Through My Eyes. Review on Shah Rukh Khan

Angry mother slaps drunken son and tells him leave the house. The son?s pain is cumulated.

Babuji ne kaha, gaanv chod do,

Ek din woh kahega, yeh duniya chod do.

In the story, everyone knows him as Devdas. Out of the story, he is known as ? Shah Rukh Khan.

History - His Story: Born and educated in Delhi, Shah Rukh Khan was brought up by socially acknowledged parents. His father was a chief engineer and his mother was a magistrate. He got his Masters in Mass Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. And from there his journey began through a student from ?school of drama? to the one among ?TIME magazine?s Top 20 Asian Heroes under 40?.

The Hero of Stories: He began his acting career in 1988, with a low-budget film, ?In which Annie gives it those ones? which was written by Arundati Roy. Then after a string of tele-serials (?Fauji?, ?Circus?, ?Idiot?), he came into main-stream cinema with ?Deewana? in 1992.

His performances in ?Baazigar? and ?Darr? brought him good recognition and Aditya Chopra?s ?Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge? made him the most popular hero in Hindi cinema. And thence, almost every year, he began to deliver blockbusters like ?DTPH? (1997), ?KKHH?(1998), ?Mohabbatein?(2000), ?K3G?(2001), ?Devdas? (2002), ?KHNH? (2003) and recently, ?Veer-Zaara? (2004). Critics have under-rated him badly, but his grip on Bollywood continues to be firm.

The Sparkles of a Star: Almost half the number of films he has acted in toppled at the box-office. And those which worked at the box-office are biggest blockbusters for Bollywood. But the box-office credits have nothing to do with my choice of his best films.

-- Darr: The film had nothing worth speaking of, except for the song, ?Jaadu teri nazar? and Shah Rukh stammering ?K-k-k-kiran? with his eyes, fearing everyone and simultaneously hiding the fear his heart was experiencing: a performance hardly anyone is capable of.

-- Baazigar: For the first time, in the then-prestigious Filmfare Awards, an actor was awarded in both critics and popular category. Who else, but Shah Rukh, can play the lover boy and the vengeful murderer at the same time, with equal sincerity?

-- Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa: The film got neither recognition nor money, but this was some of those films where Shah Rukh Khan was not Shah Rukh Khan; he was Sunil, the protagonist of the story. Anyone who saw the film would admit that.

-- Mohabbatein: Matching with the performance of Amitabh Bachchan was a challenge to any actor. Shah Rukh neither exceeds nor comes below, the performance of Amitabh. That was surly a perfect match: Superstar v/s Superstar.

-- Dil Se?: Mani Ratnam was one of the few directors who have utilized the amazing talent in Shah Rukh Khan. Though the film bombed at the box-office, this film is one of my favorites of Shah Rukh Khan.

-- Devdas: Critics compare this performance with that of Dileep Kumar and rate it low. But I personally feel that, Dileep Kumar has done it in his own style. Similarly, Shah Rukh?s performance was unique in his own style. Each performance had its own level of intensity.

There are some offbeat films like ?Maya Memsaab?, ?Oh Darling! Yeh hai India?, ?In which Annie gives it those ones?, etc., in which he proved his talent.

The Power Award: In Bollywood, two things often sell: Sex and ? Shah Rukh Khan. He is the Badshah of Bollywood and is widely called as King Khan. And the string of successes of his films justifies his fame. He is the highest paid star for stage shows and awards. And simultaneously he has numerous endorsements with Airtel, Pepsi, Hyundai Santro, etc. With another string of big-budget films ahead, Shah Rukh?s position on the throne is far from being displaced. He truly deserved the Power Award from Filmfare.

As I try to sort out the reason for this man having so much influence on Bollywood?s economy, the only reason that flashes across my mind is: Grace. Whether it?s a great performance or a mediocre performance in terms of acting, a normal film-goer is satisfied if the Hero is graceful enough to enlighten the screen. Acting talents are acquired, but ?grace? is a born gift.

His presence, not only in films, but also in stage shows and TV shows, brightens the whole environment. His energy seems everlasting. His appearance (with Saif) enlightened the Filmfare Awards ceremony this year, which otherwise had been dull show (similar to that of the last 3-4 years). May be! That?s how one deserves a Power Award.

Tag Line: Eagerly waiting for ?Swades?!