December heralds a curious phase in the lives of the three big stars who uncannily have more than their surnames and birth year (1965) in common.

It’s been one of the most fruitful years for Shah Rukh Khan after movies like Jab Harry Met Sejal, Fan and Zero threatened his infallibility. It was a cerebral war plan when he stayed away from the theatres from 2018 to 2023 and struck again with commercial precision. YRF and director Siddharth Anand of Pathaan were familiar territory but to go South looking for cinematic variety, to work with Atlee and Nayanthara, who are unknown to the pan-India Hindi film audience, and to come up with Jawan, was pure mathematics. Pathaan and Jawan now serve as a curtain-raiser for Dunki, where Rajkumar Hirani, with the perfect 5/5 score, finally collaborates with SRK, a partnership that should’ve happened 20 years ago, when SRK was to topline Munna Bhai MBBS but stepped out after his back packed up.

But, for the first time, after rejuvenating himself with a hat-trick, SRK has been on serious daddy duty. It may seem odd that while he has recaptured the big screen, Aryan and Suhana are debuting on OTT platforms. But they’re relatively safer, less stressful debuts.

For now, except for stray news about Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor and Bobby Deol joining the cast of Stardom and learning that it’s a light tour of the industry he grew up in, little is known about Aryan Khan’s debut show as director.

However, with The Archies around the corner, much thought has gone into how differently and neatly Suhana should be slipped into the public eye. She hasn’t been kept in purdah like Sonam Kapoor. But without the noise and over-trampled route of multi-city tours, similar-sounding promotional interviews and tedious reality show appearances, Suhana has been introduced. Along with the rest of The Archies gang at a couple of conclaves and campuses, and all by herself at a book launch, where a conversation around the book gave a glimpse of a celebrity first-timer who does not come off as a vacuous social puff. Showing a streak of her father’s well-known cheekiness, she has stepped out with the sophistication of sit-straight poise, minus the snootiness that sometimes comes with a privileged Veronica Lodge-like background. She is also in a cosmetics ad, a smart way of getting the public used to a face and a voice that hasn’t been heard in all the years of being “papped”.

There’s a finger-on-the-lip omerta but the SRK-Suhana film by Sujoy Ghosh will soon get an official stamp. SRK’s brain has been working overtime course-correcting his own career and being a backroom strategist for Suhana. A dual role that Aamir Khan will be playing after gifting himself a hiatus SRK-style. Son Junaid’s long-held-up debut in Maharaja (with Jaideep Ahlawat in the title role), which Aditya Chopra had held on to, adamant that YRF films would first have a theatrical release, will stream on Netflix. YRF’s mini-series The Railway Men has been well received, paving the way for Maharaja to take its bow. Directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra, Aamir-Adi will be a team to ensure that all eyes are on Maharaja next year.

Meanwhile, Salman has orchestra- ted an impressive debut for his Gen Z. Niece Alizeh Agnihotri also featured in an ad with her famous uncle before her debut film Farrey opted for a theatrical release. Going against his rule of no pre-release screenings, Salman allowed a press show with no embargo on reviews. It has worked with Alizeh scoring high on the likeability meter.

The three Khans thus move into the groove of marg darshaks while holding on to their own stardom.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and author