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29 March 2024

Birthday boy Shah Rukh too old to rule Bollywood?

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai

He’s a superstar. Some call him the King. Others simply refer to him as the epitome of romance in Bollywood.

But is it now time for him to gracefully retire from the limelight?

That’s the question on the lips of many critics as Shah Rukh Khan turns 47 today, amidst a low-key celebration due to the recent demise of director and father figure, Yash Chopra.

The actor’s next film is around the corner, with Chopra’s final swansong, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” ready to hit the marquee on November 13.

But with two leading ladies, one 28 and the other a mere 24 years, the comments have been quick and hard on whether Khan needs to step down with dignity.

When NDTV posed the million-dollar question on his younger on-screen romances, the actor simply replied: “The young girls like me and I like older women. See I have the best.... guys just joking.”

The upcoming apparent love-triangle with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma is certainly not Khan’s only May-December pairing.

Khan’s leading lady from “Don”, Priyanka Chopra, was 11 when his “Baazigar” released in 1993.

Katrina Kaif was only nine when “Darr ”released in 1993

Deepika Padukone was also just nine when Khan’s smash hit “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” released in 1995.

And Anushka Sharma was 10 when “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” came out in 1998.

Emirates 24|7 spoke to several UAE-based fans of the actor, with a spot poll amongst 70 people giving the vast consensus that Khan should take a page of out Amitabh Bachchan’s book lately and “act his age”.

“It is ridiculous to see actors such as Shah Rukh, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan still romancing girls that are young enough to be their daughters,” said 47-year-old Akanksha Ramamurthy.

She added: “Albeit they aren’t running around trees anymore, but the visuals can sometimes really make you cringe.”

However, when probed further, she admitted that Salman Khan was a bigger culprit in “on-screen cradle snatching with that atrocious film ‘Lucky’ where he starred opposite that 16-year-old Sneha Ullal.”

She was 19, but Ramamurthy isn’t alone in her opinion.

Kajal Keswani, a 35-year-old fan of the actor, said: “I won’t deny that what Shah Rukh does on-screen with his leading ladies is not distasteful, but it’s about time he acts his age and moves on to more meatier roles, like what Aamir has been doing in his last few films.

“His film career shouldn’t go down the Sourav Ganguly route, which saw the cricketer struggle and bear the brunt of media criticism before finally realising his age and lack of form and retiring from cricket.”

Khan’s previous outing in the cinemas was the sci-fi thriller, “Ra.One”, which may have scored Rs2.4 billion at the global box office according to reports, but still saw the actor bear the brunt of heavy criticism for his ham acting and his choice of subject.

Analysts, however, are predicting a bumper opening for “Jab Tak Hai Jaan”, largely because it is director Yash Chopra’s final film, combined with the festive season.

Sahib Khan, a 29-year-old Dubai resident said: “The sympathy wave alone post Yash Chopra’s death will turn this film into a massive hit. But not because of Shah Rukh Khan; his days are numbered.”

However, despite the criticism the birthday boy is facing, many loyal fans are sticking by King Khan and his rein at the box office.

“He is the best. He is so cute. I will watch the first day, first show of ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’,” said 22-year-old Piyali Mishra.

With fans like her, maybe there is hope for Khan just yet.

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