The mega success of the ‘Pathaan’ movie has reinforced the idea that Shah Rukh Khan cannot be written off. While the last few years, especially the year 2022, were the worst of times for him, the period was equally challenging for his fans who, however, remained firm, unyielding to give away an inch of the kingdom of their ‘Baadshah’.
With the OTT platforms ruling the roost in the entertainment industry for the last couple of years, many had declared the time was over for Shah Rukh Khan as also none of his films had come up for four consecutive years. Even I was convinced of SRK being the last superstar of Bollywood – though I consider him above this rank which he transcended over a decade ago and has since transformed into an emotion. And it was this emotion (among his fans) that stood up to those at the helm of hate and made them kneel down before the power of love. His comeback, with such grandeur, has been reassuring to not only his millions of fans but all those who had lost hope of love triumphing over hate. The actor stood the test of the time with all honour and dignity notwithstanding a plethora of vicious media campaigns against him.
Shah Rukh Khan is an institution that shaped the psyche of the youth of India. Whether they call him Baazigar, Baadshah, Devdas or Veer; this Raj kept swaying our hearts and minds as we ‘90s kids grew up. And we cannot get enough of his wit and wisdom – from silencing his (politically) motivated critics to deconstructing the agenda of the merchants of hate.
Bollywood has become more than a cinema; now it is the reflection of our times. The audiences’ response to various genres of content points to the mood and direction of the masses – even the ideology, as has been revealed through many politically-driven and propaganda-based movies. Ironically, the boycott culture (of films) was restricted to a few actors and filmmakers who apparently refused to be part of the politically-driven content. SRK along with many others had to sail through this, and he emerged victorious, through grit and grace and without making noise. This is the spirit that made him an inspiration for a generation. That man must be regretting saying “Who is Shah Rukh Khan”?
(Author is Sub-Editor, Rising Kashmir. Feedback at [email protected])
