The Essential
SHAH RUKH KHAN
RAHUL MEHRA
DARR
(1993)
Often called the Tom Cruise of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan can also be more like Robert De Niro. In his early performances, he was the man to call when you wanted a psychotic villain, and in Darr, as a stalker who stops at nothing, Khan shows terrifying tenacity, his expressions exuding determination. He oozes so much personality that he almost starts making us cheer for Rahul — abad, bad man.
RAJ MALHOTRA DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE
(1995)
If there’s one genre you must master to become a Bollywood legend, it’s the romantic musical. Raj, a flirtatious, fun-loving, over-the-top figure who needs to show conservatism to woo Simran (Kajol), eventually becomes a modern man: fun on the outside, earnest within. Khan was already world-famous for his villainous roles, but when paired with leading lady Kajol, India found its Fred and Ginger, and Khan entered the stratosphere.
Alamy, Allstar
RIZWAN KHAN
MY NAME IS KHAN
(2010)
In the mid-2000s, as Bollywood musicals went out of fashion and Indian cinema got more serious, Khan adapted accordingly, giving audiences what they wanted. In Karan Johar’s drama about Islamophobia, Khan plays a Muslim with Asperger syndrome who moves to San Francisco and is accused of terrorism. It’s a very physical performance, Khan stammering and jittering, and hugely emotional as he brings out a winningly heroic side.
KALEEM
AFTAB