Decoding the success of Pathaan

Till the release of his film 'Pathaan', Shah Rukh Khan was cheery and humble with his words on social media. But since the film clocked a whopping Rs 700 crore worldwide, he has been roaring like a lion. Sample this AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Twitter.

Responding to a fan on why he refrained from promotional interviews of 'Pathaan', Shah Rukh said, "Maine socha sher interview nahi karte toh iss baar mein bhi nahi karunga. Bas jungle mein akar dekh lo." (I thought since the lion doesn't give an interview, I also won't do it. Just come to the jungle and see him).

That's the thing with cinema! All it takes is one film to change the fate. And with 'Pathaan', which also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, Shah Rukh has risen again and proven all those who have been writing the 'obituary' of his three-decade checkered career wrong.

'SRK can lift even formulaic films'

"You can never write off Shah Rukh," says Abhinanadan J, a huge fan, who has watched 'Pathaan' thrice. "In 2000, when 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai' released, people said a new star was born. That, Hrithik (Roshan) was set to replace Shah Rukh as Bollywood's number 1 romantic hero. Did that happen? No, right?" he asks.

The anticipation to see their favourite actor after a wait of four-plus years and in a never-before-seen avatar of an action-hero worked in favour of 'Pathaan', Abhinandan, a PR manager, decodes the fan frenzy.

Marketing manager and a Shah Rukh loyalist, Akanksha Ravindran has another theory: "Films that stick to a formula are crowd pullers. 'Pathaan' is the perfect example of that. When lower-rung actors follow a template, they give films that cross the Rs 100-crore mark at the box office. But, when Shah Rukh does the same, it is poised to be a gigantic blockbuster. That's the power of a superstar," she says.

Graphic designer and short filmmaker Amogh Ravindra found the film "ridiculous yet fun". "As for the action, I felt the film was a 'bhel puri' of action sequences from the 'Mission Impossible', 'Fast & Furious', 'James Bond' and 'John Wick' franchises," he points out.

The case of silence and sympathy

The bland content of 'Pathaan' didn't stop the film from making a powerful start. The high-level curiosity around the film was built by a masterstroke of a marketing strategy that didn't involve many pre-release events.

Shah Rukh's silence was perhaps a learning from his past experiences, where his comments on "intolerance in the country" and "the needless intervention of politics in cinema" earned him threats and political backlash.

The country's political atmosphere seems to have dented Shah Rukh's courage to play a Muslim hero in films. In 'Pathaan', he plays a man with no religion and calls himself India's child. People felt he has always paid a price for his religion and had to prove his credentials as a Muslim, time and again. The sympathy towards the actor also grew when his son Ayan was arrested in a drug case, and released later after being cleared of all charges.

So for many, the content of 'Pathaan' doesn't matter. "If we are a pack of fools who applaud a film that has nothing new to offer, then indeed our country has a lot answer for. Even so, Shah Rukh, even in a not so charming film, still carries a better sense of democracy than what the country has shown him", Vijetha Kumar, a seasoned writer and assistant professor, breaks down the phenomenon.

Charming his fans since 90s

Shah Rukh has cultivated his stardom carefully, notes Amborish Roychoudhury, author and national award-winning writer. "His 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' coincided with the economic liberalisation in India.

Youngsters coming of age and having disposable income in the late 90s and early 2000s were able to connect with an Indian on-screen hero who lived overseas, wore flashy clothes yet had traditional Indian sensibilities," he explains.

He says "as a performer, you can't put him in the league of an Amitabh (Bachchan) or a Dilip Kumar" but he is cut above his competitors when it comes to his irresistible off-screen persona.

"He had a sneaky way to make his presence felt in YouTube videos and online articles. You would often see him talk about the power of love and brotherhood. At some level, despite not being one of the greatest of actors, you connect with him because he has the gift of the gab and exudes intelligence. His funny interviews are as big as his films and that says it all," observes Amborish.

Boon for Bollywood?

In an interview, Shahid Kapoor said the success of 'Pathaan' has given confidence and money to Bollywood. Even Amborish sees this as a big turnaround. "If they (Yash Raj Films) really pull off an exciting 'Spy Verse' and bring Hrithik, Salman, and Shah Rukh in a well-written film, then nothing like it. Bollywood must believe in multistarrers involving bit names like it happened previously with 'Amar Akbar Anthony' (1977), 'Saudagar' (1991) and 'Ram Lakhan' (1989). The industry must understand that people need well-made spectacles like 'Kantara' and 'RRR' to attact the crowd," he says.

However, MK Raghavendra, a well-known film critic and author, is skeptical. "The film panders to the patriotic card. That's the problem with Bollywood. Their stories must have some relation with the nation and meet people's expectations from the nation. And since 2014, people's expectation from the country has been about Hindu nationalism," he opines.

'Pathaan' might not have a story that deserved this magnitude of success. Bollywood might still be far away from resurrection. But Shah Rukh's resurgence will find a place in the history of Indian cinema because when he came back, he came roaring, like a lion.