There is a segment in Netflix India’s docuseries The Romantics, in which Shah Rukh Khan recalls how he came to Bollywood to be an action star in the mould of his idol Amitabh Bachchan. Beating up bad guys, walking with swag, and being all badass was anybody’s idea of being a superstar in those days. (Also Read – Shah Rukh Khan’s favourite film isn’t DDLJ, K3G, Mohabbatein, or Devdas, but a box office flop: ‘He hates love stories’)
It was Yash Chopra who convinced him otherwise, saying his ‘eyes should not be wasted on just action’. Shah Rukh ended up becoming the ultimate romantic hero of Hindi films, and also the superstar he wanted to be. But while he achieved success with these Rahul and Raj characters, Shah Rukh never really left the desire to be more.
More than just a romantic hero
It is clear that Shah Rukh has never wanted the romantic icon tag, even though he loves it, particularly the adoration that comes with it. In Nasreen Munni Kabir’s insightful documentary The Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan, the actor said he saw himself as an employee of Shah Rukh Khan, the actor, the brand. Over the last 30 years, all his efforts and choices have been for the brand. But every once in a while, the desires of the real Shah Rukh overpower that calculative mind.
Even after he became the number one star in Bollywood, courtesy his romantic roles, he yearned for more. He tried being an action star with One 2 Ka 4 and Badshah; he tried to be taken seriously as an actor with Swades and My Name Is Khan; and occasionally, he even tried to give his kids what they wanted with outings like Ra.One. He also managed to convince the Chopras to give him a fight scene in DDLJ, of all films. But all the audiences wanted from him was that he stand in the Swiss Alps, open his arms, and serenade a chiffon saree-clad heroine. And that is what he did film after film, and we loved him for it.
Is the Rahul-Raj era behind us?
At 59, Shah Rukh no longer cares for that image. Yes, he will still open his arms wide when he meets his fans on the Mannat platform. It’s all for them, after all. Yes, he will still recite the Jab Tak Hai Jaan poem or a line from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai at an event to a blushing host. It makes for good TV (and Reels). But on the big screen, the man wants to do what he wants. For his comeback, he chose the two most un-SRK films imaginable: Pathaan and Jawan. Both mid action films worked only because the actor infused his wit and charm into the characters, and his starved fans went berserk.
If rumours about his next – King – being spiritually similar to Leon The Professional are true, then it is clear that the veteran star is now living his childhood dream – of being an action star. And if King works, more such offers will come his way. Rajinikanth and Mammootty have shown the blueprint of how actors can be action superstars even in their 60s and 70s. Shah Rukh may follow suit. The question then is, will we ever see Raj or Rahul on screen again? The answer, we don’t need to. Shah Rukh has reinvented himself in line with the changing times. Maybe he wants his legacy to be more than just the King of Romance. And we are all with him on this ride.
