We received a huge response to a guest blog post we put up on Koimoi.com last two weeks (“What Shah Rukh Khan Means To Me” – Koimoi Reader’s View and “SRK – The Acronym For Still Reading Khan” – Koimoi Reader’s View). The post, which spoke all about a die-hard fan of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, received a lot of comments, both positive and negative, on the website as well as across the social media. At Koimoi.com, we believe in giving space to different, even divisive, views on Bollywood stars and their films. Hence this next guest blog post, an insightful and opinionated rebuttal by a reader. Read on…
Sorry Mr. SRK, but you exude an Unmistakable Sinking Feeling! Down over and over again but not out yet, well this is how I would like to define the Superstar Shah Rukh Khan or preferably media’s favourite dart board.
It is that time of the year again when the Shah Rukh season is in full bloom and why not after all the actor’s train service is in calling (Chennai Express, if you may). And frankly, I am asphyxiated with the overtly sweet turned repulsive SRK spell a result of the countless appearances in movie promotions and endless hoardings which eventually give you the ghetto and super imposed thrust. I am tired of reading all the sugar coated fan articles on this website. Looks like no one has a contrary opinion on this self proclaimed King!
Mr. Khan, frankly, I am floored with your OTT humility, charisma, sense of humour and I can proudly see as the most visible Indian face globally. But (and here goes the tale of the apathy) what you are trying to do is kill the audience including your fans with either your arrogance, increasing superficiality or the recent overdose of brainless marketing strategies.
Shah Rukh Khan
Speaking from a disillusioned viewer’s context, it’s hard to blindly participate in the silly gimmicks of yours which is difficult to gulp provided it is a well known fact what a fine showbiz businessman you are. But however, the heights of disgust which has forced me write this is not when I saw your loud colorful and unreal movie’s trailer but the insensitive extent to which you could deem and eat up your own words as proved recently.
Firstly, you went ahead announcing a tribute for Rajinikanth and then clarified it was not part of your upcoming ‘Salman wannabe film’ and then go on to assign the song to rapper Honey Singh. If I very well recollect you were the one promoting women empowerment and equality through a brand of tea! The tea promotion was followed by the loud claims of your co-stars to be given preferential treatment with their names appearing before than male counterparts. And then you take up an insensitive step to partner up with the singer who rose to fame notoriously by bashing up women in his hateful sexist songs and seemed ‘yo yo’ about it (Honey Singh obviously). The singer’s name was even dragged in a PIL being filed against him and faced the public wrath during the infamous Delhi rape repercussions.
But eating up words is something SRK has become a pro at when not seen bathing with perfumed ladies soaps in every household television screens or showing his drinking skills of finishing a fruit drink bottle at one go.
To add to the heights of your arrogance, you recently were quoted saying ‘one does not become legends without controversies’ and wish I could relate the same for Rajni Sir for whom your sudden adulation is giving us a headache with the gibberish track and nonsensical dance moves (Lungi Dance as claimed). Well I at least tried to watch it but found a comment on the video more grabbing where a viewer had found it a sloppy attempt and called the Thalaiva tribute a mockery instead. The song has background dancers sporting the south Indian attire and SRK only aping the ‘lungi’ inspired steps but well ahem in a suit up look! Wow lameness personified!
Coming back to your ad selections, what is that you are promoting a cheap-skate fairness cream for? Is it a suggestion that you were once a loser like the poor guy in the advert or the dark skinned fellas should be vanquished in total? (I find it very racial and senseless) Have you any idea what a brand you are making of yourself?
One of the strong points of brand SRK is the family guy image and that of a doting father which is hardly comparable.
But this relatable and friendly image becomes highly plastic when the images of the actor’s rudeness and star tantrum revisits, recalling the tasteless Wankhede Stadium fiasco for which the star finally apologized with starry humbleness after initial rounds of heated outbursts.
And speaking on the movies front would be a cacophonic attempt just when one of the most clamorous flicks of the year is on the pipeline with an equally eyebrow rising tagline ‘fall in love Rohit Shetty style’. Well the film looks nothing but a desperate attempt targeting the 100 crore mark which has mostly remained elusive to the star’s fortunes unlike that of his contemporaries (Salman and Aamir even Ranbir lately).
Even though SRK has been doing brisk promotions to an extent internationally and has scouted the usual number of controversies including the MNS attack of dislodging, I would still wait for the Eid directed film which is better known as the Salman Khan slot of the year. Just to make sure whether he unfurls the south Indian lungi or ducks under it!
(Interestingly, his ambitious ‘Ra One’ too had SRK playing a South Indian donning dhoti for a lesser part and in CE too he can be seen in dhoti friendly avatar romancing an equally weird Tamil accented Deepika. And need I remind the outcome of the former?)
(The writer is Anti-SRK but NOT Pro-Salman. She is a journalist with a reputed Business Daily)
( Disclaimer: Koimoi does not take responsibility for opinions or views expressed by any writer in the reader’s column. It is independent of our company policy and doesn’t echo our opinion of the issue.)
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