‘Deewana’ to ‘Brahmastra’, Shah Rukh Khan has time and again played varied characters in his films. However, he is still always remembered for his stereotypical lover boy characters onscreen. He has portrayed the character countless times and suitably so, he has been given the moniker of the king of romance. His portrayal of Raj or Rahul undoubtedly aided this rapid rise.
Shah Rukh Khan played characters with negative shades quite a lot in the 1990s. From ‘Baazigar’ to ‘Anjaam’ to ‘Ram Jaane’ to ‘Darr’ – he had absolutely aced those characters. However, soon afterwards, people started recognizing him as the icon for romantic films with movies.
Amidst all this, he has often demonstrated that there is more to him as an actor than simply opening his arms to his lady love as she races towards him.
Today as Shah Rukh Khan turns 57, here’s checking out a few occasions in his career, post-2000, when he dared to break the mould of a romantic hero and portrayed more than just the chocolatey lover boy.
'Asoka' (2001)
You would have to be a die-hard fan of Khan to have endured this film. It may not be the most epic movie of his career, but it was a significant risk for him to take on as both an actor and a producer, and he deserves credit for that. Plus, you can't dispute that his portrayal of the famous monarch who is altered by the Kalinga battle was unlike anything he had done before.
'Swades' (2004)
With this film, the Baadshah of Bollywood silenced all his detractors who believed he was only hammering his way through his films. At first, he is the traditional urbane man who doesn't understand rural customs, but he gradually evolves before our eyes into someone who enthusiastically embraces his origins and roots.
'Don' (2006) and 'Don 2' (2011)
When it was originally reported that he would be playing Vijay, a role popularised by actor Amitabh Bachchan in the 1978 film ‘Don’, there was doubt regarding Khan’s talents. However, with the help of a fantastic screenplay, the Badshaah demonstrated that he is on par with the Shahenshah. Khan's portrayal of the malevolent ‘Don’ is hauntingly unsettling.
‘Chak De! India’ (2007)
Even those who questioned his histrionic powers after ‘Swades’ had to admit defeat with ‘Chak De! India’. The film included no well-known actors and relied solely on Khan's star power. While his character, Kabir Khan, led a squad of unheralded hockey players to victory, it was his compelling performance as a misunderstood hero that sent the movie to the top of the box-office rankings.
‘My Name Is Khan’ (2010)
The film does begin with a tale of love, but Rizwan Khan is not your usual lover boy. He has Asperger's syndrome and sees the world in a much more simplified manner. Rizwan was depicted sensitively by Khan, who pushed us to sympathise with his problems and applaud his determination.
‘Fan’ (2014)
This was one of the rare occasions in world cinema when an actor played himself on screen, and a has also played a second character who is a fan of the other character. While ‘Fan’ didn’t get enough praise, the stellar VFX work of the movie definitely deserves a lot of attention even today. Being a 50+ actor, Shah Rukh Khan managed to transform himself into a young teenager who was obsessed with his screen idol, and surprisingly he had an uncanny resemblance to the star.
‘Raees’ (2017)
A rare gangster-genre film, in which Shah Rukh Khan nailed the character of a bootlegger. His look was strikingly different with thick glasses, tanned skin and ruffled hair, SRK made an impact that audiences were sort of missing in those past 3-4 years. He returned with a bang, and 'Raees' managed to give audiences a feel of the ‘90s negative characters that he used to play oh-so-well.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in ‘Pathaan’, ‘Dunki’ and ‘Jawaan’. All of them look strikingly different from one another, and his fans are hoping to see more of him onscreen.
Here’s wishing King Khan a very happy 57th birthday.
