Three Decades of Shah Rukh Khan: From Darr, Red Chillies to Pathaan - Why SRK is India's pop culture icon

While a bikini-clad Deepika Padukone stole the limelight in the recently released songs Besharam Rang and Jhoome Jo Pathaan from the upcoming film Pathaan and even stirred some unwarranted controversies, what caught keen attention was an equally attractive looking Shah Rukh Khan. At 57, he appeared onscreen after four years of his last release Zero. This time, flaunting his eight-pack abs.

The much-anticipated film releases on January 25, 2023. But back in his pre-abs days too, Shah Rukh Khan’s charm was no less. In fact, he debuted with a dark role in 1992 in Deewana, where he plays an obsessive lover. Even with top actors of the time like Rishi Kapoor and Divya Bharti in lead roles, SRK’s passionate Raja Sahai managed to make a deep dent in the minds of the audiences and the film industry.

The following year, he returned with his dark-obsessive lover characters in Baazigar and Darr, both of which became superhits of the year. For an actor to take up intense roles one after the other and yet not be stereotyped, it meant a big feat. In the same year, his intense and steamy scenes in Madame Bovary’s remake Maya Memsaab, again remained a first for an actor of his time. One hit after another, SRK was crowned King Khan during the decade of 90s Hindi cinema. Two years later, he would deliver one of the most classic films of Indian cinema that still runs full house shows — Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

From excelling in romance to playing obsessive characters in psychological-romance-thrillers, SRK did not take long to become the top Bollywood star that he was. His graduation from obsessive lover to romantic hero also meant he had developed his own unique style — of open arms and intense eyes, coupled with a dimpled smile that painted him the national hero of romance. For Indian women, he painted a dream — a full package that made them swoon and gush, and as Shrayana Bhattacharya notes in her book Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh, the search for intimacy and independence for lonely young women.

Not only as an actor par excellence, Shah Rukh Khan has led as an entrepreneur and as a visionary ahead of his times. Be it his early investment in his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, his home production Red Chillies Entertainment that has not only brought out OTT series like Bard of Blood, films like Darlings and his Red Chillies VFX that was talking VFX at a time in India when there were but few players in the market.

During the time of the VFX-heavy Ra.One’s release, Khan said in an interview that he wanted to be remembered as someone who dared to do something different. 11 years later, his interview went viral when recently Brahmastra and Adipurush’s VFX became the talking point and a comparison between the three films followed.

From being one of the most recognisable stars in the world to being a UAE brand ambassador, whatever the Pathaan has in fate next, one thing is for sure — he is a star who will be remembered for generations to come.

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