Shah Rukh Khan
His name means Face of a King. In current times, if someone can claim to be the uncrowned king of showbiz, then it’s him alright. According to the recently released Wealth X celebrity list, with a net worth of 600 million dollars, SRK is the second richest actor in the world. That’s wealth worthy of kings alright. He has won eight Filmfare Awards so far and has tied with the doyen of Indian films, Dilip Kumar, on that spot. Again, it’s a feat worthy of kings. But the king was a commoner once. An outsider who entered the film arena without the support of any Godfather. But thanks to a combination of hard work, luck and determination, became one for many…
TV’s Mr Big
Shah Rukh was big on TV when TV meant just Doordarshan in the late ’80s. There weren’t these 400 channels that we are so accustomed to now. It was a time of monochromatic screens blaring out government sanctioned fare. When owning colour TV was a luxury. When Chitrahaar ruled the airwaves and Krishi Darshan
was given a prime time slot. But despite the constraints, some serials did manage to hook the audience. Fauji (1988) was one such serial. And SRK, with his ‘I care a damn for the establishment’, became the coolest soldier ever. People watched the serial just for him. The plotline became secondary. He became TV’s first genuine superstar, with 80-year-old-grannies and eight-year-old tykes recognising his specialness and marking him out for greater deeds. He also appeared in Doosra Keval (1989), Aziz Mirza’s Circus (1989), where Ashutosh Gowariker was his co-star; and Mani Kaul’s mini-series Idiot (1991), where he was critically appreciated. He was flooded with offers but left them all to play a bigger game.
Rebel star
Marriage brought him luck. He got married to long-time girlfriend Gauri Chibber in 1991 and got an offer from Hema Malini to act in her directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai (1992). However, he was first seen earlier that year in the blockbuster Deewana, where despite the presence of established star Rishi Kapoor, he got away with the accolades playing the rebellious son of a rich father who falls for a widow. The masses got a glimpse of the obsessive lover he was to later play with perfection in films like Darr (1993) and later Baazigar (1993). The anti-hero was never a hit with the Indian audience. Amitabh Bachchan had tried being one in Parwana (1971) and even Dilip Kumar had to suffer a rare flop in Amar (1954). Shah Rukh broke the jinx with his flawed lover act in both films. His catchphrase K…K…K…Kiran from Darr became an anthem for lovers and stalkers alike. India had just opened up its shores to globalisation. There was a disconnect with old norms and a compulsion to get the girl at any cost fared well with the fever to get success at any cost. He took obsession even further with Anjaam (1994) where Madhuri Dixit matched his madness step for step. However, he became India’s most loved romantic lead in 1995, thanks to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), and things were never the same again.
Blame it on Yash Raj
Yash Chopra, who had dared to cast him as the anti-hero in Darr, now turned the clock around and made Shah Rukh the epitome of the ‘good’ hero in his son’s Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut, DDLJ. Raj was rich but wasn’t spoilt beyond repair. He was the second generation NRI, who secretly respected the cultural values of his father. Who was such a non-rebel that he would rather win over the family of his beloved than break their hearts by eloping with her. It was a 360 degree transformation for Shah Rukh and the crowds loved it. The film completed 900 weeks at the Maratha Mandir theatre of Mumbai and is still going strong. Theatre owner Manoj Desai was quoted saying that he would never pull it down That’s some staying power for sure. The film’s success made SRK the blue-eyed boy of the NRI audience. A whole sub genre of ‘NRI’ films got spawned, with him starring as the Punjabi boy from South Hall or South Bronx and teaching India and Indians a thing or two about their own culture. Pairi pauna became hip once more. Films such as Subhash Ghai’s Pardes (1997), Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G, 2001), Kal Ho Na Ho (2003), Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK, 2006) and My Name Is Khan (MNIK, 2010) tried to convey what it meant to be a global Indian in an ever changing world. SRK became the perfect global hero. DDLJ also provided us with one of the most refreshing, most convincing pair of screen lovers. SRK and Kajol looked made for each other in the film and followed up the act successfully in films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), K3G and MNIK. Their pairing became the hallmark for success. Even today, rumours of them being cast together raises the stock of the filmmaker concerned.
Different strokes
It’s not as if he didn’t try to be different. In Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se… (1998) he played a man in love with a suicide bomber. In Kamal Hassan’s Hey Ram! he was a Pathan who remains loyal to the idea of being an Indian despite the persecution during the Partition. Josh (2000), saw him playing a street smart Goan youth, while Santosh Sivan’s Asoka (2001) had him playing the famous Indian ruler. In Devdas (2002), he took on the mantle of the doomed lover created by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, while in Paheli (2005), he played a ghost in love with a mortal woman. It was in Swades (2004) that he came the closest to playing the modern day NRI. As Mohan Bhargava, the NASA scientist, who returns to solve the problems of grassroots India, he represented scores of successful entrepreneurs and intellectuals who yearned to come back to their homeland and do something to take it forward. And in Chak De! India, he played Kabir Khan, a character apparently based on the life of Mir Ranjan Negi, the ill-fated goalkeeper accused of match fixing when the Indian team lost out 7-1 to Pakistan at the 1982 Asian games. SRK’s stubble, his body language and his angst all bore out the credentials of a broken man out to redeem himself. The role is considered one of his strongest performances ever. In MNIK, he played a man suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome and won accolades for it despite the melodramatic structure of the film. In (2013), he took constant digs at himself and his trademark dialogue and expressions, even confessing that he was a 40-year-old trying to be 25.
Making it large
Throughout his career, SRK has set out to define style. In KKHH, for example, the DKNY clothes worn by him made people write to their NRI relatives or rely on their favourite bootleg store to get similar togs. The jackets and coats from K3G, the turtle necks from Mohabbatein, the retro cool of Om Shanti Om – all found takers worldwide. The discreet bespoke Savile Row suit didn’t count any more, it was the designer label that mattered. His films are mounted on unheard of budgets. Devdas (2002) for example, had cost around ` 50 crore, a princely sum then. His RA.One allegedly made on a budget of ` 150 crore, is considered as one of the costliest Indian films. Everything becomes larger-than-life because his name is associated with it. And the same goes for his collections as well. Chennai Express for instance, earned some ` 422 crores worldwide. His IPL team KKR, is the richest franchise in the format. He was recently awarded the Legion Of Honour, France’s highest civilian award, by the French Government. One runs dry of superlatives while counting his achievements. Some say it’s this opulent quality that has gone against him, that has kept him out of bounds of art house banners and directors. After achieving greatness the hard way, SRK shouldn’t become its victim. He is shrewd enough not to have greatness thrust upon him. He has always managed to surprise us and might manage to do so many more times in his career. Today, he might be 48 but the narrative is far from over, picture abhi baaki hai…