Can Bollywood look beyond Khans for big hits?

Can Bollywood look beyond Khans for big hits?

New Delhi: Two of the Khan trio of the Hindi film industry have crossed 46 and the third will follow them in a couple of months, but the box office has not yet been able to look beyond them to generate good revenue.

The first three money spinners of all times in Bollywood belong to Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan. In fact the list of top ten money grossers has most of the films done by these actors only.

Does it mean that the commercial aspect of Hindi cinema will keep relying on these ageing stars for long?


Is there anything called second rung in Bollywood?

If yes, then would they be able to take over before Khans celebrate golden jubilee?

Hrithik Roshan seems to be the one leading the race among the generation next actors. With a flexible body and charming looks, Hrithik is undoubtedly a fine actor. 'Lakshya', 'Guzaarish' and 'Jodha Akbar' have given some insights into the latent potential Hrithik has but will he be able to pull off a film like 'Bodyguard', where the only thing at work was the sheer star power.

Hrithik has the image of a thinking actor which makes him endear to a certain class of movie goers but the same fact restricts him from becoming the mass hero.

Shahid Kapoor tried to bank upon the massive publicity drive typically associated with Khans in 'Mausam' and it provided a good opening too but the film did not excel in the longer run. On the other hand, 'Ready', 'Bodyguard' and 'RA.One' became hits in just ten days despite average rating given by the critics. 'Mausam' also had mixed reviews but the lack of a dedicated fan base pulled the strings back.

Ranbir Kapoor is growing well and upcoming 'Rockstar' looks promising but his film career is still nascent. It will take him some time to prove the true blue mettle and fetch people from the tightly closed audience base of Khans.

Bollywood's very own 'Tom Hanks', Ajay Devgn has given successful as well as good films at regular intervals but he never became a mass star. Mega success of 'Singham' has brought Devgn in the elite league of money gatherers but his age is not on his side.

Akshay Kumar, who was once viewed as the chief rival of Khans, has somehow lost his way. Kumar is one of the highest paid actors but he does not seem to be as dependable as some of his contemporaries. His forthcoming films such as 'Once Upon A Time in Mumbai 2' and 'Rowdy Rathore' don't give the impression of being the sole runner as Salman Khan's eagerly awaited 'Ek Tha Tiger', Hrithik's 'Agneepath', Shah Rukh's 'Don 2' and Aamir Khan's 'Dhuaan' are slated to go public in the coming months.

It's the perfect time for the rise of another superstar because none of the Khans can play the quintessential lover boy or angry against the system type of characters anymore. The baggage of old image would make it more difficult for them to experiment at this stage.

The Hindi cinema industry is undergoing a transition phase where directors are either coming up with happy-go-lucky and Switzerland-Canada type of stories or with pure 'desi' plots.

The actor, who can control both the horses with ease, will be the next champion of hearts, a feat that Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan had dreamt of achieving in their formative years as actors.

Producers with heavy pockets are likely to depend on Khans till that supernova emerges.

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