Shashi Tharoor calls Shah Rukh Khan 'Benjamin Button' in quirky birthday wish

New Delhi: Politician Shashi Tharoor had a quirky birthday message for Shah Rukh Khan. He believes the actor, who celebrated his 60th birthday on Sunday, is aging in reverse a la "Benjamin Button" style.

Referring to the 2008 Brad Pitt-starrer, Tharoor said there was hardly any evidence that points out that Shah Rukh looks 60. He said the actor looks more like the protagonist of the David Fincher-directed "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in Bollywood.

"Happy 60th Birthday to the ultimate King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan @iamsrk! I have to admit, I'm finding this "60" number deeply suspicious.

"A crack team of independent fact-checkers and forensic detectives investigated this '60' claim & concluded: 'In the complete and absolute absence of any discernible visual evidence—specifically, no non-photoshopped grey hair, no undeniable signs of slowing down, and a persistent appearance of someone significantly younger—the claim that Shah Rukh Khan is turning 60 cannot be factually confirmed,'" Tharoor wrote.

Happy 60th Birthday to the ultimate King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan @iamsrk !

I have to admit, I'm finding this "60" number deeply suspicious. A crack team of independent fact-checkers and forensic detectives investigated this "60" claim & concluded: "In the complete and… pic.twitter.com/wnidSFbTDX

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 2, 2025

The author-politician then proposed his own theory for the actor's youthful appearance and suspected that he might be playing a protagonist who ages in reverse.

"I suspect the official story is a cover-up & that SRK is actually starring in a real-life, decades-long, global-scale Bollywood adaptation of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.' He's ageing in reverse." Tharoor said by the time Shah Rukh turns 70, he'll be auditioning for teenage roles.

"Mercifully, I don’t expect to be around when he turns into a child star," he joked.

As a final token of appreciation for Khan, Tharoor added, "Congratulations on this unbelievable milestone, Shah Rukh! Please keep defying physics and biology, & confusing us all for many years to come."