Shah Rukh Khan has enjoyed three 100 crore successes in a row since last Diwali in the form of Ra.One, Don 2 and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. However two things that have been common in each of these films are that first and foremost they have been largely urban affairs and secondly, they haven’t quite seen universal acclaim coming in their direction. While fans and followers of Shah Rukh have been asking for more, the good news is that there is an altogether different strategy being adopted by him for next year.
“For starters, there is nothing experimental about his next few films. Ra.One had a science fiction base while Don 2 was a heist action drama. He tried doing something different and at least the latter managed to fetch some good appreciation. Similarly Jab Tak Hai Jaan, despite not being picked up by one and all, did manage to work with classes to some extent, especially in overseas. However this isn’t all that is expected to particularly please Shah Rukh either. He knows he has to reach out to masses and classes with equal enthusiasm. This is where Chennai Express and Happy New Year fit in,” says a source.
No wonder, Shah Rukh Khan is trusting Rohit Shetty and Farah Khan, two directors known for their inclination towards hardcore commercial ‘masala’ films, to do the needful.
“Shah Rukh has not been known for interfering with his directors and always surrenders to their vision once on board. For Chennai Express, he has given a clean go ahead to Rohit for making ‘Rohit Shetty kind of film’. In fact he is looking forward to all the chases and cars blasting away. He wants his ‘masala’ to be just like the kind seen in the director’s last 6-7 hits. Similarly with Farah, the endeavour has been to march a few steps ahead of Om Shanti Om. One of the major strengths of Farah’s films is her music and Vishal-Shekhar have already belted some chartbusters in the making for Happy New Year,” the source adds.
While he has already started shooting for Chennai Express and is happy in a new world he is finding himself in, early next year he would be stepping into Farah’s sets. Rest assured, it is expected to be a lot of fun-n-frolic sans any experimentation in year to come. Guess, Shah Rukh fans won’t mind that either.
