Race to the top

Race to the Top | 2008-10-15

The heroes slug it out for the Numero Uno position

As we all know in B-Town all the actors are more interested in running a race to reach the top spot, earning the mega bucks and being number one!


Every second day there's news about some superstar signing multi crore deals with big corporate houses. Such is the importance of the 'superstar' status!

So much so that at the end of the day, acting takes a back seat. Although it should have been actually the other way round, that's how it has been and is likely to be for long!

SRK has been the unchallenged baadshah of Bollywood for long with every film of his doing good business. Even senseless potboilers like 'Don' and 'Om Shanti Om' have raked in the moolah.


That very well explains why the King Khan chose to keep up with his habit of doing silly big budget movies with no substance along with his rare sensible flicks like 'Swades' and 'Chak De' which actually showed that he too can act.

But with the rise of King Kumar, the competition for SRK is pretty intense. This has sort of made the hardworking Khan work extra hard on 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and his home production 'Billo Barber'.

Now Akshay Kumar's one guy who has become super lucky lately what with all his inane movies left, right and centre turning into blockbusters!


Except for 'Tashan', of late all his unsubstantial movies like 'Namastey London', 'Heyy Babyy', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa', 'Welcome' and 'Singh Is Kinng' have done mind blowing business. Not that he's acted well in any of them.

He's been doing the same things year after year and after about fifteen years in the industry he's realized that he can win audiences over by doing a mish mash of comedy, action and drama in all his movies!

Good for him with his market price soaring sky high! As for the elite set of audience, they sure must be tormented to death just like me.

Now the guy has biggies like 'Chandni Chowk To China', 'Kambakth Ishq' and 'Blue' coming up and chances are these too would be declared super duper hits before release!


In short, this one's a star, not an actor.

Bad boy Salman Khan who again is another actor who has survived with his trademark monkey style for years is a part of the big Khans. Although after Akki overshadowed him in 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi', things haven't been too good for him!

Duds like 'Jaan-E-Mann', 'Baabul', 'Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love', 'Marigold: An Adventure in India', 'Saawariya', 'God Tussi Great Ho' followed which have ensured that he remains behind Akki!

Then too the success of the terrible headache inducer 'Partner' has kept him very much in the race. Now his 'Khan'daan is lobbying hard to declare their horrendous 'Hello' where he guest starred as a hit.

If 'Heroes', 'Yuvvraaj', 'Wanted Dead and Alive', 'Main Aur Mrs. Khanna' end up doing well in the future, he could very well become a threat to Akki and new enemy Shah Rukh( which I am sure he must be secretly trying for).


The other Khan, Saif, was never taken seriously with all his movies flopping till 'Dil Chahta hai', 'Kal Ho Na Ho' and his first solo hit in the form of 'Hum Tum' happened for which he even surprisingly got the National Award followed by a good negative act in 'Omkara'.

Well, spending donkey's years in B-Town at last taught him some acting in life!

But the man's on shaky ground again with super flops in the form of 'Ta Ra Rum Pum', 'Tashan' and 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic.' Maybe that's why he's working so hard on his production house and is trying to produce meaningful films for himself!

Same goes for Ajay Devgan who's concentrating more on production and direction, so that he remains a part of the big league.


Well, being choosy in Bollywood is really like a gamble since it doesn't take long for the audiences to forget an actor completely. Aamir Khan is probably the only truly intelligent actor who doesn't give a hoot about the number game.

After almost a four year sabbatical his 'Mangal Pandey' came in 2005. Though the movie had nothing good to offer (other than Aamir's acting), he has made sure that he gives the audiences well made movies time and again.

There was 'Rang De Basanti', his directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par', even 'Fanaa' and the one he produced for his nephew Imran Khan, 'Jaane tu... ya Jaane Na'. That's how things should be but not every actor has the intelligence, sensibility or the perfectionist ways of Aamir.

Akshaye Khanna seemed to be a promising actor once upon a time but after choices like 'Aap Ki Khatir', 'Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love', 'Naqaab', 'Aaja Nachle', 'Race', 'Mere Baap Pehle Aap', his career strategy very well looks doubtful now.


However Hrithik Roshan hasn't fared badly by being choosy. His movies 'Krissh', 'Dhoom 2' and 'Jodhaa Akbar' which have come after long gaps have all done well and he's managed to court fans with his looks and personality.

Abhishek Bachchan is a curious case though. Most of his films have deservingly been declared flops. He has just done a little bit of commendable work in 'Guru' and the 'Sarkar' series but is still considered a star!

Looks like Daddy's megastar status since ages and even at 60 plus has cast the spell for him!

Amitabh Bachchan is the only actor who doesn't stop giving tough competition to all the heroes even at his age!


If Anil Kapoor continues to look young and act young, he too might end up as the next Bachchan Sr.

After all, the whole game is driven by big films and hits!

Youngsters Ranbir Kapoor and Imran Khan are already considered a part of the big league, thanks to their roots and the hype around their debut films which helped them to bag many more big flicks.

They sure are blessed and with the kind of guidance they have, chances are, they will be the ones who will take over!

All have done good work and appeals to different people..hritik, srk and salman i like alot and their work. NO1 is just a title really to be honest looking at careers srks have the biggest hits and is no1 for me.