'I'm a semi-orphan': Shah Rukh Khan draws parallels between his life and Mufasa's story

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan recently shared how he relates to his character Mufasa, whom he voices in the Hindi version of the upcoming animated flick, Mufasa: The Lion King. In a clip released by Walt Disney Studios India, SRK drew a parallel between his life and that of the lion king.

"If I was to not be humble and say, ‘Hann meri hi kahaani aisi hai’ (My story is also like this)' then it could fit in. Technically speaking, anyone who doesn't have parents is an orphan. I did lose my parents nearly in youth, so I'm a semi-orphan,” the Swades actor said.

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The 59-year-old also explained how he was an outsider coming into Bollywood. "It's the story of an outsider. No family of mine has been in the business of filmmaking. I came from Delhi to Mumbai, so main outsider bhi hoon (I'm an outsider as well). It’s the story of the King. So, yeah, I'm a king.”

Speaking about the film, SRK described it as a tale of sacrifice, friendship, and loyalty, and was filled with emotion during the dubbing process. 'What a nice person, what a great character. Kitna acha human being sher hai (what a nice human being lion)'."

Born on November 2, 1965, Shah Rukh Khan lost his father, Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, in 1981 when he was 15, and his mother, Lateef Fatima Khan, in 1990 – just two years before his film debut in Deewana.

About Mufasa: The Lion King

This prequel to Disney's iconic 1994 film The Lion King will explore Mufasa's early life as an orphan, and being taken under the wing of Taka, a lion who is heir to a royal bloodline.

While King Khan will voice Mufasa in the Hindi dub of the film, his sons Aryan Khan and AbRam lend their voices to Simba and young Mufasa, respectively. Other voices include Sanjay Mishra as Pumbaa, Shreyas Talpade as Timon, and Meiyang Chang as Taka.

The film is slated to release on December 20.