As a #Fan, I’m so glad SRK’s performance in his latest movie is being appreciated. Ithas also got the best opening at the Box Office this year so far but that isn’t really important for me. Records are meant to be broken and the crore clubs don’t make sense to me if the movie isn’t worth it and makes big bucks only because it appeals to the masses.
It’s been a while as the actor’s last three releases were commercially viable but very average at best keeping the producers and distributors happy. It’s heartening to see the fifty year old self-made superstar in a mood to do different roles this year onwards. Later this year, he will be back with ‘Raees’ directed by National award-winning Rahul Dholakia (‘Parzania’) which just might turn out to be the ‘Agneepath’ of SRK’s film career. There is also Gauri Shinde’s film where he plays a love guru to a much younger Alia Bhatt. He will also be playing a dwarf in Aanand L. Rai’s next. And he will also be starring in my favourite director Imtiaz Ali’s film opposite Anushka Sharma. Clearly, SRK doesn’t seem to be giving much importance to the crores his movie will make. But it isn’t the first time he is experimenting. At a time when most other stars never took a risk, Mr. Khan did negative roles (‘Baazigar’, ‘Darr’, ‘Anjaam’) at the beginning of his career. It might just have gone wrong and he would never get lead roles.
While DDLJ gave him the first huge hit of his career, it also made him a household name. All girls wanted someone like Raj as a life partner and their mothers wanted a son-in-law like him. Other films followed (especially from the Yash Raj Banner and Dharma Productions) and Bollywood had found a new star- one who defined the epitome of love, romance and goodness. It was that time in the late 90s and early 2000s when one waited for these movies. The songs caught up much before the release and you would probably have the lyrics by heart by listening to the audio cassettes over and over again till you got to watch the magic unfold on the silver screen. You knew much before that it would be a blockbuster and that meant it would run for weeks and months; the business numbers weren’t exactly what made a movie hit or a blockbuster. In between, SRK did attempt movies like ‘Dil Se’, ‘Asoka’ or say, a special appearance in ‘Hey Ram’ but clearly, those didn’t work for him commercially.
Critical acclaim itself cannot sustain a star; one needs to draw the crowd to the theatres. ‘Swades’ didn’t;‘Chak De India’ did. Though if you ask me, I’d say both were brilliant but the former was a better movie. I think the time is right for King Khan to stand out once again and challenge himself with different roles, this when a lot has been written and said about him. His contemporaries’ (read the other two Khan-s) movies have been making more money than his for quite some time now and each time a newcomer delivers a big hit, the media goes on to state SRK has some serious competition. But his contemporaries had low phases too. Without making any personal remarks (I can as well have a debate with all the right facts), let me just opine that SRK can never have any competition- he is someone who has made his own luck and done it all by himself without having any godfather or sugar daddies in the film industry. Another actor, also his contemporary has been choosing some really good roles of late apart from making a mark as an action hero first and then, with his comic timing but mostly in mindless no-brainers. He too has made his own luck.
Thank You, SRK. Thank You for ‘Fan’. Take a bow for your performance. It will come as no surprise when you sweep all awards this year. Thank You for reinstating the fact that one has to be lucky to be at the right place at the right time but then again, Luck favours only the brave. Most others in the industry including newcomers might or might not have talent but they will never have credit because they are too used to be hogging the limelight because of their film families and links. You were, you are and you will also be the King of Bollywood. A true legend. The God of Cinema. Keep inspiring zillions of people.
– Your Biggest #Fan
Tags: Open Letter Open letter to SRK Shah Rukh Khan SRK
