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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was a bright academic before becoming the 'King of Bollywood'. He even cracked the entrance exam for the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), a feat that reflected his sharp mind. Later, he enrolled in a Master’s program in Mass Communication at the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. But despite completing the coursework, SRK never earned the degree- because he walked away from his final exams, a choice he still looks back on with regret.
Must Read: When Shah Rukh Khan cracked IIT just to prove a point to his mother
The Clash with the Principal
During the promotions of Don 2, SRK opened up in an NDTV interview about what really happened. At the time, he was already shooting for his first TV show Fauji, which led to attendance issues in college. Just days before exams, he was studying in the library when his principal entered. Recalling the moment, he said, “Yeh bachpane ki himakat hai, badtameezi aur ghatiyanpan tha mera (Call it my youthful arrogance, rudeness and cheapness).”
The principal remarked that if it were up to him, Shah Rukh wouldn’t be allowed to sit for the exam. In his arrogance, Khan retorted, “Then I don’t want to take the exam either,” and stormed out.
Mother’s Stern Lesson
The incident didn’t end there. Upset with his behavior, the Pathaan actor's mother dragged him to the principal’s home.
“She held me by the ear and made me say sorry. I did apologise. He smiled and said, ‘I was just saying it, you didn’t have to take it so egoistically.’ But by then it was too late, the exam was the next day, and I hadn’t studied,” he recalled.
That night, the Jawan actor told his mother, “I won’t study here any longer, but one day I’ll come back to teach here.”
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Regrets and Reflections
Looking back, Shah Rukh Khan admits the episode was nothing but “stupid, youthful nonsense.” He had completed all practicals and the entire course, but never attempted the final written papers. He credits his professors at Jamia for shaping his creative vision, calling them instrumental in his journey as an artist. With a touch of irony, he added, “I wish I had the degree. I really miss it. I would tell everyone that please do not leave your studies ever because if I had studied, believe me, I would be such a big superstar.”
