Born in a Pathan family in Delhi, India on Nov. 2, 1965, Shah Rukh Khan was the son of a transport company owner and a magistrate. He was 15 when his father died from cancer; his treatment had been expensive and the family business collapsed, leaving his mother to bring back the business on her own. As a young boy, Khan proved to be an achiever and excelled in academics and sports. He was enrolled in St Columba's School, Delhi and was awarded the Sword of Honor by the school for all round development. After graduating from college, he started work on a Master's in Mass Communications (Filmmaking), but his real energy was spent working on his acting with a high-brow theater group in Delhi, The Theater Action Group headed by Barry John. He made his acting debut when he appeared in the television series, "Fauji" (1988) in which he played the role of a Commando. This laid the foundation for his career and he went on to appear in several other television serials that got him recognized as a well known TV star in Delhi.