Aamir, Salman, Shah Rukh: The 25 Years Of Khan-dom In Bollywood

The three stars who carved a niche with the audience in these last two and half decades have reigned supreme over all other actors when it comes to smashing records, be it the veterans like Amitabh Bachchan or a newbie like Ranbir Kapoor. Even today as the Khan-daan rules the Bolly rooster, we take a roller coaster ride raising a toast to the three greats who gave us a lot to laugh, cry and be entertained about.

It was back in the late 1980s when a handsomely cute guy with his boy-next-door features decided to make a ravishing entry into the tinsel town. Perfection is his biggest forte and Perfectionist, as they call him to be, Aamir Khan is known for his intelligent film making and crafty attitude towards movies. From the costumes to the look to the story and the concept, Aamir’s films have a perfect concoction of them all. One actor who paved India’s route to the Oscars back in the 2000s with his film Lagaan had become a household name once he went ‘Udta hi firu’ with his ‘Pehla Nasha’. Even today, while he takes his own time to make his films ‘perfect’, Aamir’s films have definitely been instrumental in raising the standard of Indian films once made!

Just after a ‘Qayamat se Qayamat Tak’, the industry was hit by another storm: a Dabangg storm that refused to oblige to inferiority. His Maine Pyaar Kiya ornamented a saga of friendship and love a time when masala was the flavor of the season. His machismo and dashing looks catapulted him into the zone of the A-listers. Salman Khan, as this power packed thunderstorm is known as, has lived a life of mixed emotions. From going totally volatile at stages to ending up in a major uproar, the velocity of his searing intensity in films, has only been profounder. Today as this man stands as the Ultimate Ruler of the Indian box Office, with all his films setting new records one moment and smashing them the other, Salman’s mass connect has definitely turned him Bollywood’s biggest money spinner. While Aamir’s thought provoking films need a mention, ‘Sal-man’ is almost a superhero in a humane avatar striking a cord with his trademark antics and masaledaar action maneuvers.

Fighting against the odds has been something that he has been known to do. Battling against an industry which was filled with nepotism at a time early in the ‘90s looked difficult but Fauji’s Abhimanyu broke the jinx with his oh-so-romantic love tales and histrionics. At a stage when actors shied away from doing negative roles, Shah Rukh Khan’s anguish was tangible. Trying to experiment with his roles ever since, this star had risen without any piggy-backing or industry support, but all on his own accord and talent. And look where he has reached today! Believing in his dreams was his faith and that faith took a lively turn once this Raj wooed audiences all over the world and created a love-tale that is a masterpiece till date. A performer who caters to both masses and the classes have been creating earth shattering impacts with all his films, whether it is with a thought evoking Swades or a My Name is Khan or with some stereotypical romantic roles in DDLJ or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. While debates might be on full fervor about this Khan losing his box office Badshahat to a certain friend turned foe Salman Khan, Shah Rukh is still the industry’s blue eyed boy for sure. And his brilliant connect has ushered in a global platform for Indian films too. Truly the biggest overseas star, Shah’s films have created multitudes of records across the borders and thereby carved a tantalizing market for Indian films at the international stage too!

While there has been no occasion where all the three Khans could seen sharing screen space together, it would a dream come true for the whole country to watch their iconic ‘super’-heroes all in one frame. With Aamir’s films creating a quality brand of its own, Salman busy entertaining the films with his typical dose of masala and tadka and Shah Rukh seducing the cine buffs with his usual disarming candour in his romantic avatar and the newly found action-comedy avatar, Indian films are catering to people of all age groups and strata with something in the offing for all. It has been 23 years and more since the ‘Khan’ power has reigned supreme over Bollywood but even today, the star power, the enigma, the Brand Value that these three carry has been unmatchable and unattainable by all others vying for the throne.

With no hints of comparison meted out to these superstars from our end, we honour the glory of being a Khan: one that has changed the entire mindset of the movie buff nation at large. A Lyrical Salute from Team Koimoi to the Three Khans for making our Lives Bigger, Better and Grander!

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