Will SRK still be king at 50?, 28.10.05
AT THE turn of the millenium, Shah Rukh Khan could do no wrong. His appearance alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham (2001) placed him, in the minds of movie fans, as the successor to the legendary Bachchan in popularity. The Big B even referred to him as the Badshah [king] of Bollywood.
But 2005 has been a terrible year for Shah Rukh. A reputation for no-shows at concerts, a cold war with Yash Raj films that has led to a lack of major projects next year, a panning of his films by critics and a trend of directors casting younger [and whisper it, cheaper] male actors, is taking the shine off the star.
You can tell it has been a bad year when the decision that a film you starred in – Paheli – has been nominated to represent India at the Oscars is met with dismay and ridicule.
Does Shah Rukh have the longevity to emulate the great actor Bachchan, who celebrated his 63rd birthday last month? As the star celebrates his 40th birthday on November 2, EE asks, will he still be Badshah at 50?
Two of his films in 2004, Yeh Lamhe Judai Ke and Swades, bombed big time at the box office. On the other hand, his other two major films last year, Main Hoon Na and Veer-Zaara did well. There was criticism when his flop film in 2005, Paheli, was chosen to be India's nomination to the Oscars for the foreign film category, when there were perhaps more deserving films such as Parineeta, Black and Hazaar Khwahishein Aisi.
Then again, the actor has won six Filmfare awards for Best Actor since his career began in the early '90s.
"Shah Rukh is sensitive, intelligent, artistic and extremely charming. He never tries to disguise the fact that he enjoys his success. He is one of the most intelligent actors we have and understands the market better than any other star," said Bhawana Somaaya, editor of Indian film magazine Screen.
Mahima Choudhary, who made her debut with the star in the hit film Pardes, said, "I don't think his looks have anything to do with it. He has a genuine smile, sparkling eyes and a tremendous screen presence which makes people love him.
"He enjoys what he does and gives it 100 per cent."
His career has its share of hiccups, with flop films such as King Uncle (1993), Anjaam (1994), Oh Darling, Yeh Hai India (1995), Trimurti (1995), English Babu Desi Mem (1996) Koyla (1997), Yeh Lamhe Judai Ke (2004) and Swades (2004).
Shah Rukh has had to deal with persistent rumours about his sexuality from the beginning of his career, and when he appeared in a beauty soap advertisment this year, lying in bath filled with rose petals, gossip-mongers had a field day. The family man has consistently denied these allegations.
And he was criticised for allowing organisers to charge fans 175 to compete for the chance to ask him a question and have a picture taken with him at a show in Leicester this year. The show was cancelled, with excuses ranging from low ticket sales to security concerns.
In addition, some of the films his company Dreamz Unlimited produced, such as Asoka and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani failed miserably.
So how does he always manage to bounce back?
"The reasons for his success are simple – pure charisma, tremendous confidence, high energy levels and great acting ability. The masses adore anyone they think they can be like. Here is an average-looking guy who acts, dances, does stunts and also wins the girl. And today, he has no competition," said a former India newspaper editor.
Most agree that his sincerity and will to work hard are among the reasons he has remained at the top.
"He will do anything that is required for a film. If he says he will jump off a building for a scene, he means it. He is hardworking and he is determined to entertain people and give them their money's worth," said Shashi Baliga, editor of Filmfare magazine. "He is certainly going to be around for some time. I do not think he will face a dearth of scripts. The roles Shah Rukh does these days are quite different from the ones he did a few years ago. This is because people write scripts to suit his age. People also write roles for Amitabh Bachchan. Nobody else but Bachchan could have played the role in Black and that was written for him."
"I think he will be successful for at least the next five years. But he is too intelligent a man to want to be only an actor. He has produced movies. Maybe in the future, he will get into direction or he may write his memoirs," said Somaaya.
"He certainly does not look 40 and his energy has not died down. I wish him a happy birthday and I hope he does a lot more films," added Mahima.
"Amitabh Bachchan started with the Angry Young Man roles and then did several romantic roles. Shah Rukh has always been a romantic hero. Amitabh Bachchan is a phenomenon and such a phenomenon comes along only once in a hundred years. We will have to wait and see if Shah Rukh will be as successful," said an EE source in Bollywood.
A word of warning for Shah Rukh, though. It was only when Bachchan's personality, rather than the plot, started to dominate his films, coupled with a unsuccessful period as an MP from Allahabad and the debts run up by his production company, ABCL, did the wheels begin to fall off for the Big B. If it wasn't for the Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) gameshow, would the Amitabh Bachchan franchise have survived?
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