Vantage | What SRK's stunning comeback tells us about the 'Indian for all ages'

‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going,’ is so easy to say but so hard to actually do, which is why comebacks are special. Let us go through some headlines. They are all from the last decade: “Shah Rukh Khan’s career is now officially over” “Is King Khan’s reign nearing its end?” “Is Shah Rukh Khan losing the battle of Khans?” “End of an era: SRK movies losing their charm” Now, if we cut to 2024, it turns out that Shah Rukh Khan’s reign isn’t over. He has made a comeback for the ages. Three massive hits, which have grossed some 2,500 crore rupees at the box office, and to underline it, a very special award: Khan is CNN News18’s Indian of the Year. He was honoured in New Delhi on Thursday. Khan’s acceptance speech was classic Shah Rukh Khan. He called himself “Indian for all ages.” And very few would dispute that Shah Rukh Khan made his Bollywood debut in 1992. It’s been more than 30 years. Staying relevant for three decades is a big deal. Staying on top of your game is a whole different matter. That’s what Shah Rukh Khan has done. His fans cut across ages, genders, religions, and regions.

Enough has been said about his art. His awards and box office numbers attest that he is a good actor. But let’s look beyond that. It has been a tough four or five years for Shah Rukh Khan, both personally and professionally. His last movie before 2023 was ‘Zero’, released back in 2018, and soon criticism poured in. People wrote off his career. They said SRK had lost his charm. Then came 2021, when Shah Rukh Khan’s son was arrested in a drug case. He spent close to 30 days in jail. It wasn’t just the arrest. It was the way some people reacted and commented on it. His son was just 24 years old. No court had found him guilty. Yet, the questions would not stop—questions on Shah Rukh Khan’s parenting. On his family life. On his son’s personal life. Things that had no relevance in court, despite that, he never spoke out. No emotional outbursts. No angry responses. He kept chugging on. Shah Rukh Khan did not address that saga directly. But he did speak about personal troubles at the News18 Awards. And that’s the lesson here: Quiet perseverance. Have confidence in your skills. Surround yourself with good people. Work hard and be honest with yourself. It’s the universal key to success. Khan never complained during those tough times. He let his art do the talking. Whether it is sending a political message, speaking about injustices, or promoting harmony, you can find all these themes in his latest movies. His characters may have been mouthing the words. But to his fans, it was Shah Rukh Khan speaking. Then on Thursday, he took the mic. He hasn’t spoken to mainstream Indian media in a long time. But he did speak at the News18 event. He even took some questions in the end; he talked about being scared before Pathaan’s release. He called movie analysts idiots, and he joked about not receiving an award for a long time. It was classic Shah Rukh Khan: Humour, ease, and charm. So, in conclusion, will there be another SRK in India? The future is hard to predict. Shah Rukh Khan will be working 24x7 to make sure there isn’t, not by punching down on others, but by quietly working to be better. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.