<p>The year gone by wasn't a particularly memorable one for Shah Rukh Khan fans as the 'King of Romance', who was last seen in the commercially-unsuccessful <em>Zero</em>, didn't have any releases. He refrained from announcing any projects much to the disappointment of 'SRKians'. Things may not be too different this year as well as Covid-19 restrictions have been put in place in several states in the wake of an increase in Omicron cases in the country. He has a few big projects in his kitty, however, which may help him re-emerge as Bollywood's 'Baadshah'. Based on what has been reported about SRK's upcoming movies so far, here is a look at his strategy to reclaim his throne. </p>.<p><strong>Franchise magic</strong></p>.<p>There's no denying the fact that the franchise has emerged as a success formula over the years. Hrithik Roshan, for example, consolidated his standing in the industry with the <em>Krrish </em>saga, which catered to the younger generation. Similarly, Salman Khan revitalised his career with the <em>Dabangg </em>films, which were set in the heartland. SRK is set to use this technique as he will be seen playing the titular character in <em>Pathan</em>, a part of Yash Raj Films' spy universe. The action-thriller is in safe hands as it is being directed by Siddharth Anand, who previously wielded the microphone for the 2019 blockbuster <em>War</em>. It stars Deepika Padukone as the female protagonist while John Abraham plays the antagonist.</p>.<p><strong>Also read |</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/tiger-3-to-bajrangi-bhaijaan-2-what-lies-ahead-for-salman-khan-in-2022-1068759.html" target="_blank">'Tiger 3' to 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2': What lies ahead for Salman Khan in 2022</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>A fresh collaboration</strong></p>.<p>SRK scored one of the biggest hits of his career when he collaborated with Rohit Shetty for<em> Chennai Express</em>, an action-comedy about a North Indian man who falls in love with a Tamil don's daughter. He is set to revisit the 'masala' genre with <em>Lion</em>, which marks Tamil filmmaker Atlee's Bollywood debut. It is likely to feature 'King Khan' in a double role and have plenty of hero elevation scenes.</p>.<p><strong>Mixing it up</strong></p>.<p>The <em>Dilwale </em>actor has never really hesitated to experiment with his reel image. <em>Zero</em>, for example, was completely different from the 2016 release <em>Dear Zindagi.</em> The Aanand L Rai-helmed movie which was set in the Hindi heartland featured the actor in the role of a vertically-challenged person. <em>Dear Zindagi</em>, on the other hand, was an urban film and featured SRK in the role of a counselor. He is set to experiment with his image again as <em>Pathan </em>is as different from <em>Lion </em>as chalk from cheese. He will also be teaming up with ace filmmaker Rajkumar 'Raju' Hirani, who has a 100 per cent success record at the box office, for a social drama</p>.<p><strong>Impressive cameos on the cards?</strong></p>.<p>SRK is no stranger to powerful cameo appearances. He, for instance, left fans asking for more when he briefly appeared alongside Aishwarya Rai in <em>Ae Dil Hain Mushkil.</em> He hopes to apply this formula again to impress movie buffs. The star will be seen as 'Pathan' in Salman Khan's <em>Tiger 3,</em> the third installment of that franchise. He is also set to appear in the Hindi version of R Madhavan's magnum opus <em>Rocketry</em>.</p>
<p>The year gone by wasn't a particularly memorable one for Shah Rukh Khan fans as the 'King of Romance', who was last seen in the commercially-unsuccessful <em>Zero</em>, didn't have any releases. He refrained from announcing any projects much to the disappointment of 'SRKians'. Things may not be too different this year as well as Covid-19 restrictions have been put in place in several states in the wake of an increase in Omicron cases in the country. He has a few big projects in his kitty, however, which may help him re-emerge as Bollywood's 'Baadshah'. Based on what has been reported about SRK's upcoming movies so far, here is a look at his strategy to reclaim his throne. </p>.<p><strong>Franchise magic</strong></p>.<p>There's no denying the fact that the franchise has emerged as a success formula over the years. Hrithik Roshan, for example, consolidated his standing in the industry with the <em>Krrish </em>saga, which catered to the younger generation. Similarly, Salman Khan revitalised his career with the <em>Dabangg </em>films, which were set in the heartland. SRK is set to use this technique as he will be seen playing the titular character in <em>Pathan</em>, a part of Yash Raj Films' spy universe. The action-thriller is in safe hands as it is being directed by Siddharth Anand, who previously wielded the microphone for the 2019 blockbuster <em>War</em>. It stars Deepika Padukone as the female protagonist while John Abraham plays the antagonist.</p>.<p><strong>Also read |</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/tiger-3-to-bajrangi-bhaijaan-2-what-lies-ahead-for-salman-khan-in-2022-1068759.html" target="_blank">'Tiger 3' to 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2': What lies ahead for Salman Khan in 2022</a></strong><br /><br /><strong>A fresh collaboration</strong></p>.<p>SRK scored one of the biggest hits of his career when he collaborated with Rohit Shetty for<em> Chennai Express</em>, an action-comedy about a North Indian man who falls in love with a Tamil don's daughter. He is set to revisit the 'masala' genre with <em>Lion</em>, which marks Tamil filmmaker Atlee's Bollywood debut. It is likely to feature 'King Khan' in a double role and have plenty of hero elevation scenes.</p>.<p><strong>Mixing it up</strong></p>.<p>The <em>Dilwale </em>actor has never really hesitated to experiment with his reel image. <em>Zero</em>, for example, was completely different from the 2016 release <em>Dear Zindagi.</em> The Aanand L Rai-helmed movie which was set in the Hindi heartland featured the actor in the role of a vertically-challenged person. <em>Dear Zindagi</em>, on the other hand, was an urban film and featured SRK in the role of a counselor. He is set to experiment with his image again as <em>Pathan </em>is as different from <em>Lion </em>as chalk from cheese. He will also be teaming up with ace filmmaker Rajkumar 'Raju' Hirani, who has a 100 per cent success record at the box office, for a social drama</p>.<p><strong>Impressive cameos on the cards?</strong></p>.<p>SRK is no stranger to powerful cameo appearances. He, for instance, left fans asking for more when he briefly appeared alongside Aishwarya Rai in <em>Ae Dil Hain Mushkil.</em> He hopes to apply this formula again to impress movie buffs. The star will be seen as 'Pathan' in Salman Khan's <em>Tiger 3,</em> the third installment of that franchise. He is also set to appear in the Hindi version of R Madhavan's magnum opus <em>Rocketry</em>.</p>