We know he stutters 'ka...ka...ka...ka…Kiran' in the most ludicrous of manners! We know he takes the cheesiest of cheesy dialogues to garnish his flicks. We also know that sappiness, sentiments and saccharine-sweetness go hand-in-hand with most of the roles he ‘Don’s (couldn’t resist the pun!).
And yet…
…and yet, when Shah Rukh Khan emerges from the train, turns around and winks; or reveals his dimples in that million-buck smile, our hearts melt!
So, what makes the man tick, beyond his badly-etched role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hain(KKHH), the mountains of over-acting in Chalte Chalte and all the emotional melodrama of Kabhie Kushi Kabhie Gham(K3G)?
Charisma, for one. The man oozes s muck of the C-word on screen that any movie turns to be a drool-fest! To see those steely Scorpio eyes (Nov 2 born) freezing the lady-love in an impenetrable eye-lock, is enough, for any girl to wish she were his screen goddess and any guy to wish he had that luck and flair!
Style, to mention another. Who would mouth a “Bade-bade deshon mein aisi chotti-chotti baatein hoto rehti hain”(in DDLJ) and a powerful inspiring ‘Chak De’ dialogue with equal élan?!
Spirit, too, if we may add. Which hero can convince himself to do roles like he did? He contradicts himself in KKHH. Tells us ‘Pyaar ek hi baar hota hain’ and takes away both Rani and Kajol!!! He dives away from Satish Shah’s spit in ‘Main Hoon Na’ ala Matrix-ishtyle! He does a ‘loved-lost-reborn to find love’ role in ‘Om Shanti Om’ with so much conviction that we are smitten by its flamboyance and cinematic flashiness! Who else, we ask again, can take up a ‘Badshah’ or a ‘Duplicate’ and ACTUALLY make it enjoyable?! Who else would have the guts to continue a ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ from the Big B himself and make it oh-so-good?
We almost forgot his Confidence. Strutting around declaring ‘I am the best’ may not really sound modest or down-to-earth. But believe it or not, we still think he’s one of the most people-friendly and adorable guys that scorched our screens! Such strength and poise that this guy exudes, makes everyone who has anything to do with films, mouth a ‘WOW’!
And not to forget, Stamina. From small-screen ‘Circus’ to big-screen Bhoothnath. From ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na’ to ‘Kya aap Paanchvi Paas se behatar hain’- this man has lasted long enough and belted out enough hits to prove everyone who scoffs at him, wrong. Be it being silly in the initial moments of ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani’ or mute in ‘Koyla’ or taking up a powerful role in ‘Swades’ and excelling in it, King Khan has lived his role the way it should be!
There are very few men who would openly hail the guy as a true entertainer and a great actor. They repeatedly find faults out loud, because they grudgingly realize, that their wives and girlfriends, will always want to see the SRK in them! Daughters want the cool-dad. Mothers and mother-in-laws look out for the doting son! How terrible it must be to be born in the world as a man where SRK shall always be the better of the species, and you shall be compared to him in every way- walk, style, personality et al!
In a way, it is justified, as he does prove why he is called King Khan; he reigns supreme- head firmly on shoulders, working his way insomniacally into the top, and staying there, still declaring with a dimpled and delectable smile- ‘I am the best’!
