Born on October 8, 1970, Gauri Khan's birthname is Gauri Chibber. She grew up in Delhi, born to Punjabi Hindu parents Savita and Colonel Ramesh Chandra Chibber. Gauri met Shah Rukh Khan in 1984, before the latter entered the film industry. Do you know how Gauri Khan and Shah Rukh Khan used to romance in their younger days, before their marriage? SRK had shared in an interview, saying, "Unlike today where we have mobile phones, during our times there were only landline telephones. So whenever I wanted to talk to Gauri, I used to speak in a girl's voice as her brother Vikrant (Chhibber) used to pick the phone." (All photos/Gauri Khan's official Instagram account)

"So I used to say, 'Hello, can I please speak to Gauri?' in a girl's voice and he used to think that I'm her female friend," he added. Isn't that super adorable? Gauri and SRK dated for six years and tied the knot in 1991. Gauri Chibber was 21 when she married Shah Rukh Khan, who was 26. They have a son Aryan (born 1997) and a daughter Suhana (born 2000). In 2013, they welcomed AbRam, who was born through surrogacy.

Talking about their relationship, Gauri Khan had said in an interview, "He was the first person I met and went out with. And he has been the only man."

Gauri and Shah Rukh had to fight to be together. They even changed Shah Rukh's name to Abhinav to make her parents feel he was Hindu. "Yes, my parents were obviously not for it because we were so young and then to take a decision to get married to a person who was going to join films and also from a different religion. We even changed his name to Abhinav to make them feel he was a Hindu boy that was really silly and childish," said Gauri in an old interview.

Very few know that Gauri Khan's superstar husband Shah Rukh Khan once barred her from wearing skirts and T-shirts while they were dating. "I wouldn't like it if Gauri left her hair loose. She's so beautiful that I used to stop her from wearing mini skirts or T-shirts. But I promised her the minute we get married, I would never behave in such a rotten manner," Shah Rukh told Farah Khan on STAR Plus' chat show Tere Mere Beach Mein in 2009.

Shah Rukh Khan stressed that he was insecure about Gauri till he got married in 1991 because "I didn't know if she belonged to me like I belonged to her".

And now Gauri is not only seen as one of the most stylish women in Bollywood, Shah Rukh says their son Aryan Khan considers her the most beautiful lady, even above Hollywood star Angelina Jolie. "Today, if she returns from a party wearing a long skirt even Aryan asks her not to wear it as he doesn't like her in long covered clothes," added Shah Rukh.

Gauri Khan is the rock behind Shah Rukh Khan. But you would be surprised to know that it wasn't the case at the beginning of SRK's career. "Actually, I was not too happy about him coming to Bombay. I didn't even know when he became a star. It was very shocking for me, firstly, to be here and films and everything. It was very difficult. And I actually did not want his films to do well. I thought if it flopped, we would go back to Delhi. Because you know when you are so young... I got married when I was 21, everything was so new that for me it was like everything should flop," said Gauri Khan.

Being a Delhite, Mumbai did not impress Gauri Khan much in the beginning. "When I came to Bombay it was very difficult. I enjoyed every bit of it but it was so new and life was very different. But we went back very often to Delhi in the beginning. We stayed at Aziz Mirza's place for six months. It was very sweet of him and then we rented an apartment and there was nothing. My mom came from Delhi and there was no bed, no sofa no chair, just a kitchen. She was shocked to see me like that," said Mrs. Khan.

Gauri Khan, now, has her own identity. She is not just known as SRK's wife but an acclaimed businesswoman. Mrs Khan is an interior designer and film producer. She co-owns the production house and distribution company Red Chillies Entertainment. In 2012, Gauri Khan launched her own line of furniture in partnership with Sussanne Khan's home store – The Charcoal Project. In 2017, she also launched her flagship store 'Gauri Khan Designs' which offers a variety of selections in home decor.

Now, Gauri Khan is all set to make her debut as an author with a coffee-table book about her journey as a designer. Tentatively titled My Life in Design, it will be released by Penguin next year. The book will feature unseen pictures of her interior design projects, family and Mannat (her bungalow at Bandstand, Bandra). She will also talk about her design philosophy and style.

Gauri Khan's design journey started long before she took it up professionally and established her eponymous brand Gauri Khan Designs (GKD). It was through passion projects, a keen interest in interiors, and her innate talent to visualise a space that made her realise her love for design. She revealed, "I discovered my talent while doing up my own home. I realised it was something I loved deeply, but it has been a long journey that I hope to showcase through my coffee-table book."

Like most middle-class Indian girls, Gauri Khan says she didn't know what she wanted to be as she entered college. "Every month, I would dream of different professions — a designer, a dancer or even a painter... there were a million dreams. This is what came out of all those dreams," said Gauri in an interview with mid-day.

"It is a passion, almost an addiction, for me to travel the world and to collect the best things from everywhere. I didn’t plan anything. I just started storing things at my friend Sussanne Roshan’s store. And then I had a eureka moment: why not start a store myself? And within three months, Gauri Khan Designs was done," she added.

We know Gauri Khan as an entrepreneur, a doting mother and a rockstar wife. But Queen Khan is also a fab dancer, revealed dance guru Shiamak Davar. He had once told mid-day, "Gauri is such a talented theatre actor and dancer. Not many know that Gauri, in the early 90s, did shows with me."

Well, even though she is one of the most successful producers in showbiz, films are Gauri Khan's last priority, as she admitted. Being a wife and mother is the most important thing for her. And then her GKD store.

An entrepreneur, a fashion diva and at the same time, a mother and a wife, Gauri Khan indeed is an inspirational personality! Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Gauri!