What should Shah Rukh Khan do to bounce back? Trade experts and distributors speak

By Fenil Seta -

August 14, 2017 - 8:00 AM IST

Shah Rukh Khan’s recent film Jab Harry Met Sejal has proved to be a big disaster at the box office. Since the past two years, Shah Rukh Khan wasn’t having a great run. Yet, his films were having respectable figures at the box office. Dilwale and Raees underperformed but managed to go beyond 130-crore-mark. Fan failed to cross 100-crore-mark but it was argued it was not a typical entertainer. With Jab Harry Met Sejal, all excuses dried up as it was a romantic film starring a prominent actress, Anushka Sharma, as his co-star and replete with foot-tapping songs. Yet, it failed to excite audiences.

What should Shah Rukh Khan do to bounce back? Trade experts and distributors speak

So now what should be the next step of Shah Rukh Khan to get back in the top league? Harveen Singh, distributor from Rajasthan, said, “Shah Rukh Khan should play roles that suit his age.” Another leading distributor Rajesh Thadani also had the same views. He said, “He should choose the right kind of roles. He can’t be romancing younger heroines at this age. He should gravitate towards mature, content-driven roles.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels action can work for him. He implied, “He should do more action roles and films like Don. Don 3 is a great idea. His role in Raees was also interesting but the film suffered due to clash with Kaabil. Not just action but even what he did in Dear Zindagi was impressive. Chak De India was highly inspiring.” He added, “There can be some elements of romance as well. Or maybe Karan Johar can perhaps come up with good romantic film for him. Even doing a sci-fi won’t be wrong, provided the script is first-rate. Ra.One, I feel, came a bit too early.” But he had an important piece of advice here, “Whatever he does, it should be one level up.” Rajesh Thadani also emphasized for films that have a bigger appeal. “The narration can’t be abstract that would limit the audiences,” he said. Another reputed trade analyst Amod Mehra was more critical about Shah Rukh Khan’s choice of directors. He said, “He is doing silly films. Signing Farah Khan and Rohit Shetty’s films sounded the death knell for him.”

Both Atul Mohan and Amod Mehra admitted that Shah Rukh Khan can take a leaf out of Aamir Khan’s choice of films. Atul Mohan said, “Gradually, he should plan to go the Amitabh Bachchan way. Even at this age, Big B is playing prominent roles and getting appreciation. Also, what Aamir Khan did in Dangal is something that Shah Rukh Khan should take note of. At the same time, once in a while, he can also do an action film. In short, he should plan his moves for the next five years.” Amod Mehra gave an in-depth analysis to justify why Aamir Khan can serve as a good source of inspiration. He explained, “Aamir Khan is not doing the typical hero roles. He’s doing character-based roles and his track record is impeccable. Look at his recent films. He played an alien in PK; in Dhoom 3, he was the anti-hero and also had a double role. In Dangal, he played a father to four girls and he was not even there in the climax. In 3 Idiots, he was one of the three heroes. Shah Rukh Khan should follow Aamir Khan’s path. He should not try to be young. He should play Shah Rukh Khan the actor and not Shah Rukh Khan the hero”

Shah Rukh Khan’s next film is with Aanand L Rai in which he plays a dwarf. Again, it’s an unconventional film and it remains to be seen if it works for the superstar. Harveen Singh said, “That particular film seems interesting. Working with a hit director is always a safer bet. He needs a good director and a good script” Amod Mehra however is unsure. He opined, “Doing Aanand L Rai’s film is a gamble – it may or not work. But at least, he has something interesting lined up.”

Self-acclaimed critic Kamaal R Khan’s advice for Shah Rukh Khan shocked us all. He matter-of-factly said, “Shah Rukh Khan should now retire and sit at home. He should launch his son Aryan. Maybe he can play his father’s role in his film” And what are his views on Aanand L Rai’s film? “He should shelve that film,” he signed off!