Shahrukh Khan to be given honorary doctorate

Award winning Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan is to be given an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from the University of Bedfordshire in London next month.

Shahrukh, who has a huge fan base across the globe, is also a film producer and television host and will receive his award at the Hotel Courthouse, London on 10 July from Vice Chancellor Les bdon, CBE.

He was nominated by Routes 2 Roots, a non-governmental organisation which endeavours to bring together people, cultures and values from across southern Asia, in particular India and Pakistan.

University of Bedfordshire Deputy Vice Chancellor (External Relations) Ashraf Jawaid, said: "We are absolutely delighted to confer this honorary doctorate on Shahrukh Khan. He has made an outstanding contribution to the arts, culture and media which is recognised around the world."

Shahrukh started his career in the late 1980s appearing in several television serials. He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana in 1992 and since then has gone on to play a variety of critically acclaimed roles.

He has won seven Filmfare Best Actor Awards and appeared in films including Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Chak De India (2007), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) which remain some of Bollywood’s biggest hits.

Films including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Veer Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) have been hits overseas making Shah Rukh one of the most successful actors of Hindi cinema. Since 2000 Shah Rukh has branched out into film production and television presenting.

He is married with two children. In April 2007 a life-size wax statue of him was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London. During the same year, he was accorded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award by the French government for his "exceptional career".