For two decades, Shah Rukh Khan was the uncrowned king of Bollywood. ‘King Khan’ is how one described him owing to the slew of blockbusters he delivered over the years. However, the last few years weren’t too kind to him. The actor tried his hand at a variety of films across different genres like ‘Dilwale’ (2015), ‘Fan’ (2016), ‘Raees’ (2017) and ‘Zero’ (2018) but none of these films worked in a big way. With ‘Pathaan’, released in January this year, he silenced all his detractors and delivered the biggest hit of Hindi cinema ever.
While ‘Pathaan’ has played an important role in reviving an ailing industry, Khan has two other films lined up for release this year. His next release will be the action thriller ‘Jawan’ that has been helmed by Atlee, one of the top directors down South. It will be followed by RajkumarHirani’s ‘Dunki’ which is one of the most anticipated films of the year.
Talking about Shah Rukh Khan reclaiming his lost glory, industry observer and producer Saahil Krishnani says, “2023 will be the year of Shah Rukh Khan. Before ‘Pathaan’ released, naysayers said that Shah Rukh Khan is past his prime and will not be able to stage a successful comeback. His ardent fans, however, continued to believe in him and were sure about him bouncing back. Very few, however, could foresee ‘Pathaan’ becoming the biggest hit in the history of Hindi cinema. SRK came, he saw and he conquered!”
One of the reasons why Pathaan’s mega success is being discussed so passionately is because the film features Khan in an all-new avatar. Largely known for his romantic outings, the actor was seen in an out-and-out action avatar in this film. While had tried his action with films like the ‘Don’ franchise and ‘Ra.One’, no other film had given him the opportunity to flex his muscles as well as ‘Pathaan’ did. The success of the film has also established Khan as an action star.
Sharing his thoughts on this, SaahilKrishnani states, “While Shah Rukh has regaled us with romantic sagas like ‘DilwaleDulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ‘KuchKuchHotaHai’, ‘DilTohPagalHai’ and ‘Veer Zaara’, among others, one must not forget that he is the same actor who delivered stupendous performances like ‘Baazigar’, ‘Darr’, ‘KabhiHaanKabhiNaa’, ‘Asoka’, ‘Swades’, ‘Paheli’ and ‘Chak De! India’. According to me, he is one of the most versatile actors Indian cinema has produced. I am sure he will surprise the audiences in a big way with ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki’ as well.”
After laying the foundation for QY Mediaworks as one of the most successful media enterprises today, Saahil has now stepped into the world of film production. Over the years, his understanding and research on the film industry gave him the confidence to take this plunge. While the first film produced by his company is slated to go on floors soon, the young producer harbours the dream of making a film with Shah Rukh Khan which would leave his fans mesmerized but also portray the actor in a role he has never been seen before.
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