(This article is authored by Alar)

Shah Rukh Khan, the king of Bollywood, has been given a royal upgrade in his security cover by the Maharashtra government. The superstar, who has been receiving death threats from unknown sources, will now be provided with Y-plus security, which means he will be guarded by 11 armed personnel around the clock.

The state home department took the decision on October 5, after reviewing the intelligence inputs about the possible danger to Shah Rukh’s life.  As per TOI, The state home department has sent a letter to senior police officers and departments, including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), on October 5, asking them to provide Y-plus security to actor Shah Rukh Khan.

The letter reads, “In view of the recent imminent and probable threat to actor Shah Rukh Khan, all unit commanders are requested to provide Y + with an escort scale of security on payment basis with immediate effect, till next high level committee recommendation and review committee decision, during his visit/engagements and stay in your jurisdiction to avoid any untoward incident.”

The actor, who has been ruling the box office with his recent hits Jawan and Pathaan, will have five armed guards at his home and six personal security officers (PSOs) working in three shifts whenever he steps out. Shah Rukh is not the only Bollywood star who has been given such high-level protection.

His friend and film rival Salman Khan also has Y-plus security earlier, owing to the threats from the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Other celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Anupam Kher have X category security coverage, which entitles them to three PSOs in three shifts 24 hours a day.

Shah Rukh’s security team previously consisted of only two police constables. The government decided to increase his security level because the review committee, which assesses the risk to celebrities every year and changes their police protection accordingly, was occupied with keeping the peace during the festival season.

Shah Rukh Khan delivered two consecutive films that crossed the Rs 1000 crore mark worldwide in one year. His first release of 2023, Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand, was a spy thriller that also starred Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. The film broke several records and became the highest grossing Hindi film of all time with a worldwide collection of Rs 1050 crore.

His second release of the year, Jawan, directed by Atlee, was an action drama that also featured Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara and Deepika Padukone in a special cameo. The film received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and surpassed Pathaan’s worldwide record in just 23 days of its release. Jawan has now collected over Rs 1103 crore globally, making it the second highest grossing Hindi film of all time.

Shah Rukh Khan has now become the only Bollywood star to deliver two 1000-plus grossers in one year. He has also contributed to the revival of Bollywood after more than two years of slump due to the pandemic. His fans are eagerly waiting for his third release of the year, Dunki, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, which will clash with Prabhas starrer Salaar at the box office on December 22.