JOIN USLet’s begin by taking a small quiz:
1) Name three Hindi film superstars of 2007-17
Ans: Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan
2) Name three super-successful films of 2007-17
Ans: Dangal, Sultan, Raees
3) Top box office collections of 2007-17:
Ans: Rs 7.30 billion (Dangal, budget Rs 0.70 billion), Rs 5.84 billion (Sultan, budget Rs 0.70 billion), Rs 2.71 billion (Raees, budget Rs 0.85 billion).
So, who is ruling the tinsel town of Hindi film industry? The three Khans — Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan, Bhaijaan Salman Khan and the Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan! And none of them is in the prime of his youth. They are all 50-plus of age and year after year they are going with guns blazing at every box office in both domestic and international markets.
With this kind of assured and sustained returns on their investments, why would any film producer, financier, distributor or even cinema theatre owner experiment with other stars? Which other organisation or market can assure such huge returns in such short periods of time? In the current scenario, who else evokes this kind of faith and unshakable trust?
And this hasn’t been happening with only the above-mentioned three films. In the last decade, they have given us films like 3 Idiots, Dhoom 3, Ghajini, PK (Aamir Khan), Wanted, Kick, Dabangg, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan (Salman Khan) and My Name is Khan, Happy New Year, Dilwale, Fan, Raees, Chennai Express (Shah Rukh Khan). Earnings of Rs 100 crore per film have become passé. Now their films earn in billions.
Leading with dedication
In the entire last decade, the reigning triumvirate has become a money-making machine. You put a mere Re 1 in any of these three machines, and you are sure to get a minimum of Rs 100 back. That is the star power, attraction, magnetism and charisma they wield on the lovers of Hindi cinema. The latest news is that Dangal, which Aamir Khan has acted in and produced, released in 7,000 theatres in China and grossed more than Rs 20 crore on its opening day!
“The main reason behind their success is their hard work, sincerity and eagerness to do the best for every film,” explains Ramesh Taurani, managing director, TIPS Industries Ltd, a pioneer in the production and distribution of music for more than three decades now. It is also into film production and distribution now.
“Presently, their films get a bumper opening. What more does a film distributor want?” asks Shyam Shroff, industry veteran, film-maker and founder-director of the three-decade-old Shringar Films. Shringar Films is a big name in film distribution, on-screen programming and film marketing. It was among the handful which laid the foundation of the multiplex chain of Fame Cinema. It produced Filmistaan, recipient of the Indian Government’s National Film Award.
Raj Malik, vice-president (distribution) at Cinestaan Film Company, says, “Over the years, the Khans have built a certain level of credibility. Consumers (viewers) like them. They are quality entertainers. They make good movies. And all of them have become film producers and have their own production houses. So they know how a film works and what needs to be done. They have become box office machines.”
The entire Hindi film industry, which is actually known as the ‘matlabi duniya’, and famous for backbiting, seems to make an exception when it comes to talking about the Khans. Everyone has only good words about the trio.
“Besides the money, what makes them superior is the way they conduct themselves. Over the years, they maintain relationships. They are always helpful, strictly follow the film’s schedule, are highly committed to completing their films on time, and actively participate in the promotion of the film,” explains P K Gupta, general manager at Rajshri Productions. Salman’s relation with the Rajshri Productions family goes back to his debut film Maine Pyar Kiya. Since then they have made films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath-Saath Hain and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.
Even in the list of Forbes India (2016), the Khans get top billing. SRK topped the list, followed by Salman, and Aamir was listed 14th as in that accounting year, Dangal had not yet been released. In the past five years, the Khans have together shared over Rs 8 billion only in ticket money and accounted for the sale of hundreds of millions of tickets a year. On an average, each of their films in this period has made over Rs 3.5 billion. Jointly, they hold the record of nine out of 10 highest grossers in the history of Hindi cinema.
Every co-star has a good word about them. Actor Amrita Rao, who acted with Shah Rukh Khan in the Farah Khan-directed Main Hoon Na, says, “Once the initial ice breaks, the Khans are very friendly and helpful on the shoot. The reason for their popularity is their willingness to move with the times. They keep themselves relevant with the new generation, be it their fitness mantra, their language or attire. If you have seen Shah Rukh sir interacting with AIB (All India Bakchod), a group of stand-up comedians, all aged below 30 years, you will know what I’m saying. He talks their lingo, dresses like them, and can discuss any topic of interest with the young.”
Taurani elaborates, “Khans are superstars because they choose their films very carefully. They have become very selective now, especially in the last 10 years. They have delivered blockbusters and that’s the sole reason their popularity has reached this level.” Way back in the 1990s, when TIPS got into film production, Salman had acted in their first two films, Auzaar and Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai. The good vibes continue even today.
It’s not just the industry that goes gaga over them, even film lovers are crazy about them. In fact, their popularity has reached such a high point that the maiden wish of most tourists flocking Mumbai is either to see Mannat or Galaxy, the residential address of Shah Rukh and Salman respectively. Years ago, it used to be Pratiksha, the home of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. At any given time of the year, if you visit Bandstand in Bandra, an upscale Mumbai suburb, you’re likely to see scores of people clicking selfies with Mannat or Galaxy in the background. During the stars’ birthdays, police have to be called to manage the fans milling around their houses. Remember the last shot of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan? Thousands of fans are shown at the gate of Mannat with Shah Rukh waving at them from the gates of his bungalow. It’s not a filmy shot. It’s a regular scene. Same is the scene in front of Salman Khan’s residence.
One can analyse the phenomenon in any way one wants to. Even post the normal retirement age of Hindi film heroes, they seem ageless and continue to rule the industry. The combined force of the youth brigade, including the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sushant Singh Rajput, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor, or even the slightly older Hrithik Roshan isn’t able to dethrone the Khans. In fact, several films of Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Hrithik Roshan are doing really well, but they can’t reach the heights of popularity of the Khans. Roshan’s last film, Kaabil, got into problems as distributors didn’t give the Roshans as many screens as they gave for SRK’s Raees, which released simultaneously.
Jatin Shah, owner of the 75-year-old Shri Shivaji Talkies at Talegaon near Pune, says, “Usually, there is no clash of big-star films, but when Raees and Kaabil were released on the same day, we had to opt for Raees. Our theatre, started by my grandfather, is still single-screen. Multiplexes can easily show as many films as they want to and rake in the moolah. At the end of the day, commerce decides for us, and Shah Rukh is a bigger draw.”
All this adulation hasn’t come in easily. They didn’t become superstars overnight. They have struggled, faced flops and flak from the industry, and also from their fans. SRK was criticised for his mannerisms, Salman for his tryst with the law, and Aamir for his highhandedness. But they learnt their lessons. It has taken them time, real hard work, perfect strategising and great adaptation to the changing times. They made a niche for their names, enhanced their plus points, and camouflaged their negative points.
The selling point
Each Khan has his own sales pitch. With Aamir, it started with the bland dialogue in Dil Chahta Hai, “Perfectionist ko improve karna mushkil hota hai!” That was way back in 2001. Sixteen years since that dialogue, the tag of Mr Perfectionist is associated with him. In an interview for one of Mumbai’s tabloids, versatile actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui had remarked, “Aamir Khan is a perfectionist. To work with him, one has to be a perfectionist too!”
Aamir has been super-selective with his films, and the film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), which got nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, changed his entire image. Winner of Padma Shri (2003) and Padma Bhushan (2010) awards, he changed his track of the usual boy-meets-girl films to theme-based ones like Taare Zameen Par, PK, Ghajini, Fanaa, Rang De Basanti and the latest, Dangal.
His image got an unprecedented boost when he produced and anchored the talk show Satyamev Jayate, telecast on Star Plus. Following the talk show, his fans have started to believe that ‘Aamir can do no wrong!’
Then there is Salman Khan. Though continuously embroiled in legal issues, the man’s aura doesn’t seem to diminish. Every film of his gets the biggest opening all over the world. A profit of Rs 100 crore per film is passé for this actor. His last film, Sultan, grossed Rs 6 billion only at the box office, and is still raking in the moolah.
The romancing-fighting-dancing hero, who considers himself as an actor with no acting skills, continues to be a charmer when it comes to box office returns. The industry and his fans believe in his helping nature. ‘When in need, go to bhai’ is the conviction of people. In 2007, he started an NGO, Being Human, which works for the education and healthcare of the underprivileged.
SRK, who was a stark outsider to the industry (both Salman and Aamir belong to blue-blooded families in the film industry), came into notice by playing negative roles — Baazigar, Darr, Anjaam. But his acting prowess soon gave him a strong foothold. He blossomed as a typical romantic hero and became famous for wooing his women with his arms spread wide. But he brought a different attitude to the industry. His wit, charm, respect for women, and love for his family came as a whiff of fresh air to an outsider who had misplaced impressions of the industry.
Shah Rukh personifies intelligence. Latest is his TED talk at Vancouver, Canada. It was highly appreciated, and has since gone viral. His interviews are tongue-in-cheek, and he says the same things again and again, but in such a different way that one ends up reading the whole interview. He is very active on social media with his Twitter remarks, his podcasts and his interaction with the youth. He brought in the shrewd business aspect when he started his own company, Red Chillies Entertainment. He is estimated to be worth more than US $600 million and is considered to be one of the richest actors in the world. And to top this, he is known for his acting skills — 14 Filmfare awards, tied with the legendary Dilip Kumar with eight best actor awards, the Padma Shri by the Government of India, and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Legion d’Honneur by the Government of France.
With a business acumen
Besides all these plus points, the Khans are also shrewd business people. “They only select stories which are considered safe, and are unwilling to take projects which can be risky for the production houses. Exceptions like Fan (SRK) and Talaash (Aamir) are very rare. They opt for big production houses which spend lavishly in making goodlooking films and are also generous when it comes to promoting and marketing them. These films get spoken and written about so much by the media before their release that people feel guilty if they do not watch them,” enlightens the well-known trade expert Amar Solanki, who has been analysing and talking about films for over four decades now.
Helping them are the changing storylines. Till the end of the era of Rishi Kapoors, Govindas and even Amitabh Bachchan, films dealt only with romance. As Rishi Kapoor once said, “I got tired of flaunting colourful cardigans and singing duets in the Alps!” Along with him, the audience too was tired of these themes. But now in his second innings, Rishi Kapoor has become more popular. Ten years ago, no one would have thought of making films like Dangal, Fan, Dear Zindagi, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Rockstar, Phillauri, Lunchbox, Pink, Kapoor and Sons etc. In fact, it’s the new kind of films that has given a new lease to older stars like Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.
But to dethrone the tornado of the three super-Khans, age has to step in, only then can the younger lot dream of ruling the Hindi film industry!