It took the movie Pathaan, starring a 57-year-old actor, to revive Bollywood in a nation where two-thirds of people are under the age of 35. That is the kind of stardom that Shah Rukh Khan embodies—one that defies gravity and reason.
Not very long ago, the elitists were prematurely declaring Bollywood’s demise and the hegemony of South Indian cinema. But Pathaan’s Rs 57 crore opening day box office haul, along with the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) performances at Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, is now being added to folklore’s hall of fame. Shah Rukh Khan did not even appear on Big Boss or The Kapil Sharma Show as pre-publicity for the film. Three days prior to the film’s debut, he only debuted the Pathaan teaser at the International League T20 in Dubai and appeared in front of a sizable enthusiastic crowd.
There was no longer any purpose in criticising Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, according to Narottam Mishra, the BJP leader and home minister for Madhya Pradesh.
Because of this, Pathaan is this week’s Newsmaker of The Week on ThePrint.