which won franchise rights to play IPL will participate in the 2011 edition of IPL. Sreesanth who plays for the Indian National Cricket team hails from Kochi.

The Maharaja's Stadium located on MG Road in the heart of the city, is the major athletic facility in the state with synthetic tracks and turf grass as per international standards.

The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kadavanthara is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basket ball tournaments. The 25m X 10m swimming pool at the centre is one of the larger water sports facility in the state, where regular swimming competitions and coaching are conducted.

The FACT Grounds at Udyogamandal, Ambedkar Stadium and St.Albert's College Grounds are the other major training facilities for various games like volleyball, badminton, cricket etc.

Kochi has two golf courses in the city, and one in the suburbs. The oldest golf club is located at Bolgatty Palace constructed in 1903, which is a nine hole facility run by Cochin Golf Club society. The Cochin Golf and Country Club located near to Cochin Airport, operated by CIAL, is a nine hole golf course with a playing area of over 7,200 yards. The nine hole golf course at the Naval Base is restricted only for military personnel.

Being surrounded by water bodies, the city is ideal for Yachting. The Kerala Yachting Association and the Cochin Yacht Club are located in the city. Both organizations conduct regular yachting tournaments. Kochi was the only Indian city chosen for stopover during the [[2008–09 Volvo Ocean Race| Volvo Ocean Race 2008]].

Sister Cities

Kochi has twinned with independent city of Norfolk, Virginia and admitted into Norfolk Sister Cities Association with effect from 3 September 2010, for co-operation in city development, exchange programmes in art, culture and education and improving business possibilities.

>

City	Country	State / Region	Since

References

Further reading

Ma Huan: Ying Yai Sheng Lan, ''The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores'', translated by J.V.G. Mills, 1970 Hakluyt Society, reprint 1997 White Lotus Press. ISBN 974-8496-78-3

Plunkett, R, Cannon, T, Davis, P, Greenway, P & Harding, P (2001), Lonely Planet South India, Lonely Planet, ISBN 1-86450-161-8

Manorama Yearbook 2003 (English Edition) ISBN 81-900461-8-7

Robert Charles Bristow – ''Cochin Saga'', Paico Pub. House; 2d ed. edition (1967),

Unemployment in Kerala at the turn of the century Insights from the CDS gulf migration studies — K. C. Zachariah, S. Irudaya Rajan

''Kochi Rajyacharithram'' by KP Padmanabha Menon. P (1914)

''Akhilavijnanakosam'' Malayalam Encyclopedia — D C Books Multimedia Series.

External links

(Government of Kerala) (Government of India)

Kochi- The Smart City (Kochi- The Smart City)

Category:Cities and towns in Ernakulam district Category:Populated coastal places in India Category:Former Portuguese colonies Category:Kochi, India Category:Port cities in India

ar:كوتشي bn:কোচি br:Kochi ca:Kochi cs:Kóčin de:Kochi (Indien) et:Kochi es:Cochín fr:Cochin (Inde) ko:코치 (인도) hi:कोच्चि bpy:কোচি id:Kochi, India it:Kochi (India) he:קוצ'י kn:ಕೊಚ್ಚಿ pam:Kochi, India lv:Kočina lt:Kočis (Indija) ml:കൊച്ചി mr:कोची nl:Kochi (India) new:कोची ja:コーチ (インド) no:Kochi (India) oc:Cochin pnb:کوچی pl:Koczin pt:Cochim ro:Kochi, India ru:Коччи simple:Kochi, India fi:Kochi (Intia) sv:Cochin ta:கொச்சி uk:Кочі vi:Kochi, Ấn Độ war:Kochi, India zh:柯枝

name	Shahrukh Khan
other names	King Khan, SRK, King of Bollywood, The Baadshah of Bollywood
birth date	November 02, 1965
birth place	New Delhi, India
years active	1988—present
residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
spouse	Gauri Khan (1991—present)
occupation	Actor, producer, television presenter
children	2 }}

Shahrukh Khan (pronounced ; born 2 November 1965), often credited as Shah Rukh Khan and informally referred to as SRK, is an Indian film actor. Often referred to as "The King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films. Khan has won fourteen Filmfare Awards from thirty nominations for his work in Indian films and shares the record for the highest number of Best Actor awards with Dilip Kumar, 8 wins. In 2005, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions towards Indian Cinema.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in economics, he started his career appearing in theatre and several television serials in the late 1980s and later made his film debut in 1992 with ''Deewana''. Early in his career he was recognised for his unconventional choice of negative roles in films such as ''Darr'' (1993), ''Baazigar'' (1993) and ''Anjaam'' (1994). Since then he has played leading roles in a wide variety of film genres, including romantic films, comedies, thrillers, action and sport films and historical dramas, among others.

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'' (1995), ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (1998), ''Devdas'' (2002), ''Chak De! India'' (2007), ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007) and ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' (2008) and ''Ra.One'' (2011) remain some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001), ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003), ''Veer-Zaara'' (2004), ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006), ''My Name Is Khan'' (2010) and ''Don 2'' (2011) have been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets thus making him one of the most successful leading actors of India.

In addition to movie acting, 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, the owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai franchise in the motorsport racing league i1 Super Series. Globally, Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars, with a fan following claimed to number in the billions. In 2008, ''Newsweek'' named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

Early life and background

Khan was born on 2 November 1965 to Muslim parents of Pathan descent in New Delhi, India. His father, Taj Mohammed Khan, was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India. According to Khan, his paternal grandfather was originally from Afghanistan. His mother, Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan, who served in the Indian National Army. Khan's father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the partition of India, while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi. His father lost his battle with cancer when Khan was 15 years old and his mother passed away in 1990 after a long illness. Khan was very attached to his parents as a child and describes their death at such a young age as a turning point in his life and as his biggest motivation for hard work, he explained that is ideology in life was:"I want to make movies so damn bloody big...that my parents somewhere sit down on a star and from there also can look at their son and say 'I can see his movies from here better than I can see the Wall of China or anything. We see his movies covering the face of this earth'." Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz. Growing up in Rajendra Nagar, Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama, and academics. He won the ''Sword of Honour'', an annual award given to the student who best represents the spirit of the school. Khan later attended the Hansraj College (1985—1988) and earned his Bachelors degree in Economics. When Hansraj College celebrated its 50th anniversary, it gave away 17 shields to its alumni who had excelled in their lives and professions. Khan was one of them. Though he pursued a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, he later opted out to pursue a career in Bollywood. He also attended the National School of Drama in Delhi.

After the death of his parents, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991. He married Gauri Chibber, a Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991. They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000). According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Allah, he also values his wife's religion. At home, his children follow both religions, with the Qur'an being situated next to the Hindu deities.

Khan studied acting under celebrated theatre director Barry John at Delhi's "Theatre Action Group" (TAG). In 2007, John commented that on his former pupil, "The credit for the phenomenally successful development and management of Shahrukh's career goes to the superstar himself." Khan started shooting for Lekh Tandon's television series ''Dil Dariya'', but its delay meant that he made his acting debut with the 1988 television series, ''Fauji'', playing the leading role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai. He went on to appear in other television serials, such as Aziz Mirza's ''Circus'' in 1989, which depicted the life of circus performers. The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, ''In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones'', which was based on life at Delhi University, written by Arundhati Roy. When he appeared in those teleserials, people found in him some resemblance with actor Dilip Kumar and also compared his acting style with the latter's.

Acting career

1990s

Khan received his first break upon moving from New Delhi to Mumbai when Hema Malini offered him a role in her directorial debut ''Dil Aashna Hai''. However, the delay in the release of the film meant that his first release was ''Deewana'' opposite Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti. The movie became a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. In a 2001 interview with Rediff, Khan recalled: "Actually, June 26 marks exactly 11 years since I faced the cameras for my first shot for ''Dil Aashna Hai'', in 1990. I knew it would be a tough field, a very demanding profession." He went on to star in ''Maya Memsaab'', which generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex scene in the movie.

In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances in villainous roles as an obsessive lover and a murderer, respectively, in the box office hits, ''Darr'' and ''Baazigar''. In Khan's entry in Encyclopædia Britannica's "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" it was stated that "he defied the image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist hero." ''Darr'' marked his first collaboration with renowned film-maker Yash Chopra and his banner Yash Raj Films, the largest production company in Bollywood. Khan's scene in the film, in which he makes obsessive phone calls to Chawla's character stammering "i love you, kkkiran," attained great popularity. ''Baazigar'', which saw Khan portraying an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula. His performance won him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. In that same year, Khan played the role of a young musician in Kundan Shah's ''Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa'', a performance that earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. In a 2004 retrospective review by Rediff, Sukanya Verma called it Khan's best performance and added:"He was spontaneous, vulnerable, boyish, mischievous and acting straight from the heart." Khan maintains that this is his all-time favourite among the movies he has acted in. In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in ''Anjaam'', co-starring alongside Madhuri Dixit. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.

In 1995, Khan starred in the two biggest hits of the year in India. His first release was Rakesh Roshan's ''Karan Arjun'', Khan was part of an ensemble cast including Salman Khan, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Raakhee and Amrish Puri. The film, which dealt with reincarnation, became the second-highest grossing film of the year in India. He followed it with Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, the romance ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''. A major critical and commercial success, the movie became the year's top-grossing production in India and abroad. The film was declared an all time blockbuster and it remains the longest-running film in the history of Indian cinema. ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' grossed over 1.2 billion. The film won ten Filmfare Awards, and Khan's performance as a young NRI who falls for Kajol's character while on a college vacation won him much critical acclaim and his second Best Actor Award. In 2005, ''Indiatimes Movies'' ranked the movie amongst the ''25 Must See Bollywood Films'', citing it as a "trendsetter of sorts". In that same year's retrospective review by Rediff, Raja Sen stated, "Khan gives a fabulous performance, redefining the Lover for the 1990s with great panache. He's cool and flippant, but sincere enough to appeal to the junta. The performance itself is, like the best in the business, played well enough to come across as effortless, as non-acting."

1996 proved a disappointing year for Khan, he appeared in two films—''English Babu Desi Mem'' and Mahesh Bhatt' ''Chaahat'' both of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India. This was, however, followed by a comeback in 1997. He saw success with Subhash Ghai's social drama ''Pardes'' opposite newcomer Mahima Chaudhry. The film brought to light the culture shock and difficulties that may be involved in the cases of young Indian women immigrating to foreign countries after their marriage to Non Resident Indian men. It was one of the biggest hits of the year and earned him a nomination for the Best Actor Award at the Filmfare ceremony. He then appeared in Aziz Mirza's comedy ''Yes Boss'' which paired him with Juhi Chawla for the fourth time. The film was a moderately successful feature. His second project with Yash Chopra as a director, ''Dil to Pagal Hai'' became that year's second highest-grossing movie, and he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role as a stage director who falls in love with one of his new actresses.

In 1998, Khan starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', which paired him with Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The movie was declared an all time blockbuster, with a worldwide gross of over 1.03 billion. Khan played the role of Rahul Khanna, a young college student who falls in love with his best friend after the death of his wife, years after breaking contact with her. His performance won him the Best Actor award at the Filmfare Awards for the second consecutive year. He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's critically acclaimed ''Dil Se..'', in which he played the part of Amar Varma, an All India Radio correspondent who falls deeply in love with a mysterious woman terrorist, played by Manisha Koirala. Rediff wrote: "Khan delivers a compelling performance. He plays the part with taut restraint, and expresses exasperation superbly." The movie failed financially in India, however, it was a commercial success overseas. becoming the first Indian film to enter the top 10 in the United Kingdom box office charts. Khan's only release in 1999, ''Baadshah'' opposite Twinkle Khanna, was an average grosser, for which he earned a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Performance in a Comic Role.

2000s

Khan's success continued with Aditya Chopra's 2000 film, ''Mohabbatein'', co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film was a major financial success, and Khan's performance as a college teacher was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote that he "is outstanding as Raj Aryan." He was awarded his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for the role. He also starred in Mansoor Khan's action film ''Josh''. The film starred Khan as the tough leader of a Christian gang in Goa and Aishwarya Rai as his twin sister, and was also a box office success. In a positive review, Vinayak Chakravorty of ''Hindustan Times'' wrote that Khan "basks in his tailormade role, donning with panache the garb of a streetsmart tough." He further played the role of an archaeologist Muslim beaten to death by Hindu fanatics during the unrest following the partition of India in ''Hey Ram''. Directed by and co-staring Kamal Hassan, the film was critically acclaimed and was selected as India's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars that year. Khan also dubbed his own voice in Tamil for the film. In that same year, Khan set up his own production house, ''Dreamz Unlimited'' with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza (see below). The three collaborated on the first film of their production house, ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani''.

In 2001, His collaboration with Karan Johar continued with the family drama ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'' in which he featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. the movie was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year and one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over worldwide. Khan's portrayal of Rahul Raichand, an adopted young man who's disowned by his rich and powerful father, played by Bachchan, for marrying a middle-class girl Anjali, played by Kajol was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh commented, "Khan sparkles yet again", noting that he performed the part "with amazing poise, class, honesty and maturity". It garnered him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. This was his last collaboration with Kajol until they would be cast again by Johar as a lead pair in early 2010.

The same year, Khan essayed the role of Emperor Asoka in Santosh Sivan's historical epic, ''Asoka'', a partly fictionalised account of the life of Ashoka the Great. It was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival, where it got positive response. While promoting the film in New York City, Khan along with the film director, Sivan were stuck in the city due to the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The film received generally positive reviews and Khan received favourable reactions for his performance, Rediff concluded that "He puts in a strong performance, in this well defined role."

In 2002, Khan played the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance, ''Devdas'' which was the most expensive Bollywood film ever made at the time. This was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name. Featured opposite Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, Khan's performance as a rebellious alcoholic is often considered one of his best performances, and won him a Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film surfaced as the highest-grossing film of the year in India and overseas, earning a revenue of domestically. ''Devdas'' won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards and received a special screening at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. It received a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Language Film as well and was India's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. After the release of the film, Khan took a six months break from acting, he explained that during that period he "Just enjoyed the feeling of being sad". In an interview with Rediff, Khan commented: "For an entire year, that is what I did. I was sad. " and added, "We stars live in this bubble where everyone is smiling at you, where everyone loves you. Somehow, you lose touch with real, deep down sadness. Working on this film put us in touch with that emotion." Khan also starred opposite Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan in the family-drama ''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam''. The film took six years to make, with huge sabbaticals in between shoots due to unending production problems, and was an average grosser at the box office.

In 2003, Khan starred in Aziz Mirza's romantic drama, ''Chalte Chalte'' opposite Rani Mukerji. The film was moderately successful in India but fared much better in the overseas. Khan played the role of Raj Mathur, a middle class man who falls in love and marries Priya Chopra, a successful fashion designer whose family is quite wealthy. But after the marriage, differences arise between the couple, leading to an irreversible separation. Manish Gajjar of BBC mentioned that he is "a sheer natural which explains why he is a great asset to Bollywood." Several critics were not as positive, including Vivek Fernandes from Rediff, who noted: "Shah Rukh hams and haws his way through the film -- biting his lip, crinkling his eyebrows -- it is oh-so-familiar. He is over the top, especially as the inebriated Raj who confronts the estranged wife."

That same year, he starred in ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' a drama set in New York City, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani co-starring Jaya Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. Khan's performance as a man with a fatal heart disease was met with positive response from critics. ''The Hindu'' noted, "His enthusiasm unbounded, his energy unbridled, Shah Rukh is in form here. And as a guy with a few days to live and a life to spend in a moment, he looks for your sympathy. He reduces many to tears. And with each tear he rises a rank higher in the echelons of actors". while rediff concluded, "Shah Rukh excels as the supercool Aman (...) He steals the show with a designer-made role." The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming the second top-grossing movie domestically and the top-grossing Bollywood film in the overseas market that year.When adjusted for inflation its total gross worldwide is 1.3 billion. The film earned him an other Filmfare Best Actor Award nomination.

2004 was a particularly good year for Khan, both commercially and critically. He produced and starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, the action comedy ''Main Hoon Na''. The movie did well at the box office. He then played the role of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh in Yash Chopra's love saga ''Veer-Zaara'', which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas, with a worldwide gross of over 960 million. It was also screened at the Berlin Film Festival. The film relates the love story of Veer and a Pakistani woman Zaara Haayat Khan, played by Preity Zinta. Khan's performance in the film was praised by critics and won him awards at several award ceremonies. Rama Sharma from The Tribune wrote:"Shah Rukh Khan here scales the heights of sensitivity, rising above the mundane. His expressions are mature and reach out to touch the heart of the common man. As a prisoner lodged in a Pakistani jail, he breathes life into the story. His trauma becomes a saga and speaks about the untold sufferings of innocent prisoners."

In that same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's drama ''Swades'' which most of the critics deemed as one of his best performance till date. Jitesh Pillai said of his role, "Ultimately your heart leaps out to the magical Shah Rukh Khan, who unarguably gives his career's finest performance. Shorn of any artifice or nervous energy, his anguish is tangible. He inhabits Mohan Bharghava with consummate ease, you can feel the earnestness of his intentions, the wetness of his tears". His performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, winning it for ''Swades''. The film itself was featured on Rediff's list of the 10 Best Bollywood Movies of the Decade.

His only release in 2005, ''Paheli'' opposite Rani Mukerji, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards. The film was critically acclaimed, as was Khan's performance, which Raja Sen called " A top-notch performance, [That] justifies his supremacy in the film world". In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the third time with the melodrama ''Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'', with an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. Khan played the role of Dev Saran, a bitter and cynical former football player who is jealous of his wife Rhea's successful career as a fashion magazine editor, played by Zinta. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as a major commercial success; becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market of all-time. It grossed over 1.13 billion worldwide

His second release that year saw him playing the title role in the action film ''Don: The Chase Begins Again'', a remake of the 1978 hit ''Don''. He played the character of Don, a role which was played by Amitabh Bachchan in the original movie. While the film was generally well received, Khan's performance received mixed critical reactions. His performance was extensively compared to that of Bachchan. Tarab Adarsh noted that Khan "carries a massive responsibility on his shoulders since direct comparisons with Bachchan are foreseeable" adding that "He does very well as Don. He enacts the evil character with flourish. But he fails to carry off the other role [Vijay] with conviction. It looks made up, it doesn't come natural to him at all." While Derek Elley of ''Variety'' argued that "it's hard to accept him (Khan) as the title character" and that "Khan is far more convincing as Vijay, playing up to his rom-com fanbase with plenty of boyish humor." The film became the fifth-highest grossing film of the year in India. and the highest grossing film of the year in the overseas market. It grossed a total of 1.04 billion worldwide. Both the films earned him Filmfare Best Actor Award nominations while his role as Don earned him a nomination for the Asian Film Awards.

Khan's success continued with a few more highly popular films. One of his most successful works was the multiple award-winning 2007 film, ''Chak De! India'', about the Indian women's national hockey team. The film was a major critical and commercial success in India and abroad. Earning over 1.03 billion worldwide. ''Chak De! India'' became the third-highest grossing movie of 2007 in India and won yet another Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Khan. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN wrote about his performance, "For the first time since ''Swades'', Shah Rukh plays a role without any of his typical trappings, without any of his trademark quirks. He sinks his teeth into the part of the determined coach and comes up with such a terrific performance. He's hopeful at times and despondent at others, he's humorous at times, and stern at others. He plays Kabir Khan like a real flesh-and-blood human being." Filmfare also included his performance in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" and commented: }}In the same year Khan also starred in Farah Khan's 2007 film, ''Om Shanti Om''. A re-incarnation melodrama. Khan essayed the role of Om Prakash Makhija, a junior artiste from the 70s who is reborn thirty years later as a superstar named Om Kapoor, he then attempts to discover the mystery of his demise and avenge the death of his lost love. His performance was generally well received by critics; Khalid Mohammed from ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "Above all the enterprise belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who tackles comedy, high drama and action with his signature style – spontaneous and intuitively intelligent." The film emerged as the year's highest grossing film in India and the overseas market, and became India's highest grossing production ever up to that point with a worldwide gross of over 1.48 billion. It earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony.

In 2008, Khan collaborated with Aditya Chopra for the third time with the romantic drama ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' opposite newcomer Anushka Sharma where he played a double role, one of Surinder Sahni, a shy self-described geek who works for Punjab Power in Amritsar whose love for beautiful, vivacious Taani, played by Sharma, causes him to transform himself into the loud and fun-loving Raj to win her love. The film received positive reviews and was declared a blockbuster, and had been concluded as the second-highest grossing film of all-time to that point by the end of the year. His performance was appreciated by critics. Rachel Saltz of ''New York Times'' stated: "The Surinder/Raj dual role seems tailor-made (probably was) for Mr. Khan, who gets to show off his twin talents: he suffers nobly and entertains with panache." It earned him yet again another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. In December of the same year, Khan suffered a serious shoulder injury while filming a special appearance in Mudassar Aziz's ''Dulha Mil Gaya''. He went through extensive physiotherapy sessions while shooting for ''My Name Is Khan'' at the time, but due to immense pain that left him almost immobile, he had to undergo an arthroscopic surgery in February 2009 after the shooting schedule for the film in the United States was over.

2010s

Khan's next film was ''My Name Is Khan'', his fourth collaboration with director Karan Johar and the sixth movie in which he is paired with Kajol. Filming commenced in December 2008 in Los Angeles and ended in October 2009. While shooting for the film, Khan suffered from severe headaches and neck pain which were caused by the unique posture and expressions he had to use in his portrayal of a Asperger syndrome patient. While in Los Angeles, along with his wife Gauri and director Karan Johar, he took a break from filming to attend the 66th Golden Globe Awards, held in Los Angeles, on 11 January 2009, where he was introduced as the ''King of Bollywood''. Khan introduced ''Slumdog Millionaire'', a movie he had previously turned down, along with a star from the film, Freida Pinto.

''My Name Is Khan'' was released on 12 February 2010. Based on a true story, and set against the backdrop of perceptions on Islam post 11 September attacks, ''My Name Is Khan'' stars Khan as Rizwan Khan, a Muslim man suffering from Asperger syndrome who sets out on a journey across America on a mission to meet the country's President and clear his name. Khan admitted that it was a very difficult role to play and that he had to spent several months of research including reading books, watching videos and talking to people affected with the disorder in an effort to get into the skin of the character. In an interview with ''Hindustan Times'' he said, "Whenever you're dealing with a disorder or a near atypical situation, the first thought is that the sort of parameters you have to set that in no which way you are derogatory or deriding the disorder. The second part is you have to come as close to reality in depicting that characterization and so one had to study a lot and one does get worried" During a promotional visit to the United States, Khan was detained at Newark Airport, New Jersey because of the similarity of his last name to known terrorists. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time in the overseas market up until then. Khan's performance in the film was appreciated by most critics and earned him his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor, thereby joining Dilip Kumar as the record holder in this category. Jay Wesissberg from ''Variety'' wrote, "Khan uses the mannerisms associated with Asperger's -- averted eyes, springy steps, stuttered repetitions of memorized texts -- yet captures the personality beneath the condition in a standout performance sure to receive the Autism Society's gold seal of approval." Pratim D. Gupta of ''The Telegraph'' said: "It is the Khan who makes the movie. A perfect balance between laughter and tears, emphatic at times, empathetic at others, this is a star act by an actor born out of a star. Studied, consistent and honest, Shah Rukh can and he does. Yes, this is his best."

His first release in 2011 was Anubhav Sinha's science fiction superhero film ''Ra.One'' opposite Kareena Kapoor. The film, which follows the story of a London-based videogame designer who creates the strongest villain—only to later realize that it has escaped from the game was billed as Bollywood's most expensive film. With an estimated budget of , it witnessed a level of publicity campaigning previously unseen in Indian films and the use of several new technology equipment never seen before in the cinematic history of Bollywood. The film was a box office success, grossing 2.4 billion worldwide. To make his character of a superhero more believable, Khan decided that he would perform his own stunts in the film. While filming, he admitted he found difficulties with the rubber-made costume that was specially designed for his character; he also could not eat or drink anything between shoots, resulting in a weight loss of ten kilos. Khan also injured his left knee during filming, causing him considerable pain. Despite this, he postponed his knee surgery till after the release of the film. He was also involved in other aspects of the making of ''Ra.One''; he volunteered to write the film's console game script, dubbed for it, and oversaw its technical development. He was also credited as the writer of the digital comics based on the film's characters. Upon release, the film which saw Khan playing a double role, received mixed reactions from critics in India and Khan himself received mixed reviews. While most critics praised his performance as the robotic superhero G.one, they panned the one of Shekhar, the videogame designer. Rajeev Masand concluded: "The only real standout performance is by Shah Rukh Khan. His Aiyyo-speaking Shekhar Subramaniam is caricaturish but charming, while as G.One, he gives even his robotic video-game character a charismatic edge." while ''DNA India'' added: "Another half attempt comes from the lead actor: Khan is in his element and endearing as superhero G.One, but annoyingly over the top as video game creator Shekhar".

His second release of the year was ''Don 2'', a sequel to his 2006 film ''Don: The Chase Begins Again''. The film marked Khan's return to playing villainous characters since his earlier films like ''Darr'' and ''Baazigar.'' Khan experimented with a variety of looks, including long unkempt hair and stubble. He also bulked up for the film by developing a six pack and decided to perform all of his own stunts. While in Berlin, Khan performed a dangerous 300-feet jump for a scene. He became the first celebrity to register a tattoo in his name, when the 'D' tattoo ported on his arm in the film was registered for copyright protection. His performance fetched him critical praise, Nikhat Kazmi of ''The Times of India'' noted, "Shah Rukh remains in command and never loses his foothold, neither through the dramatic sequences nor through the action cuts." The film was a major success in India and it went on to become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood production abroad with a worldwide gross of more than 2.1 billion. It earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony .

In January 2012, he has started filming for ''Yash Chopra's Untitled project'', opposite Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

Producer

Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called ''Dreamz Unlimited'' with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first film he produced and starred in, ''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'' (2000), co-starring Chawla herself and directed by Mirza was a critical and commercial failure. The following year, he produced ''Asoka'' which was a box office failure. However, it was well received by critics, and was nominated for the Filmfare Best Movie Award. The film was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. His third film as a producer and star, ''Chalte Chalte'', proved a box office hit. In 2004, Khan took over his old production company Dreamz Unlimited and transformed it into Red Chillies Entertainment with his wife Gauri also serving as a producer. In the same year he produced and starred in ''Main Hoon Na'', another hit, which was directed by his friend and well-known choreographer Farah Khan. The film earned a nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. The following year, he produced and starred in the fantasy film ''Paheli'', which did poorly. It was, however, critically acclaimed and was selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, but it did not pass the final selection. Also in 2005, Khan co-produced the supernatural horror film ''Kaal'' with Karan Johar, and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. ''Kaal'' was moderately successful at the box office.

In 2007, Khan produced ''Om Shanti Om'' also directed by Farah Khan. The film was a major commercial success, and was declared India's highest grossing production ever up to that point. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and went on to win several awards for special effects and Art Direction. It was also nominated for for the Filmfare Best Movie Award. His company has further gone on to produce ''Billu'' (2009), and ''Always Kabhi Kabhi'' (2011). During the filming of ''My Name Is Khan'', Karan Johar producer of the film and head of Dharma Productions, asked Khan to co-produce the film under his production company. The both will further collaborate in Johar's next directorial venture ''Student Of The Year''.

Since the creation of his company, Khan was keen on making a VFX-loaded film. The company continued working on other projects and seeking for the right film until they finally decided on ''Ra.One'' (2011). The pre-production work began in 2007 after the release of ''Om Shanti Om''. The film's crew consisted of more than 5,000 members from India, Italy and the US, and was pieced together by more than 1,000 people, working in shifts, in around 15 studios across the world. It saw the inclusion of several visual effects techniques being incorporated in the production which were carried out by Red Chillies VFX. With an estimated budget of 125 crore (US$23.75 million), ''Ra.One'' was the second-most expensive film ever produced in Indian cinema, and the most expensive Bollywood film The film witnessed a level of publicity campaigning previously unseen in India films, with marketing taking place over a period of nine months and involving major brand tie-ups of a 52 crore (US$9.88 million) which set the record for the largest marketing budget in India. Khan is also one of the producers of ''Don 2'' (2011), but not through his production company. The movie was a major success in India and abroad.

Apart from film production, the company also has a visual effects studio known as Red Chillies VFX which had been involved with many major movies like ''Chak De India'', ''Om Shanti Om'', ''Dostana'', and ''Kurbaan''. As well as studios for TV commercials known as ''Red Chillies TVC'' and TV shows/serials known as ''Red Chillies Idiot Box'', which conceived popular shows like ''Up Close & Personal with PZ'' and ''Ishaan''. The company also has a little over 50% stake in the Cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders often abbreviated as KKR, in the BCCI-backed IPL cricket competition.

Non-film work

Television presenting

In 2007, Khan replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the third season of the game show ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' popularly known as ''KBC'', the Indian version of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''. The previous had hosted the show for two previous seasons in 2000 and 2005. On 22 January 2007, ''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' aired with Khan as the new host. The grand prize amount of 2 crore rupees (approx. $430,000 USD) was still used in KBC3. and later ended on 19 April 2007 with a special finale. In an interview with ''The Times Of India'', Khan explained that he was offered to host the second season of the show as well but he turned it down because Bachchan wanted to do it then. For his work at KBC 3, Khan won the best anchor at various awards ceremonies including The Global Indian Film and Television Honours and Indian Telly Awards.

A year later, Khan began hosting the game show ''Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?'', the Indian version of ''Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?'', The show premiered on April 25, 2008 and the last episode was telecast on July 27, 2008 with Lalu Prasad Yadav as the special guest. On 1 February 2011, he began hosting Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout, the Indian version of the American game show Wipeout, on Imagine TV. The show ended on February 25, 2011 with Kushal Punjabi as the winner.

Stage performances

Khan is a stage performer and has participated in several world tours and concerts. In 1997, he preformed in the ''Asha Bhosle's: Moments In Time'' in Malaysia. He returned to another concert there the following year with ''Shahrukh—Karisma: Live in Malaysia'' concert. In 1999, he was part of ''The Awesome Foursome'', which included Salman Khan, Juhi Chawla and Twinkle Khanna. In November 2002, Khan took part in the ''Fire & Flames'' concert in Malaysia, alongside Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan and BPL-Oye VJ Raageshwari with a 40-member troupe of singers and dancers. In the same year, he participated in the show ''From India With Love'' in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta and Aishwarya Rai. It took place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.

Khan participated in a concert tour titled ''Temptations 2004'' which was the most successful Bollywood concert at the time. Khan performed alongside Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe. He sang, danced and performed in skits. In 2008, Khan set up ''Temptation Reloaded 2008'', a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Several months later, he again joined Kapoor, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena. In 2010, Khan performed alongside Rani Mukerji, Arjun Rampal, Neeraj Shridhar and Ishaa Koppikar for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience. And in 2011, he joined Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the ''Friendship Concert'', celebrating 150 years of India-South Africa friendship in Durban, South Africa.

Humanitarian work

Khan is known for keeping a low profile and secrecy on his social commitments and Humanitarian work. Apart from regular donations to organizations and individuals, especially in the case of AIDS and cancer patients, he is behind the creation of a children's ward at the Nanavati hospital in Mumbai, in memory of his late mother. Khan is also active with relief funds when the Indian nation faces a natural calamity. He also lent his name to various government campaigns through out the years, notably those of Pulse Polio immunisation campaign which was established in 1995 to eradicate poliomyelitis in India by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against the polio virus, the National AIDS Control Organisation and the National Rural Health Mission of India which aims to provide accessible, affordable, effective and reliable health care service to the people of India residing in villages. Khan is a member of the board of directors of Make-A-Wish Foundation in India.

In March 2004, Khan visited the border post at the Attari-Wagah section of the Indo-Pak border, near Amritsar (the only one where people can cross over to the other side) to boost the morale of the jawans. It was for a TV show called ''Jai Jawan'' where entertainers and stars visit Indian troops in far-flung regions to encourage them along with the NDTV team. In February 2005, Khan performed at the ''HELP! Telethon Concert'' to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake in company with other Bollywood stars and also donated 2.5 million for the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Tsunami Relief Fund for the tsunami-affected areas in India. He organized and participated in ''the Temptations 2005'' show in New Delhi which helped to raise funds for the ''National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People'' (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights group. In 2007, he collaborated with veteran artist M.F. Husain to create a canvas in celebration of 60 years of Indian independence at a charity auction in Bonhams, London. The painting was sold for over 12 million.

During his 2009 appearance at the NDTV Greenathon, Khan adopted five villages in Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara, to provide them with electricity under the solar energy harnessing project in its title initiative 'Light A Billion Lives'. The following year, he adopted eight more villages, and again adopted eleven during his appearance in in the third edition of the event. In 2009, Khan committed to bear all the expenses for the treatment of two Kashmiri orphan children who suffered severe burns during a terrorist grenade attack in Srinagar. He also visited the two orphans at the hospital. In 2011, Khan teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan and English actress Judi Dench to promote Resul Pookutty's foundation that works to better the living conditions of the underprivileged in India. The complain aims to spread awareness on the cause of education among the impoverished, in India and also discourages child labour in the low income bracket of society and focus on providing opportunities to let children have a proper childhood. the same year, he was honored with the UNESCO's ''Pyramide con Marni'' award for his charity engagements and social commitment towards providing education for kids thus becoming the first Indian to win the accolade. Later that year, Khan was appointed by The UNOPS to be the first global ambassador of The ''Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council'' that works to improve the lives of poor people by enhancing collaboration among sector agencies and professionals around sanitation and water supply. During ''Ra.One'''s premiere in Dubai in October 2011, Khan along with co-stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal held a high-profile dinner and charity auction, which raised AED 30,000 for building a workshop for children with special needs.

Ownership of IPL cricket team

In 2008, Khan in partnership with actress Juhi Chawla Mehta and her husband Jay Mehta acquired ownership rights for the franchise representing Kolkata in the a Twenty20 cricket tournament Indian Premier League, for a price of USD 75.09 million (Rs 357 crores), and have since named the team Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR is the richest team in the IPL and it has been ranked as the most valued with a brand value of $42.1 million. Financially, the KKR are the most profitable and successful franchise in the IPL as well.

In the media

Khan was given the birth name "Shahrukh" (meaning "Face of the King"), but prefers his name to be written as "Shah Rukh Khan", and is also commonly referred to as SRK. Khan has various homes in India and abroad. His house in Mumbai called ''Mannat'' is a well-known tourist spot and is considered a heritage building, deemed important to the townscape and hence exempt from demolition. In addition, he also had a house in New Delhi. Khan also owns a £20 million apartment in London and a villa on the Palm Jumeirah. Khan said in a television interview that "I bought the house, because one can see the island from the moon." Khan's net worth is estimated at over 25 billion ($540 million)

Khan has been noted for having several trademark mannerisms, gestures and ways of delivering dialogues. As it has been cited by CNN-IBN: "The mannerisms that have earned him both brickbats and endeared him to his fans over the years – that half nod, raised brow gesture, a deep dimpled smile and a deliberate stammer – were absent when he debuted. If he picked them up later to addapt to the big screen, they stayed for the rest of his acting career." Due to his appearance in numerous romantic films, Khan has developed a "romantic lover boy" image and is referred to as the "King of Romance" by media outlets. He has been accused of repeating himself through the type of characters that he played, referred to as the "Rajs and Rahuls", or him not being able to shed the superstar persona on screen and often playing himself. In 2011, Rediff listed him in the top 10 "Readers Choice: The Greatest Actors of all time".

Globally, Khan is considered to be one of the biggest movie stars, with a fan following claimed to number in the billions. He is also of one the most watched movie stars in the world, and one of the most recognizable faces of Indian cinema. In 2004, ''Time'' featured him in their list of "Asian Heroes" under the age of 40 and was later selected as one of the candidates for its list of the world's 100 most influential people. Khan was the only Indian actor nominated for the poll and eventually did not make it to the final list, ranked at 101. In 2008, ''Newsweek'' named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. In 2009, he was declared amongst the 500 most influential Muslims worldwide by Georgetown University. He was later recognized in 2010 as an icon of religious unity, by experts from around the world, at a conference at Vienna University. In 2011, ''The Los Angeles Times'' noted: "He is the biggest movie star you’ve never heard of. And perhaps the world’s biggest movie star, period." His success and popularity has been attributed as the result of his emergence in the era of liberalization and changing economic scenario in the 1990s. He was often described as the face and catalyst of a new consumerist urban society, and that he has managed to personify "the restless spirit of post-liberalization, ambitious, assertive and yet feel-good India."

In 2004, Khan was awarded the Filmfare Power Award (shared with Amitabh Bachachan) for topping the ''Filmfare'' list of the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", and again in 2005. In 2006 he was ranked as second overall behind Yash Chopra and his son Aditya and the most powerful actor, an achievement he would go on to repeat till 2009. He occupied the top slot of ''Box Office India'''s Top Actors list for the first time in 1994 for two consecutive years, then again in 1998 and for the majority of the 2000s (from 2002 till 2008). He was voted the sexiest Asian man in the world by Eastern Eye in 2007, and was ranked third in 2008 and 2011. In 2010, OK! Magazine named him India's sexiest dad. In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper DNA, he was voted as India's second most popular icon behind Sachin Tendulkar. In a 2012 Hindustan Times Youth Survey, Khan was declared as the biggest role model for youth in India.

Khan is often labeled by the Media as "Brand SRK" due to his various brand endorsement and entrepreneurship ventures. ''The Times Of India'' noted “Khan has established himself as a brand on the map of the film industry. Hailing from a non-filmi background with no pedigree to boast of and no godfather to pull strings, the St. Columba's alumnus has become a muse. ” In 2005, he launched his own perfume, labeled "Tiger Eyes by SRK" by the French perfume brand Jeanne Arthes. In 2009, Khan was crowned as the "Brand Ambassador of the Year" at the CNBC Awaaz consumer awards and in 2010 won the ‘Brand Ambassador of the Year’ award at NDTV Profit Car & Bike Awards. He is also is one of the top paid Bollywood actors in this respect. While in 2003, he endorsed eight brands, his endorsement rose up to a total of thirteen brands in 2004 and in 2005, he endorsed twenty one brands, thirty four brands in 2009 and twenty five in 2011. Some of the brands that he has endorsed over the years are Pepsi, Nokia, Hyundai, Sunfeast, Videocon, Airtel, Himani, Nerolac Paints, Dish TV, D'decor and Tag Heuer. In 2011, Khan was appointed the brand ambassador of the Champions League Twenty20.

In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled ''The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan''. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book ''Still Reading Khan'' by Mushtaq Sheikh, which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by Anupama Chopra, ''King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema'', was released in 2007. It describes the world of Bollywood through Khan's life. In 2010, Discovery Travel & Living channel produced a ten-part series titled ''Living with a Superstar-Shah Rukh Khan'' . The series was the biggest Indian show on television, with a budget of nearly 20 million, highlighting Khan’s daily living, film-making, IPL venture and global lifestyle. In 2006, Khan was one of four Bollywood actors including Priyanka Chopra, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan whose miniature dolls were launched by Spin Master Toys UK under the name of "Bollywood Legends". Khan was invited along with Kajol by NASDAQ to ring their opening bell in New York and thus became the first Indian actors to open the stock market. Khan is also the first actor and the second Indian to have an official Opus dedicated to him.

Awards and honors

Filmography

+ Actor
Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
1992		Raja Sahai	Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut
1992		Pawan Raghujan
1992	''Chamatkar''	Sunder Srivastava
1992	''Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman''	Raju (Raj Mathur)
1992	''Dil Aashna Hai''	Karan
1993	''Maya Memsaab''	Lalit Kumar
1993	''King Uncle''	Anil Bhansal
1993	''Baazigar''	Ajay Sharma / Vicky Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1993	''Darr''	Rahul Mehra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
1993	''Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa''	Sunil	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1993	''Pehla Nasha''	Himself	Cameo
1994	''Anjaam''	Vijay Agnihotri	Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
1995	''Karan Arjun''	Arjun Singh / Vijay
1995	''Zamana Deewana''	Rahul Malhotra
1995	''Guddu''	Guddu Bahadur
1995	''Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!''	Hero
1995	''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''	Raj Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1995	''Ram Jaane''	Ram Jaane
1995		Romi Singh
1996	''English Babu Desi Mem''	Vikram / Hari / Gopal Mayur
1996		Roop Rathore
1996		Arjun	Cameo
1996	''Dushman Duniya Ka''	Badru	Special appearance
1997	''Gudgudee''		Special appearance
1997	''Koyla''	Shankar
1997	''Yes Boss''	Rahul Joshi	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1997		Arjun Saagar
1997	''Dil To Pagal Hai''	Rahul	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1998		Bablu Chaudhry / Manu Dada	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role
1998		Himself	Special appearance
1998	''Dil Se..''	Amarkant Varma
1998	''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''	Rahul Khanna	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1999	''Baadshah''	Raj Heera / Baadshah	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role
2000	''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani''	Ajay Bakshi
2000	''Hey Ram''	Amjad Ali Khan
2000		Max
2000	''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega''	Rahul	Cameo
2000	''Mohabbatein''	Raj Aryan Malhotra	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2000	''Gaja Gamini''	Himself	Special appearance
2001	''One 2 Ka 4''	Arun Verma
2001		Asoka
2001	''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''	Rahul Raichand	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2002	''Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam''	Gopal
2002		Devdas Mukherjee	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2002		Jaisingh	Special appearance
2002		Yeshwant Rao	Cameo
2003		Raj Mathur
2003	''Kal Ho Naa Ho''	Aman Mathur	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2004	''Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke ''	Dushant
2004	''Main Hoon Na''	Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2004	''Veer-Zaara''	Veer Pratap Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2004	''Swades''	Mohan Bhargava	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2005	''Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye''	Himself	Special appearance
2005			Special appearance in song "Kaal Dhamaal"
2005	''Silsilay''	Sutradhar	Cameo
2005	''Paheli''	Kishenlal / The Ghost
2005		Himself (Biopic)	Documentary directed by British-based author and director Nasreen Munni Kabir
2006	''Alag''		Special appearance in song "Sabse Alag"
2006	''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''	Dev Saran	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006	''Don: The Chase Begins Again''		Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006			Special appearance in song "Subah Subah"
2007	''Chak De! India''	Kabir Khan	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2007	''Heyy Babyy''	Raj Malhotra	Special appearance in song "Mast Kalandar"
2007	''Om Shanti Om''	Om Prakash Makhija / Om Kapoor	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2008	''Krazzy 4''		Special appearance in song "Break Free"
2008	''Bhoothnath''	Aditya Sharma	Cameo
2008	''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi''	Surinder Sahni / Raj	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2008	''Kismat Konnection''	Narrator
2009	''Luck by Chance''	Himself	Guest appearance
2009	''Billu''	Sahir Khan	Extended special appearance
2010	''Dulha Mil Gaya''	Pawan Raj Gandhi (PRG)	Extended appearance
2010	''My Name Is Khan''	Rizwan Khan	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2010	''Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu''	Himself	Cameo
2011	''Always Kabhi Kabhi''		Special appearance in song "Antenna"
2011	''Love Breakups Zindagi''	Himself	Cameo
2011	''Ra.One''
2011	''Don 2''		Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2012	''Koochie Koochie Hota Hain''	Rocky	Post-production
2012	''Yash Chopra's Untitled Project''		Filming
2013			Pre-Production

+ Producer
! Year	! Film	Notes
2000	''Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani''
2001		Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Movie
2003
2004	''Main Hoon Na''	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Movie
2005		co-producer
2005	''Paheli''
2007	''Om Shanti Om''	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Movie
2009	''Billu''
2010	''My Name Is Khan''	co-producer Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Movie
2011	''Always Kabhi Kabhi''
2011	''Ra.One''
2011	''Don 2''	co-producer Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Movie
2012	''Student Of The Year''	co-producer

; Television appearances

''Dil Dariya'' (1988)

''Fauji'' (1988) as Abhimanyu Rai

''Doosra Keval'' (1989) as Keval

''Ummeed'' (1989)

''Circus'' (1989) as Raghavan

''In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones'' (1989) as Senior

''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (2007) — Host

''Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?'' (2008) — Host

''Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout'' (2011) — Host

See also

List of Indian Actors

Newark Airport Incident

Notes

Bibliography

Nasreen Munni Kabir. ''The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan'' (Documentary, 2005).

''Shahrukh Khan — Still Reading Khan''. A1Books Distributor 2007. ISBN 978-81-87107-79-8.

Gahlot, Deepa; Agarwal, Amit. ''King Khan SRK''. Augsburg Weltbild 2007. ISBN 978-3-8289-8869-9.

Ghosh, Biswadeep. ''Hall of fame: Shahrukh Khan'' (in English). Mumbai: Magna Books, 2004. ISBN 81-7809-237-9.

Chopra, Anupama. ''King of Bollywood : Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema'' (English). New York: Warner Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-446-57858-5.

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian Muslims Category:Indian Premier League franchise owners Category:Indian singers Category:Indian television actors Category:Indian voice actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian people of Afghan descent Category:Jamia Millia Islamia alumni Category:Living people Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:Pashtun people Category:People from Delhi Category:People from Peshawar Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:University of Delhi alumni Category:Indian game show hosts

ar:شاه روخان az:Şahrux Xan bn:শাহরুখ খান bg:Шах Рук Хан br:Shahrukh Khan ca:Shahrukh Khan cs:Shahrukh Khan da:Shah Rukh Khan de:Shah Rukh Khan dv:ޝާހުރުކް ޚާން es:Shahrukh Khan eo:Shahrukh Khan fa:شاهرخ خان fr:Shahrukh Khan gu:શાહરૂખ ખાન hi:शाहरुख़ ख़ान id:Shahrukh Khan it:Shah Rukh Khan he:שאהרוח' ח'אן jv:Shahrukh Khan kn:ಶಾರುಖ್ ಖಾನ್ (ಹಿಂದಿ ನಟ) ka:შაჰ რუხ ხანი kk:Шах Рух Хан ku:Shahrukh Khan lb:Shahrukh Khan hu:Sáhruh Khán ml:ഷാരൂഖ് ഖാൻ mr:शाहरुख खान ms:Shahrukh Khan nl:Shahrukh Khan ne:शाहरुख खान ja:シャー・ルク・カーン no:Shah Rukh Khan oc:Shah Rukh Khan or:ସାହାରୁଖ ଖାଁ pnb:شاہ رخ خان ps:شاهرخ خان pl:Shah Rukh Khan pt:Shahrukh Khan ru:Хан, Шах Рух sa:शाह् रूख् खान् sq:Shah Rukh Khan simple:Shahrukh Khan sd:Shahrukh Khan sh:Shahrukh Khan fi:Shahrukh Khan sv:Shahrukh Khan ta:சாருக் கான் te:షారుఖ్ ఖాన్ th:ศาห์รุข ข่าน tg:Шоҳрух Хон tr:Shahrukh Khan uk:Шахрух Хан ur:شاہ رخ خان wuu:沙·卢克·康 zh-yue:沙魯克汗 zh:沙魯克·汗