Guts & Glory… the Shah Rukh saga!
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Shah Rukh Khan's entire career has depended on one particular trait: his willingness to play for high stakes... to take some scary risks in life.
It is not surprising, then, that Shah Rukh Khan continues to be a box office draw despite younger, good-looking actors flooding the scene...
He is a self-confessed eccentric. The one who does not have the looks of a screen hero... Who dances at weddings and events... The one who promotes himself as a brand name through sheer talent and some clever thinking. That's Shah Rukh Khan! Everyone knew that his energy and made-for-the-screen aura could not be contained to a television set. Bollywood and films quickly swung in to record him... and soon learned of his appetite for shock value.
His turnaround from hero to anti-hero in three consecutive films Baazigar, Darr and Anjaam sent shockwaves throughout the industry. No hero had dared to challenge the unwritten rules of the industry. Every actor before Shah Rukh and many after him had clung doggedly to the conventional superhero image. Aamir Khan had even turned down Shah Rukh's role in Darr because he was unsure of the impact it would have on his image of the romantic hero.
Admittedly, the industry had misjudged Shah Rukh. He was a normal guy, playing normal roles in normal films. He had been launched in films like Dil Aashna Hai and Deewana. Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman came along and confirmed the industry's image of Shah Rukh. Here was an actor who could be moulded to fit the niche they wanted to put him in. What they missed were the clear signals that Shah Rukh was sending out. A Kabhie Haa Kabhie Na had come relatively early in his career. Also a Maya Memsaab and an art film with Mani Kaul called The Idiot. But Bollywood was too busy to notice. They were still trying their hardest to shape the box they wanted to put him in!
Of course, it was somewhat of a shock when the industry saw Shah Rukh storm the box office with his identity change. Suddenly, antiheroes became all the rage in the film industry. Everyone wanted to do something like Shah Rukh, but no one had the courage to take up a role like his. With such a track record in hand, heroes refused to venture anywhere near a negative role. Even when a Khalnayak was made, it lacked the punch of a Baazigar. The most disgusting thing the lead character of Khalnayak did was stare lustfully at heaving breasts. But after delivering Baazigar and Darr with considerable élan, Shah Rukh was looking for newer challenges.
A few years later, Shah Rukh became a producer along with his good friends Juhi and Aziz Mirza. His peers admired him for his bold attempt to parody the media scenario in the country with his very first production venture Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Beneath the swoosh of routine cinematography and fast-paced dialogues, there was a very concrete message. Although the film did not suit the audience's tastes, Shah Rukh's enthusiasm was not affected. For him, it was more important to have tried something different, even if it meant risking his finances and reputation.
The actor claims, "I like to experiment. Out of the ten things I do, eight may fail, but at least I will have tried." This has always been Shah Rukh's principle in life. He wants to redefine what is now considered normal and acceptable. Shah Rukh, as everyone knows by now, is great at bucking the system!
Just before Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani released, Shah Rukh told Cine Blitz, "Most people live by the rules set by others like their parents, friends, society... I live by my own norms. I don't go by what people say." He claims that everything that has happened in his life has happened by chance, never on purpose. Dreamz Unlimited came into being on the spur of the moment because Shah Rukh apparently felt guilty that Aziz Mirza would have to produce a film starring him and Juhi on his own!
Shah Rukh is one who holds up a mirror to many people. He is certainly not a paragon of virtue, but he sure makes you love him, faults and flaws all around. He unabashedly admits to being the one actor who has done the most ads. And that too is something new in the industry! Shampoos, cars, alcohol, soft drinks, suits, Shah Rukh is the first actor to have endorsed so many different products and yet come out with a flawless image. No, he is not greedy, say his harshest critics, just a very smart man who is ensuring a comfortable future for his children.
Another shock he gave the industry was his decision to take up a historical film as his next production venture. Industry wallahs were left open-mouthed when Shah Rukh wore dhotis and wigs to play the warrior king Asoka. And again, it was a spontaneous decision.
Santosh Sivan, the amazing cinematographer had the story in mind for seven years and had no one to support it until he told Shah Rukh about it. Today, the actor has set a trend, so to speak. There are producers who want to make films on historical figures just because the brilliant actor had the determination to try something different! Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas too will see the actor tackling the most legendary wimp in history. Talking about the role, Shah Rukh says, "I like to reinterpret all my roles, be it Devdas or Asoka. I will play Devdas with a mean streak. I am sure the women will love him. It doesn't bother me if people say it wasn't as good as the original, or that Dilip Kumar was infinitely better. That's fine. I'd rather drown trying to be different than keep my head above water like everyone else."
Shah Rukh has always known that if you don't have the courage, you won't get the glory. The long journey he had planned for himself, from TV serials to films to producer to entrepreneur, had required tremendous courage. At times, the actor has been brought down with all the harsh criticism of his choices, but, he says, he has seen himself the winner in each of these situations because he has ultimately been true to himself. Like that now famous line in Mohabbatein, Shah Rukh says, "'Jahan se mein khada hoon... main jeet gaya.' That line sums up my whole life. I am always the winner."