With a cliche'd topic like this, I am here to shower fulsome praise on SRK, the king of Bollywood. Never imagined, I would do that, because if ever there was a surviving critic, read scold, on this earth, it was yours truly. So, how this sudden change of heart where I have grown an avid fan of his, no matter if it does or does not matter to others.
If CDI and OSO had their part in it, then it is absolutely true. But my catharsis happened due to my changed opinion about him, his movies and Bollywood in general, in the last few months. I always believed Bollywood is a poor example of cinema making, with mushy, cheesy, overdone (add epithets as many you can) thrown in plenty, and the blame largely rested on the shoulders of the big-guns in the vanguard. For many, it is still true and I can't argue with them, as the reasons supporting it are many and undeniable. But what if it is its strength? And luckily, I found out it indeed is. What I found schmaltzy was endearing to others, both in India and abroad. The very vivacity of Indian colour, clothes and culture had got lost on me, mainly due to its suffuse on me all my lifetime. The charm of Indian cinema is back though, and with even bigger concomitant dream.
Where does this leave Shahrukh in the entire chiaroscuro? Undoubtedly he remains the prime colour of it all, and for many, he is synonymous with Bollywood. The charisma, confidence and disarming influence of screen presence has won him over zillions of fans worldwide. It never happened that I didn't enjoy an SRK film, but it didn't fulfill me. It didn't fulfill me, because I wasn't ready to be. The moment I changed my exalted attitude, I could laugh on corny dialogues, romanticize with his heroine and weep with him at the cruelty of the world. It was awesome.
So, for his detractors, let's savour what he has given to us, and not what he could have. For sure, we need the other type of intellectual cinema too, but leave Shahrukh for what he does best. Yarning dreams...........
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