From Shah Rukh Khan To Salman Khan: How Bollywood A-Listers Are Redefining Indian Cinema
When Vivek Vaswani was co-producing Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman in 1992, his film’s leading man, Shah Rukh Khan, had not yet scored a single box office hit. Yet, Vivek claims that he had a strong inkling that SRK would emerge as an enduring sensation.
Vivek reminisces, “We became friends, and I knew immediately that Shah Rukh would remain a star even at 60. More important ... HE KNEW!”
This has turned out to be quite the self-fulfilling prophesy. Shah Rukh Khan turns a confident 60 this year on November 2, and his star means undimmed today after his 2023 comeback with the twin blockbusters, Pathaan and Jawan. The megastar’s upcoming film King is a hugely anticipated tentpole flick co-starring his daughter Suhana but with Deepika Padukone also by his side.
Not just Shah Rukh, all the three 1965-born Khans are entering their sixth decade this year. Whatever may be the vagaries of the box office, there is no denying that Aamir and Salman are still massive stars and headline important films like Sitaare Zameen Par and Sikandar this year. Every new project of theirs is a matter of acute public scrutiny. As for the remaining two constituents of the Famous Five -- Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn -- they too are now in their late 50s but continue to be counted amongst the biggest stars in the land.
Gone are the days when megastars like Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and Rajesh Khanna slipped into histrionic semi-retirement by the age of 60. Or segued into sedate, non-romantic roles like thespians Dilip Kumar and Rishi Kapoor did.
In a striking sign of the times, Sunny Deol scored his biggest blockbuster, Gadar 2, at the age of 65 whereas his legendary father Dharmendra was playing a character role in Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya by that age.
Consider Southern cinema as well -- superstars Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan are now in their 70s but still regularly headline mammoth projects! No brakes were applied on Mohanlal and Mammootty’s careers even after they crossed 60.
So has 60 become the new 40? Why is a milestone birthday, once considered crossing the rubicon, now being dismissed as just another number?
Vivek Vaswani presents some succinct reasons for the remarkable longevity of contemporary male film stars. “The primary reason is that their films are making a profit,” he points out. “Which means the audiences want to see them playing leads. Also the stara have been smart enough to turn producers.”
Perhaps most pertinently, Vaswani cites the concept of screen age. He explains, “Whether it was Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar Raj Kapoor or Rajendra Kumar, they were all men even in their 20s. Today, most actors right up to the age of 35-40 are still boys, playing college-going, romantic characters, etc. The actors dress like boys and they play with boy toys.”
He continues, “When Sharmila Tagore played Rajesh Khanna’s mother in the latter half of Aradhana (1969), logically her age would be 40-42. But she was made to look 70 ... that was her screen age!” According to Vaswani, all Bollywood roles and actors have a screen age; and he believes, “Even today, Shah Rukh-Salman-Aamir’s screen age is in the region of 35 to 40.”
Adopting the correct career strategy has also helped these actors. So believes financer-distributor-exhibitor Shyam Shroff, who has backed many a blockbuster. “Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh are still ruling because of their talent and because their selection of scripts and directors is good,” says Shroff. “They may have had done a flop film here and there but their well-chosen subsequent films have done well, ensuring their continued popularity.”
Actor-filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan acknowledges the staying power of these stars and analyses that leading men are indicative of the changing styles and tastes in cinema. He says, “The Shah Rukh-Aamir-Salman-Akshay-Ajay decades are a mirror to their times; the heroic persona of the earlier generations is not evident in them.”
Mahadevan prophesises, “I feel this is the last time a trio will dominate the box-office. The new crop is good but inconsistent. Audience tolerance levels, multiple entertainment choices and a changing cinema landscape are challenges they face.”
Upcoming actor Namashi Chakraborty would agree. He figures, “Today, movie stars are expendable, whereas the aura of 1990 stars is different. The Khans are superstars who have come from the grassroots, just like my father Mithun Chakraborty and Mr Amitabh Bachchan. The magic of single screen stars will never fade away.”
Surprisingly, another young showbiz denizen, Zara Khan, also echoes this rosy view of the past coupled with pragmatism about the future. She sighs, “These personalities were lucky to have emerged from the time when cinema was still magic because that's the reason they've sustained till now. Also they have an aura which I don't see in today's actors. Now we have brilliant actors, but I feel we don’t have larger-than-life stars anymore.”
Zara also points out that though the 1990s batch of stars may hover around 60, “they still look so fit, so young.” The singer-actress worked closely with Akshay Kumar when she was part of his US shows in 2023, and she raves, “Not even for a second did I feel that I'm working with somebody who's nearing 60. I felt I'm working with a young boy because of his energy. They all take such good care of themselves. I haven't seen anybody with Shah Rukh sir’s level of charm and charisma. And I am very grateful that my first song as a playback singer featured Aamir sir in the video. He has such a cool, young fresh vibe to him. They've all defeated age.”
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