The descent of Shah Rukh Khan

People of Dresden like Shah Rukh Khan. Two reasons why I think so: first, the only Bollywood movies that get released here are his. First it was Raees and then Jab Harry Met Sejal. On both occasions, the theatre was filled with more Germans than Indians. Second, public library of Dresden has a Bollywood films section. Guess what you find in the first row? Veer Zaara, Asoka, Ra One(!!) and a 3-in-1 Shah Rukh Khan Edition. Hence proved! Now that I am surrounded by like-minded people, let me say something that I have never admitted publicly. I am an unabashed SRK admirer. Since childhood. Don’t confuse it with me liking his films. I hate Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (that untimely-mature teen, out to hitch her widower father, deserves a tight slap!). But it’s an absolute joy to watch him on screen- his super-expressive eyes, the perfect stutter and the killer smile (that Holi bit from Haule Haule!). He lights up the screen with his energetic act. My heart skips a beat just remembering his entry in Mast Kalandar from Heyy Babby. Also he is probably the only outspoken and boastful person I admire.

So it is with great pain that I write this- the actor I love has been missing for quite a while. His act doesn’t have the same energy and effortlessness any more. Call me crazy, but I blame this on his totally unnecessary six-pack stint in Om Shanti Om. I think that actors lose their naturally expressive faces while going through harsh physical change. Look at Don and Don 2 for example. Not only does he look a lot older in Don 2 but his dialogue delivery is laboured. Same for all subsequent films. He is also getting old. I can’t be disappointed in him for that. It’s actually sad to see visible signs of aging in people you grew up watching. My grouse is- instead of taking up roles that complement this change, he is trying too hard to fit into the mould he carved for himself two decades ago. The charm is still there but the zest of his younger years is missing. In Jab Harry Met Sejal, he looks like a degraded version of his older roles. Directors too want to cash in on his star power and not on his acting prowess. Since Swades and Chak De, the peaks of his illustrious career, he has seldom done films that require serious acting chops. Dear Zindagi gives hope that he will balance his choices with some sensible cinema. 

I can’t fault him for trying to hold onto his superstardom. Amitabh Bachchan, too, did that unsuccessfully, playing young hero in 90’s, before he reclaimed his throne playing older roles. It reassures me that Shah Rukh Khan may not be at his best today, but he will rise again. Here’s to the hope that we’ll once again get to see the actor at his peak potential. Rest assured that I will watch his next film, religiously, when it releases in Dresden.