Arjun Shahi, Kathmandu
Shah Rukh Khan, who gave hit films like ‘Pathan’ and ‘Jawan’ this year, is celebrating his 58th birthday today. The film career journey of the famous superstar Shah Rukh is very interesting. Shah Rukh made his debut in Bollywood cinema with ‘Deewana’. With this film released in 1992, Shah Rukh was able to leave an impression on the audience.
When ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Dar’ starring Shah Rukh were released. Shahrukh’s career began to rise with these films doing well at the box office. Today Shahrukh is known by many as the ‘Romance King’. However, Shah Rukh tasted success not through romance but by becoming an anti-hero. Shahrukh’s journey that started with ‘Baazigar’ as an anti-hero in 1993 has reached ‘Jawaan’.This means that Shah Rukh has traveled two types of anti-heroes in a span of three decades.
Global romantic hero, How did Shah Rukh become a global romantic hero from an anti-hero? In an interview with BBC Hindi, film journalist Namrata Joshi says, ‘Shah Rukh’s anti-hero emotion in Baazigar Aar Dar was inspired by his love for a girl. However, he later dropped this negative image. And, a beautiful, cosmopolitan, and urban adopt the face of a romantic hero.’After ‘Zero’ flopped, Shahrukh stayed away from films for four years.
He came back through ‘Pathan’ after being away to bring himself again in a new form. Journalist Joshi also said that Shah Rukh was able to re-establish himself through Pathan and Jawan.”It is a new thing for Hindi cinema that in the conditions we live in, Shahrukh openly challenges power in a film like Jawan,” she says, “It is remarkable to adopt such an anti-government stance.” He is an anti-hero for his girlfriend in ‘Baazigar’ and then an anti-hero against the entire power and system in ‘Jawan’. There is a fundamental difference between the two. Which reflects Shah Rukh’s journey. When the film ‘Baazigar’ was released, no one expected that the new hero would play the role of a killer without any particular flaws. However, that film made Shah Rukh popular. Trying to break stereotypesFilm historian Amrit Gangar says, “So, Shah Rukh left Leek and started with Manikaul’s film Ahmak.” And, he played in films like Maya ‘Mem Sahab’. He also did serials like Circus. But Bajigar is a great commercial that was a hit.
Established him in the role of anti-hero. He also called Shah Rukh an actor who broke stereotypes.“I see it as a testament to Shahrukh Khan’s acting ability, it shows his range. It also shows Shah Rukh’s ability to break the stereotypes seen in Bollywood casting. Yash Chopra also gave him a negative role in ‘Dar’ which was considered taboo for a hero at that time.’The character of ‘Baazigar’ was so dark that many big actors refused to play the role. Despite being new to the industry, it was Shahrukh who showed the guts to take this gamble. A month after Baazigar, Shah Rukh was seen in the role of a mentally unstable young man in Yash Raj Chopra’s Fear. In the film, one-sided love drives him to the point of insanity. Those who become a danger to themselves and those who love them. The character played by Shah in Dar. The role was earlier given to Rishi Kapoor. In his autobiography ‘Khullam Khulla’, Rishi wrote, ‘When Yash Chopra told me about the role in the film Dar. I said I couldn’t do justice to the role of the villain. Because in the movie ‘Khoj’ II played a negative role. It flopped. You can take Shah Rukh, I have worked with him and he is a capable and smart guy. Then the film went to Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn. Neither of them didn’t do it, finally, Shah Rukh did that role.’Be it, Vicky, from ‘Baazigar’ or Rahul from ‘Dar’. Shahrukh’s work in both the characters should generally make you feel disgusted. However, there was a contradiction in both these films, in which the audience did not favor Sunny Deol or any of the other characters in the film, but Shahrukh. Credit to the screenwriter or the director, people only remember Shahrukh on screen.
A decade of change Amrit Gangar says, “The 1990s was a decade of change. People could relate to Shahrukh’s personality. These negative roles of Shah Rukh were mixed with feelings of love and sensuality. There was a kind of madness in these roles, which young people were looking for.’However, many criticized the film for calling the character tactless. But, juggle or fear. In both, Shah Rukh made his own identity by playing the role of an anti-hero. while other actors rejected these roles. Shah Rukh became King KhanThe movies ‘Dil Wale Dulhania Le Laenge’, ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’, ‘And Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ made Shah Rukh King Khan. However, Shahrukh’s role as an anti-hero on his way to becoming King Khan paved the way for Shahrukh Khan’s success. And, introduced people to an actor who dared to take risks. Be it ‘Anjaam’, ‘Maya Memsaab’ or ‘O Darling Yeh Hai India.’This road to superstardom was not all flowers. Initially, some films were flops.
Many criticized him for not being able to move away from the image of a superstar in the film and become a character. At that time, many reacted as if the hero was void and Shahrukh’s days were over. Although Shah Rukh appeared in television commercials, he was not seen on the cinema screen for many years. Meanwhile, his son went to jail. Shah Rukh remained silent despite the tense situation. However, Shah Rukh became an action hero in 2023. Like ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Dar’, Azad Rathore of ‘Jawan’ is a kind of anti-hero. However, he is different from the anti-heroes of the 90s.freeRathore challenges the corruption spread in society through vigilante groups. They don’t kill people like Baazigar’s Vicky and Fear’s Rahul. Instead, they save the lives of the victims. However, Namrata Joshi also has her complaint, “Jaawan is successful but I don’t think it works as a film.” It’s a male-dominated film where Shah Rukh tries to ensure that women also get a place. Rather, I would prefer Shah Rukh in a film like ‘Chak De India’ where he leads the women’s team to victory. Efforts have been made to show gender equality in youth. But I don’t think that was effective.