Shah Rukh – Aamir – Salman
Battle for the Khan supremacy
Dinesh
Bollywood loves the successful side.
What do producers like Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Mukul Anand, Rahul Rawail, Manmohan Desai, David Dhawan, Rakesh Roshan and Ramesh Sippy have in common? They have all placed their bets on Shah Rukh Khan and are currently working with him. How has this heavy-lidded dynamo created this white-hot paroxysm of interest in the industry?
It is his interest in variety that has piqued interest in him in a multitude of them. The intense lover in Deewana, the lovely oaf in Chamatkar, the Shri 420 in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, the passionate, yet part-time lover in Maya Memsaab… Shah Rukh has used each film as a brick to create the status of an impressive art edifice.
With his finely layered performances in a spectrum of roles, he has completely sidelined the specialist actors (those who excel only in romance or action films). And nothing proves his mettle better than Baazigar. A full-throttle performance, tapping into the reservoirs of the subterranean realms, tempered by humour, romance and dance. He can be a samurai, he can dance the samba. He can be a pit bull, he can be a lap dog. His anger is of such intensity that after Baazigar, the coveted tag of the angry young man that Bachchan has given up with age will become the door sign on his house, whether he likes it or not.
Traditionally, Shah Rukh is anything but handsome, with his Geeta Kak grin and S-shaped eyebrows. But when Amitabh first appeared, he was also asked to look in a mirror. Shah Rukh's elfin charm, his daredevil bravado, his smackdowns at the press, his presence as a proud husband and his youthful appearance in jeans has only endeared him to the girls who are always on the lookout for a rebellious hero to bring the sparkle back to their tired eyes. Shah Rukh's impact has slowly but surely seeped into the audience.
There was no shortage of shortcomings to begin with. The delivery of rapid-fire dialogues, the strong influence of Dilip Kumar (it's okay to wear their influence on their sleeve, but Shah Rukh has made a three-parter out of it). However, Shah Rukh showed no aversion to hard work and soon his qualities came through. The moment an actor relaxes, the rival benefits - Shah Rukh seems to have learnt this early in life.
This overzealous man trained for days on end for the 'Yeh kaali kaali aankhen' number in Baazigar, rehearsing every take and memorising not only his own lines but also those of his co-stars.
Shah Rukh, as Subhash Ghai points out, "is very talented, the raw material is all there. The filmmaker just has to mould it." The talent has been honed on Shah Rukh's home turf, where Shah Rukh became as addicted to the NSD as an addict to LSD. A trained stage actor, exposure on the TV screen with Circus and Fauji has only increased Shah Rukh's lustre and enabled him to pitch his tent in the ever-deceptive world of entertainment.
But what has worked for Shah Rukh above all is that he knows how to play the game in the industry. Shah Rukh Khan is more talented than Salman, more versatile than Aamir. Also, he is more pleasing than the two.
While the fierce individuality of the other two irked the producers, who felt that the actors were not just stepping on their shoes but actually trying to step into them, Shah Rukh does not do that - he steps into the shoes offered to him by the producers, but makes sure they are comfortable and allow him flexibility. Shah Rukh also knows which plans will fail and which will work out on their own. While an Aamir Khan will shirk a Darr because it is a negative role, Shah Rukh says yes to the big banner Yash Chopra the moment Aamir says no. Banners serve as a wrench to screw himself tightly into the big league.
He may loudly proclaim his desire to make only good cinema, but when the time comes, he knows how to twist his principles too.
This openness to compromise is what separates the man from the boys, Aamir and Salman. So says Subhash Ghai, “Shah Rukh is not at all insistent on his price. He is very flexible.” Because Shah Rukh knows the importance of hits. He knows what the bottom line is – who can corral the most audiences and warm the most cinema seats.
His bet seems to put Shah Rukh’s house cemented by luck (Baazigar rigged the dice in his favour) on solid ground. But he has a red-hot temper and a charged ego – if his luck runs out, it could short circuit at any moment.
If he can temper his temper (he was born with arrogance, the threat of fame will only fuel him further), Shah Rukh Khan is the man who will define the diabolical 90s.
Unless, contrary to the fable, luck turns and the wolf comes in through the back door.