30 Years Of Shah Rukh Khan; Will There Be Another Like Him?

Pic courtesy Twitter/Shah Rukh Khan

New Delhi: Karan Johar recently said they don’t make stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan anymore and that the current crop of stars doesn’t have it in them to reach such heights.

He couldn’t have said it at a better time, when SRK has completed 30 years in the film industry. He set foot in the industry in 1992 and continues to reign Bollywood thirty years down the line having earned the epithet of King or Badshah.

Who could have thought the sprightly young man of the TV serial ‘Fauji’ would one day rule the film industry?

Coming back to what Karan Johar said, is it true that superstardom will end with SRK? Like Anil Kapoor, reacted, “Everybody said the same after Elvis Presley but along came Michael Jackson.” Anil Kapoor is right to a certain extent. Superstardom may not end but the sheer enormity of the aura definitely might. Every actor in the annals of Hindi film industry was a star in his or her own right. There was Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Meena Kumari, Nargis and Madhubala. Along came Rajesh Khanna, who was a natural superstar and they said there won’t be another one like him. Unknown to everyone, a new superstar was in the making at the same time and his name was Amitabh Bachchan.

Perhaps a few parallels can be drawn between Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. Unlike Rajesh Khanna, both didn’t have drop-dead looks. In fact, both had their oddities. While Bachchan came with a tall lanky frame, an odd hairstyle and droopy eyes with only his rich baritone as the saving grace, SRK was short, a mediocre actor and hardly a stunner. His exaggerated energy and natural charm endeared him to the audience. Both carved a niche for themselves in the industry, one as the angry young man and the other as the quintessential lover.

Despite weathering many storms and being the target of controversies, Shah Rukh Khan has earned respect that is unmatched and an envious fan following worldwide.

Indeed, SRK lives in every heart. He is the Rahul and Raj of every girl’s dreams. Perhaps there will be someone like him but no one will be able to match his aura. Take a look at what his fans and colleagues are saying today on social media.