Gauri Khan – an enigma, Charcoal 8, a new venture

Gauri Khan – image via Noblesse India

Gauri Khan is a household name – especially when she is the wife of superstar Shahrukh Khan. In the recent past, she has been in the news, more so for the wrong reasons. Be it the rumor regarding prenatal-sex test for their son AbRam or Shahrukh’s alleged affair with hottie Priyanka Chopra. Gauri Khan has stood the test of times and come out a winner. Though, her bestie Suzzane Roshan decided to end her marriage with Hrithik Roshan, but Gauri has tried to keep things together with Shahrukh by all means. After all, they have been together from the past 22 years, and all the married people will agree that it’s not an easy feat. Jokes apart, being a superstar’s wife doesn’t come easy. It has its own share of problems.

Gauri and Shahrukh Khan

Being in the constant glare of media is a big nuisance. Shahrukh himself admits that anybody in a show business should be prepared for such a treatment. On the other hand, Gauri likes to keep things confined. She needs her privacy. More so now that she has an infant son to tend to. Many raised an eyebrow as to why they opted for a third child so late and that too through surrogacy. Gauri is not the biological mother of AbRam but in no way has she limited her attention, her love and care for the baby in any way. Many quipped that it was the only way to keep Shahrukh grounded and attached to the house, the children and to herself. His growing intimacy to Priyanka Chopra was causing a lot of concern to the star wife and she somehow wanted to snap this growing relationship by having a baby.

Shahrukh Khan kissing Priyanka Chopra’s hand in front of wife Gauri

Now she is working on her own interior design boutique, called Charcoal 8. It’s still some time before Charcoal 8 is ready for business. A few are still speculating, if this is her escape from the personal insecurities or an effort to establish her own professional credential. Has living under the shadow of superstar Shahrukh Khan reduced her to becoming a mere ‘Mrs. Khan’; a title which might not be permanent either? Gauri Chibber , now Khan,  hails from a middle class Punjabi family in Delhi and fell in love with Shahrukh at the age of 18 when he was not the star as we know him today. They were married by the age of 21 in spite of various differences within their families.  She has been Mrs. Khan for a very long time, supporting her husband with his growth in Bollywood, his production house Red Chilies Entertainment, with his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and running the house and family in general.  Then why this question of finding another identity separate from her husband is coming into picture now? She has been a strong pillar and a big support to her husband and her family in all these years.

Shahrukh and Gauri during their wedding ceremony

She has been creative throughout. I remember seeing her name as a stylist for her husband in many of his movies (Yes, I like to read all the titles). Though, it’s a different story that Shahrukh didn’t look that fashionable in his early movies. She recently gave an interview in a luxury magazine where she stated that she used to sketch and paint since her school days, has a penchant for decorating her home (London, Dubai, Mumbai –Mannat) and likes to collect art and artifacts. She started getting orders to do homes for other celebrities and with the encouragement from bestie Suzzane Roshan, came up with the idea of Charcoal 8. I feel it’s her overpowering creative side which prompted her to get into interior design business like other superstar wives. (Twinkle Khanna, Suzzane Roshan, etc.)

Naseeruddin Shah, SRK and Gauri in his early Bollywood years

All said and done, Gauri and Shahrukh have been voted the most powerful and the most romantic Bollywood couple in the past. I hope it remains the same in the coming years. They portray a complete family with their children Aryan, Suhana and now AbRam.

They are ideals for many married couples and the ones in love. Gauri Khan is an ideal for many a women who want to look as stylish as her. (She is 42 and fit). She is looking ravishing in her recent Noblesse India photo-shoot. Hopefully, Charcoal 8 will be an extension to her stylish persona. With the current ambiguity surrounding the momprenuer, only time will tell where Gauri is heading to!

Images from Noblesse India photo-shoot: