More than 80 films in 30 years, and a success story like no other. Shah Rukh Khan is the man of the moment, having turned a corner with three decades in Bollywood, following a journey that started with Raj Kanwar’s Deewana in 1992.
While his next biggie Pathaan is scheduled for theatrical release on January 25, 2023, we pick two Shah Rukh films from each decade – 1992 to 2022 – for you to binge watch this weekend.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
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Twenty-seven years of DDLJ and we still can’t get enough of Shah Rukh’s Raj romancing Kajol’s Simran. Shah Rukh is a total livewire in Aditya Chopra’s directorial debut, personifying the quintessential young guy in love, carefree but caring. Watch it yet another time for Raj singingTujhe dekha toh yeh jana sanam to Kajol.
Devdas (2002)
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This is the other extreme of the lover boy, who’s ready to perish in the name of love, which Shah Rukh plays to perfection. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of the Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel, Shah Rukh’s Devdas is poised between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Paro and Madhuri Dixit’s Chandramukhi, and he delivers with a searing intensity.
Swades (2004)
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It is one of those rare outings where Shah Rukh stepped out of his larger-than-life image to play a regular guy who’s torn between his high-profile job and the pull to leave all of it behind to do something for his country. Shah Rukh’s Mohan Bhargava in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades remains an all-time favourite for how relatable he is – a little unsure about where his life is headed, and not being in control over all situations. And it’s a goosebumping moment every time AR Rahman’s Yeh Jo Des Hai Mera plays in the background, highlighting Mohan’s quandary.
Chak De! India (2007)
Shah Rukh lends a certain edge to underdog stories and with Chak De! India, he just knocked it out of the park. His morally upright, no-nonsense hockey coach Kabir Khan turned the Shimit Amin directorial into an inspiration for all those who need the strength to take on social systems of power and discrimination.
Chennai Express (2013)
A laugh riot from start to finish, Rahul Mithaiwala aka Shah Rukh Khan and Meenamma aka Deepika Padukone are a class act as a romcom pair in the film directed by Rohit Shetty. What specially brings on the laughs is Shah Rukh taking a dig at himself and clobbering his usual invincible hero image in signature SRK style.
Dear Zindagi (2016)
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Who wouldn’t love to have someone like Jehangir Khan in their life! A guide, a mentor, a friend – all rolled into one in the form of your therapist. That’s what Alia Bhatt’s Kiara found in Shah Rukh’s Jehangir Khan, a psychologist who she goes to for counselling, in Dear Zindagi. The Gauri Shinde-directed film is a significant offering from Bollywood on raising awareness around mental health, made all the more possible by Shah Rukh’s subdued and sensitive portrayal of a therapist.
