Some interviews are unforgettable. For this writer, one such interview was with Rajesh Khanna, the first Bollywood superstar who completely overshadowed his competitors during his days of glory and gave 15 consecutive hits between 1969 and 1971. Khanna turned to politics in the mid-80s and won the 1992 Lok Sabha by-election from the New Delhi constituency on a Congress ticket. It was in 1993, possibly 1994, that this writer interviewed him for a long-defunct monthly magazine.
Khanna shared the famous story of the day the legendary director Yash Chopra had rushed towards him when he was relaxing between shots on the sets. The star-turned-politician said, “Yashji asked me to take a look at my car. I went and saw that it was covered with lipstick marks. The press had written about it. Aap us samay paida nahi huye hongey. (You would not have been born at that time).” Khanna had countless female admirers, among them those who had kissed his car to express their love for him in far more conservative times. His appeal was immeasurable during his reign as the superstar.
Amitabh Bachchan, who is 80 and still very active, had dethroned Khanna. His reign included an extraordinary phase of complete domination. Bachchan’s fans would remember his accident on the sets of Manmohan Desai’s Coolie in 1982, which resulted in a near-fatal splenic rupture and hospitalisation for a long time. His worried fans offered pujas across the country and reportedly offered to sacrifice their limbs! The superstar recovered fully, of course, and he continues to deliver outstanding performances even today.
Dev Anand, who debuted in 1946 with PL Santoshi’s Hum Ek Hain, cast a spell on his fans with his irresistible charm during his days at the top. Anand, along with his contemporaries Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, constituted a trio of superstars with phenomenal popularity. This writer met Anand in 2009, two years before the legend passed away at the ripe old age of 88. When he stepped out of a Pune newspaper office at around 10 pm, many Bollywood buffs spotted him and surrounded his vehicle in no time. How did the man attract so many people at 86? He did because he was a former superstar, who did not need positive viewpoints on social media to make his films work at a time the Internet did not exist. Years after he had acted in his last big hit, he was worth a look at close quarters.
WHY THE KHANS DOMINATE
In recent times, Shah Rukh Khan, one of the three Khans along with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, returned to the big screen in a central role after four years. His film, Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan, became a Rs 1,000-crore all-time blockbuster. Miracles take place — which is why the word — but it is difficult to think of any new star, who can give rise to a similar desire for watching a film with his sheer presence.
Aamir has delivered duds lately, but writing him off will be wrong. Salman has not had noteworthy success either. However, he can give hits with mediocre and, occasionally, terrible masala entertainers. If Farhad Samji’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan had a different leading man instead of Salman, the film would have grossed Rs 36 crore instead of around Rs 182 crore, which it did.
Born in different months of 1965, each of the three Khans led by SRK has more off-screen appeal than any new star. Is it surprising? It is not.
No present-day Bollywood star, which includes the Khans, has the kind of fan support that big stars down South do. Prabhas is a fine example of such stardom, which is the outcome of his fan’s unconditional love and loyalty. Om Raut’s Adipurush has disappointed many viewers and attracted a lot of criticism from most film reviewers, but his numerous fans on social media refuse to take any criticism of the man lightly.
NO NEW SUPERSTAR
Many viewers have been analysing Hindi films thoroughly and also sharing their thoughts on social media. That will not lessen until the industry finds ways to deliver better mass-friendly content.
The modern-day star is far more visible than his counterpart from the past. He gets photographed in what is known as the ‘airport look’ when he is rushing to board a flight. The paparazzi chase him when he goes to a gym, attends a party or a social function or goes out on a date. Besides, most stars share their thoughts and post photographs on social media.
Ever since the Internet became a permanent presence in our lives, followed by the dramatic increase in entertainment-related content, the star stopped being a celluloid cutout for the masses. Much has changed after the disappearance of mystery around the star, accompanied by the emergence of the less loyal fan, who criticizes and butchers a film easily.
The established pattern of creation and consumption of Hindi commercial films is such that most of them are, unfortunately, dominated by men. The bad news for the struggling industry is that it must not hope to see a new male superstar soon.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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