Action-thriller Pathaan is expected to ensure Shah Rukh Khan will rise like a phoenix. The actor had started to lose his pull after 2010, with films like Fan, Jab Harry Met Sejal and Zero, among others.
The stage is set. The actor is ready. The only thing that remains to be seen is if cinephiles will throng the cinema halls once again to watch Pathaan, in the same numbers and with the same hysteria as they have in the past, or if Shah Rukh Khan’s Midas Touch will be restricted just to the opening day.Back in 2018, when Aanand L Rai’s Zero failed to earn money at the box office, a headline of a Forbes article read, ‘Shah Rukh Khan Deposed As Bollywood’s Box Office King’. Many wrote off the actor amid failures such as Zero, Fan and Jab Harry Met Sejal. But now, after four years and much contemplation by Shah Rukh about what he should do to attract his fans, he is back to the 70 mm screen in an action avatar, and with chiselled six-pack abs. His fans, well-wishers, trade experts, and even he is confident he will prove that he is the one and only king of the film industry with Pathaan’s success.“I feel positive that brand Shah Rukh Khan will be revived. You cannot write off a superstar like Shah Rukh so easily,” trade analyst Komal Nahta told indianexpress.com around the release of Pathaan’s teaser.Until 2010, SRK was the reigning ‘Badshah’ of Bollywood with one hit after another, year after year. He had started the millennium with hits like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Devdas (2002), followed by Chalte Chalte and Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, Veer Zara and Main Hoon Na in 2004, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Don in 2006, Chak De India and Om Shanti Om in 2007 and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008. But, come 2010, SRK seemingly began to lose his pull. Although he delivered blockbusters Chennai Express (Rs 227.13 cr) and Happy New Year (Rs 203 cr), the hits were neck-to-neck with flops.