Is Pathaan the right vehicle for Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback?

In January 2023, the indefatigably popular Shah Rukh Khan makes his comeback to theatres with an action film called Pathaan. Apparently, SRK wanted to do a film titled Pathaan for the longest time. When Siddharth Anand came up with a script with this title, SRK beamed brightly and bounced on board.

I remember the enthusiasm level when SRK had signed up with Aanand L Rai for Zero was just as high. Throughout the making of Zero, the two shared samosas and confidences. It was a superstar-director bromance later rivalled by Vijay Deverakonda and Puri Jagannadh who couldn’t see beyond one another during Liger .

Anand L Rai promised Shah Rukh the moon, put the superstar in a rocket at the end of the film and nearly took him there literally in Zero in a plotting digression that boggled the mind. Did Anand think Shah Rukh was Elton John and was he trying to make Rocketman?

After Zero proved true to its title, Shah Rukh decided no more Outerspace adventures for him. If Aanand L Rai hadn’t taken off into orbit with SRK, the superstar Khan wouldn’t have said no to the Rakesh Sharma biopic. It’s like when the mother slaps the child to teach her husband a lesson. So shocked was Shah Rukh by the enormity of the failure, both creative and financial, that he has put all his future projects on hold including the hit franchise Don.

As for Anand Rai, you won’t see him at Shah Rukh Khan’s parties anymore. The two were constantly together at social dost. Rai called SRK, “Khan Sahib”, Dabbas of food from Rai’s home were taken specially for “Khan Sahib” on the sets while in exchange, the Khan monitored the overweight Rai Saab’s diet.

Most importantly, they seemed to share a fabulous working relationship. They had mutually agreed to share a creative partnership. But after the release of Zero, I don’t think Shah Rukh even wants to see Aanand Rai’s face.

Shah Rukh took a 4-year sabbatical.

So what made Shah Rukh say yes to Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan as his comeback film after four years? Agreed, Anand did the hit War with Hrithik and Tiger. But that apart his track record is pretty unimpressive. Siddharth Anand was Ranbir Kapoor’s closest friend at one time. They were close since childhood but after Anjaana Anjaani, Anand and Kapoor stopped speaking to one another.

I do hope Siddharth Anand has something more on the lines of War and less like Anjaana Anjaani and Tara Rum Pum to offer Shah Rukh. If I was SRK I would have picked Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki as my comeback film.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based journalist. He has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out.

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