Aryan Khan announces Bollywood debut; everything to know about him
What's the story
Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has officially announced his Bollywood debut as a writer. Confirming it, the junior Khan took to Twitter on Tuesday to share a glimpse of the script of his first film produced by SRK-Gauri Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. Earlier, in an interview, King Khan also revealed Aryan's wish to explore writing and directing rather than acting.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Nepotism has been a hotly debated topic for years. It exists in every business, but the film sector has been one of the few industries to bear the brunt of it. Over the years, many with industry connections have forayed into films, but very few garnered success, proving talent is key. Meanwhile, Aryan's sister Suhana Khan is set to debut with The Archies (2023).
First technical project
Aryan worked on a KKR music video earlier
Interestingly, before foraying into the film industry, Aryan had worked on a special fan anthem video for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), an IPL team co-owned by SRK. The 25-year-old conceptualized and developed the video, titled Laphao, featuring some KKR players and SRK. The anthem, released for IPL 2020, was different and quirky compared to KKR's Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re. Its visualization was widely appreciated.
Trivia
Acting roles and voice-overs
Notably, Aryan ventured into acting when he was a child. He debuted as a child artist in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) where he played SRK's younger version. He also worked as a voice-over artist for the dubbed Hindi versions of The Incredibles (2004) and The Lion King (2019). In the latter, he voiced Simba while his father played Mufasa's role.
Controversy
Mumbai cruise ship drugs controversy and arrest
In October 2021, Aryan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the Mumbai Cordelia Cruises ship drugs case. He was allegedly invited to a cruise party from where banned drugs were seized. He was lodged at Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail and granted bail after spending over three weeks in prison. Aryan was, however, cleared in the case in May 2022.
Information
Education and beyond
Aryan reportedly did his schooling at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai and later at Sevenoaks School in England. He graduated in Fine Arts, Cinematic Arts, and Television Production from the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, US, in 2020. Interestingly, Shah Rukh Khan previously said in an interview that he wanted his children to complete proper education before venturing into films.