“Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin hai,” Shah Rukh Khan says in his 2006 release Don. I say, actors and artists may come and go, but the Badshah of Bollywood will always be King Khan. No one can match him.
In A World Full Of Actors & Artists, SRK Will Always Be The Badshah; A Fangirl Story
Shah Rukh Khan is not just the name of an Indian actor but has many emotions connected with him. You may or may not like his role in a film, but you cannot resist admiring him. Such is the magnetism of SRK that he has been able to earn love beyond any man-made demarcations.
- Krati Purwar
- Editorial
- Updated - 2023-02-09, 17:33 IST
The Hindi and Indian film industries have produced a long list of superstars – Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhubala, Devanand, Madhuri Dixit, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Dilip Kumar, Allu Arjun, Rekha, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Akshay Kumar and more. They all have massive fan followings, and people love them dearly. However, I believe that it is Shah Rukh whose fan base is beyond any man-made borders.
On January 25, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan was released and earned ₹100 crores worldwide within one day. On its opening day, the film broke more than five records in the category of Hindi and Indian films combined. Though the film has Deepika Padukone and John Abraham as leads beside Khan, everyone, including fans and media, was fixated on the Badshah of Bollywood.
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I do not say it with the aim to pull anyone down. I have seen the film, and Padukone and Abrahm were equally at par with SRK when it came to acting, action sequences, and dancing. However, such is the aura of SRK that even the film’s marketing team played on his name to promote the film with multiple #AskSRK sessions on Twitter.
With this fangirl account, this is my small tribute to an actor whom I have grown up watching. I must admit that he was surely not my first celebrity crush, but definitely someone I gradually started respecting. He is one of those people whom you might not fall in love with instantly but cannot resist adoring.
In this article, I will tell you why I think Shah Rukh Khan will always be the Badshah of the film fraternity across the globe. I will try my best to establish why SRK’s appeal goes beyond his films and stardom.
Shah Rukh Khan Is Anything But Arrogant
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People might be divided on the basis of religion, caste, class, creed, nations and even continents, but they have a small corner in their hearts that solely belongs to SRK. Shah Rukh Khan is an actor, artist and businessman for sure, but Khan’s magnetic pull is not simply because of his films. The decades that he has spent in the Hindi film industry or the crores he has earned in his journey are not it either. It is something that SRK has earned over time with his generosity, kindness, modesty, sense of humour and utmost wit.
While writing these adjectives, I am reminded of an old interview of Khan with a journalist in which he asked him why some people in the 90s called him arrogant. Witty as he is, SRK replied, “They cannot call me a womaniser, alcoholic, money hoarder, drug addict, badtameez (ill-mannered), therefore, they call me arrogant.”
Though I never had the good luck to meet him in person my perception is that he is anything but arrogant. From all the Rahuls he has played on the silver screen to all the times he has managed to make me smile with his signature open arms, and even the controversies surrounding him or his family have never been able to tarnish his image to me or his ardent fans.
Khan’s Journey Across Borders
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Shah Rukh Khan started his career in 1989, a time when Indian streets were engulfed in the crossfire between Hindus and Muslims. He always wanted to join the Indian Army, but we are glad he chose to entertain us via his films.
He started in Fauji, a television series in which he played a soldier. For those who do not know, Khan’s father was a freedom fighter who came and settled in India from Peshawar, Pakistan.
The actor grew up in Delhi, and his calling was always Bombay, Mumbai today. He might have come here after his love, Gauri Khan, but decided to stay and make a career in the Hindi film industry.
After working for more than three decades in Hindi films, Khan has starred in over 100 films. He has played almost every kind of role one can anticipate. From a lover boy, soldier, and comedian to a stalker, a differently-abled person, and spy, he has always added a bit of himself to every character he has ever played.
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Now I do not say that every film of Khan’s is my favourite and I believe even SRK would not ever say that. He has delivered many flops and hits. He has always believed, “Jo filmein chali woh achchi thi, jo nahin chali, wo achchi nahi thi (Films that were hit were good ones, that were flops, they were the bad ones).”
What stuck with me was when he said, “No actor can rise above their films,”is perhaps why SRK has always remained grounded despite enjoying such popularity in India as well as abroad.
He is someone who has made fun of the characters he has played. When he was invited to deliver ‘Life Lessons’ at The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, he made fun of the plots of his own films. You would remember one of his interviews where he confessed that he would not like a Rahul from Dil Toh Pagal Hai to be anywhere near his daughter, Suhana Khan.
He had never tried to explain why he played a character or why his fans must understand his role. In his recent interaction with the media after the humongous success of Pathaan, he said that films are nothing beyond entertainment. He makes films to entertain people and earn their love in return.
Controversies & Silent Rebellion
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Shah Rukh Khan is no saint, and I admit it. Even he admits it. “Human nature is grey,” SRK once said these wise words. We all are aware of his fight at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
You must have also heard about his alleged relationship with actor Priyanka Chopra. Though both denied it, rumours were rife. In many interviews, Khan came forward and defended, not himself, but Chopra. He confessed that the alleged reportage did have an impact on him but he was more worried about his co-star who was “my dear friend and very close to my heart.” He added that it all happened because Chopra was his co-star.
“We rush into giving names to relationships without understanding them at times.”
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Khan did not charge the media or blurted out anything for the sake of it. He has a tendency to speak in measured words. With son Aryan Khan’s arrest in the drug case in October 2021, all eyes were on Shah Rukh. Everyone expected him to be enraged and give media interviews one after the other.
However, Khan did the opposite. He ditched the media completely and never spoke on the subject even after Aryan was released. He might address it in the future or not. But the way he and his family were targeted, I am glad that he maintained his dignity.
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Shah Rukh Khan Is Not Apolitical
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In the political atmosphere in which we are living today, most celebrities try to play safe, in fact, they all have been playing safe for quite some time. I do not blame them because the vast nature of social media has more trolls and goons than sensible people trying to have a mature conversation on any subject.
But I also believe this scenario existed in India even before Twitter and Instagram. Shah Rukh Khan is a learned person. He has always been outspoken on political issues until people trying to sell fake news started twisting his words to bolster their agenda, create a trend and make money out of it.
When Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge succeeded at the Box Office, an interviewer asked Shah Rukh to describe his role in the film. He called it, “Bourgeoisie suppression of proletarians.” Those who have studied Marxist Theory and watched the film would understand his witty reply.
What I love about him is that even though some of the roles that he has played were quite patriarchal, Khan himself has always been a feminist (might not be an ideal one, but who is). He has always advocated for the rights and equality of women.
In 2013, he pledged that the names of actresses would be shown first in the credits of his films ahead of his name. In a conference at the World Economic Forum, Khan advocated for “Harsher punishments for oppressors in India,” while pointing out that 85% of acid attack victims are women.
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In an interview with journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Khan spoke about intolerance among youth. He said that people have become impatient. He pointed out that people glorified his interreligious marriage with Gauri, but according to SRK, that should have been normal.
You must remember the unnecessary call for boycotting Pathaan because of Deepika Padukone’s saffron bikini. Though SRK no longer says anything directly, he mentioned in a media interaction that he makes films to spread happiness, brotherhood, love, and kindness. “Nobody ever makes any movie to hurt the sentiments of any community or any person.”
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From his core, Shah Rukh Khan is an embodiment of the secularism that the Constitution of India promotes. There are numerous reasons why I love Shah Rukh Khan, but as I conclude this piece, I just have one more thing to add – "Apni kursi ki peti bandh le (fasten your seat belts)," because SRK is not going anywhere. Here’s hoping he goes on to entertain us for decades to come.
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