Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan Rides the Wave of Success with “Jawan”
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is riding the wave of his second blockbuster of the year, “Jawan.”
Box Office Success
The film released on Sept. 7 and has grossed $79.4 million worldwide, according to producer Red Chillies Entertainment, making it the third highest Indian grosser of the year after Khan’s own “Pathaan” and Sunny Deol’s “Gadar 2.”
Khan’s Bald Look
Khan’s bald look in “Jawan” has been one of the talking points of the film. Speaking on the newly launched Indian iteration of the “Icons Only” segment of Amazon’s IMDb, Khan said: “I chose the bald look out of laziness because then I didn’t have to wear two hours of makeup. I’d rather just go bald. I just hope girls like bald men because I like bald girls.”
Dual Roles and Anti-Heroes
In the film, Khan plays dual roles, both with shades of anti-heroes. “I never wanted to play the hero. I find heroes very boring. I find them doing all the good things,” Khan said. “Hence, to be able to do good, I need to quickly transfer to do bad so I can understand that part. That way, I can play the good guy with much gusto again. Playing the puppy-eyed good guy repeatedly is boring after a point. Personally, I love playing bad guys.” Khan began his career as an action star, but quickly transitioned to romantic leads in titles including “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” comedy romance “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,” and family drama-romance “Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham.”
Fierce Women Supporting Khan
Khan is supported in the film by a cohort of five fierce women. “The idea was to take five fierce, dangerous women who on the face appear as if they’ve done wrong things. All of them have learnt how to do action for the film, some for the first time. More than the fierceness of the girls, I’ll miss their support on the film,” Khan said.
A South Indian Film Experience
“Jawan” is directed by Atlee, who previously directed a trio of hits in the Tamil-language, and the film is of a piece with films made in the Tamil and Telugu-language industries in South India. Khan said: “There is a genre of filmmaking that exists in the South. It’s louder, larger, and bigger than life. It’s a roller coaster ride of everything packed into two and a half hours. It can be an out-of-body experience for global audiences.”
