Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan are one of the most loved couples in Bollywood. However, the interfaith relationship faced resistance in its early days, as the Jori family was initially reluctant to accept the match.
To allay their fears, the star introduced himself under a different name.According to Mushtaq Sheikh’s book ‘Shah Rukh Can’, the actor temporarily adopted the name ‘Jeetender Kumar Tulli’ before marrying Gauri. The first name was inspired by veteran actor Jeetendra, who SRK’s grandmother thought he looked like, while ‘Tuli’ was borrowed from late actor Rajendra Kumar’s full name, Rajendra Kumar Tuli.The book also reveals that the couple made similar modifications during their wedding ceremonies. While Shah Rukh used a Hindu name, Gauri took the Islamic name ‘Aisha’ for marriage. Recalling the decision, Shah Rukh said, “We didn’t tell this to many people.”Gauri also reflected on that stage of her relationship during her appearance on the program “First Ladies” with designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Looking back, she admitted that the couple’s attempts to reassure her family now seemed immature.
“We were very young and then we made a decision to marry someone who was going to join films, and that he was from a different religion. We changed his name to Abhinav so that they would feel that he was a Hindu boy but that was very silly and childish.”Over the years, Shah Rukh and Gauri have frequently spoken about respecting each other’s religions and ensuring that their children – Aryan, Suhana and AbRam – grow up appreciating both religions without being limited to one identity.Speaking to Outlook Turning Points in 2013, Shah Rukh Khan explained how he answers questions about religion at home. “It would also keep my children completely confused. Sometimes, they would ask me what religion they belong to, and like the hero of a good Hindi film, I would raise my eyes to the sky and declare philosophically, ‘You are an Indian first and your religion is humanity’, or I would sing to them a song from an old Hindi film, ‘Tu Hindubanega na Musalmaanbanega – insaan ki aulaad hai insaanbanega’ to the tunes of Gangnam Style.”
“While sharing how they celebrate festivals in their home, Gauri said, “When it is Diwali, I lead the puja and the family follows me and on Eid, SRK leads and we follow. I think everything is very beautiful and the kids accept it. In fact, my kids are more inclined towards what SRK says. For them, Diwali, Eid, everything is wonderful.”
