What is it about Shahrukh Khan that Compels Both Men and Women to Adore Him?
Well, to answer that I’d probably say that it as much to do with who Shahrukh Khan is as a person, as much as
his films.
Shahrukh Khan is larger than life, and he is the reason I got interested in Bollywood seriously. I’d seen a few movies before, but it was his performance in Mohabbatein, playing opposite Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan, which first got my attention.
(I’m pretty sure Mohabbatein is a Hindi take on that ‘Carpe Diem’ school movie, the name of which escapes me—I haven’t seen it). I’ve been pretty much hooked on Bollywood ever since.
Shahrukh Khan (or Shah Rukh Khan—his name means ‘Prince-like-face’ and rightly so!) is the face of modern Bollywood—you cannot go 5 yards in any Indian city without seeing his face at least once! And not just India, a few years ago I saw him on a poster as the face of HSBC bank in London. In fact, his face is the number #1 most recognizable movie star's face around the world, bigger than any single Hollywood star.
Also, there doesn't seem to be any stigma in Bollywood on doing very varied endorsements. Not only is he a brand ambassador for Pepsi and Tag Heuer, but you can see his face on ads for just about anything (see pic further below).
But back to the movies...Shahrukh starred with Kajol in the longest running Bollywood movie of all time. It opened in 1995 and (to date) is still running at the same cinema in Bombay. It’s a great movie—the only downside is the Western costumes in the first half are getting a bit dated. (It’s not until the last 10 years or so that Indian fashion has started to synchronize with Western fashion.)
The movie is called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (if that’s too much of a mouthful, just call it DDLJ and everyone will know what you’re talking about. It roughly translates as “The one with heart will get the bride”.
He is known as the King of Bollywood for a reason, which you’ll know once you’ve watched DDLJ, Mohabbatein and a couple of others, (Veer-Zaara and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (or K3G), both of which score 5/5 from me and are worth many repeat viewings).
I only have one very reluctant critique about Shahrukh Khan’s acting, which I'll share in a minute.I have seen him as the hero in so many great movies and have it on good authority that he’s as awesome in real life—my friend Sandi has met him twice (pictured below) as she runs his
International Fan Club.
Here’s one example of how his real-life character comes out in his movies: Sandi told me that it’s his philosophy to regularly do movies which promote the cause of Indian women’s rights and freedoms.
So what’s not to like?....
Ok, it’s this. I really don’t like seeing him in negative roles. I have trouble seeing him as a villain, it just doesn’t seem real! And you know what, I don’t really care, I don’t want to see him that way—his heroic characters are so fantastic, I can’t get enough!
(I’m pretty sure Mohabbatein is a Hindi take on that ‘Carpe Diem’ school movie, the name of which escapes me—I haven’t seen it). I’ve been pretty much hooked on Bollywood ever since.
The movie is called Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (if that’s too much of a mouthful, just call it DDLJ and everyone will know what you’re talking about. It roughly translates as “The one with heart will get the bride”.
Here’s one example of how his real-life character comes out in his movies: Sandi told me that it’s his philosophy to regularly do movies which promote the cause of Indian women’s rights and freedoms.
