What the Star Foretells

HINDI CINEMA OR Bollywood is dying and southern Indian films are winning audiences all over India. This was the narrative of 2022 as movies such as RRR, Pushpa: The Rise, Kantara and K.G.F: Chapter 2 found national audiences while Hindi produced few major hits and many thumping duds. However, the box-office figures show a slightly different story. While the number of overall hits was down, it was romance that had died as the hits included comedies and action films. The films from the southern cinemas were mostly action, male-centric ones which perhaps explains why they found these wide audiences. Meanwhile, there were exceptions, as other genres were successful, such as Gangubai Kathiawadi , which was a historical female-centric romance.

Pathaan’s massive success may be because it, too, is a hero/star-centric action movie with a strong streak of nationalism. It is a pure action movie with little romance and has just two songs—and one of them is only after the credits roll. Even the snappy dialogues are not entirely in Hindi as English is spoken as naturally as it would be offscreen by these characters. Apart from the patriotic references, Pathaan doesn’t even seem very Indian, not only because the spectacular stunts reminded one of Hollywood action (and I confess I’ve never seen a Tom Cruise film though people cite similarities with his work) but also because its humour reminded me of the James Bond franchise. I don’t recall seeing any “Indian” clothes, beachwear being the much-discussed look.

I’m not the intended audience for action films, which is the younger generation who has grown up on gaming and international action movies as well as a global selection of streamed films and series. I went to see Pathaan because of Shah Rukh Khan, as I imagine many others did, some going to the movie hall for the first time after avoiding them during the pandemic. Perhaps some turned up to support the beleaguered actor, while others like me went after we heard our beloved hyperstar was back with a vengeance.

I first saw Shah Rukh in Mani Kaul’s Ahmaq in 1992 and was instantly smitten by his screen presence. I then watched his rise to stardom over the next couple of years and I remain his fan after thirty years. I’m a fan of the onscreen Shah Rukh, the star, actor, and performer. I’m not concerned with the ‘real person’, even though I have been lucky enough to meet and talk with him over the years.

I enjoyed Shah Rukh’s early roles as an edgy hero or even anti-hero. While I appreciated his ‘Rahul’, the pure romantic hero who weeps and sings with his hands in the air, I always preferred him with some naughtiness and cheek, often manifested in his knowing winks.

Just as Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, and others redefined themselves in their 50s, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Shah Rukh did the same. Yet, after several unsuccessful films, it seemed as though he had not found a new star image. After a long period of silence, his fans were even more eager to see how he was going to be presented in this new film with its intriguing title. I don’t think I was alone in being surprised to see the six-pack back after ‘Dard-e-Disco’ and the long hair and swagger like one of the many rock stars who have gone back on the concert circuit in their senior years to give the young a run for their money. It is a far cry from the way a previous generation re-emerged at his age.

It may have been a wise decision to reappear as an action hero since action heroes are rarely young. Some of the major Hollywood ones who are at the top of the game, including Tom Cruise, are over 60. It may seem unlikely but given that most male stars become heroes only in their 30s, the older hero’s seeming conquering of age— or perhaps, ageism—gives them even more admirable qualities. Shah Rukh doesn’t try to look young but he remains as youthful as ever—nimble and spry and quite believable in stunts that defy all belief.

Spoiler alert: Salman Khan is another star who has become more of an action hero as he has aged. Without having any interest in men’s chests except finding it hilarious when Salman’s shirt flies off, his entry to a film is always like the life and soul of the party coming into the room with a (Da)bang(g). Everyone realises it’s all going to get lively. His knowing winks to the camera and humour are always fun. And John Abraham excelled as the handsome villain who proves his acting ability is as good as his looks. Deepika’s perfection is never icy and I loved seeing Bobby, I mean Dimple, after 50 years. I won’t spoil the jokes of the final scene for anyone who hasn’t seen them already.

So, why does Shah Rukh still have such star qualities? Part is his personal charisma, no doubt. He is charming, restrained, funny, and handsome. Part is that he is Rahul who romanced through our youth (well, almost, for some of us) and was the weepy romantic decent guy. The references in Pathaan to his being found as a child in a cinema hall resonate strongly with many of us. Some is his offscreen life, or what we know of it, as the secular family man, the bright Delhi University student, the person who represents a particular kind of India. (He has his detractors, but that is another discussion.)

Shah Rukh is a Muslim who follows certain practices—his blowing air at the funeral of Lata Mangeshkar comes to mind—but he has a Hindu wife and he celebrates Diwali with his family. He embodies an ideal modern citizen, not dissimilar to Rahul, who is a proud Indian anywhere in the world.

Pathaan is the story of a RAW agent who is a proud Indian nationalist. Pathaan himself seems to be a Muslim but doesn’t perform his ‘Muslimness’ by reciting poetry or through language as the hero of a Muslim social film. Indeed, he talks about his nationalism rather than his personal religion. Jim’s name suggests a Christian or a Parsi but his religion has nothing to do with his going rogue.

Pathaan references the three RAW agents who form the Yash Raj spy series. Along with Pathaan is Tiger (Salman Khan), the nickname of Avinash Singh Rathore, and, though he doesn’t appear (maybe, he will if there is a Pathaan 2?), Kabir Dhaliwal (Hrithik Roshan). It’s not quite an Amar Akbar Anthony for our age. However, Tiger’s girlfriend Zoya (Katrina Kaif) and Rubina (Deepika) are ISI agents—and there is a joke in Pathaan about ISI becoming a dating pool for Indian RAW agents.

It’s unclear what Pathaan’s success means for the Hindi film industry. It’s too early to know if it is a one-off or whether the Hindi film itself is about to revive itself in a new avatar. It is hard to discern a trend in the hit films of recent years. While the diasporic romance that dominated after DDLJ has faded, there has been no clear replacement. The Hindi film has seen itself and been seen as India’s national cinema but despite the rhetoric about the nation, and mentions of Kashmir and Pakistan, there is not much that is ‘Indian’ about Pathaan.

However, some features of Pathaan may be significant. Is the song becoming less central and only a small part of the spectacle where stunts and dialogue take over? Are the films going to have more English and Hinglish? Are the heroines not going to wear wedding clothes and saris? Or is it, as seems more likely, that the action film is going to become a major genre across audiences, now that it can compete with Hollywood action movies? Or is it rather the stardom of Shah Rukh Khan, who became emblematic of the Indian nation at home as well as abroad as the hero of the ‘Bollywood’ genre, typified by the studios of Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions, which emerged as a new style in the 1990s, who can bring in audiences of all ages if he finds the right film?

BollywoodcinemaGangubai KathiawadiPathaanShah Rukh Khan