Within the 90s, when the query arose about who would take over the mantle of Bollywood’s high star from Amitabh Bachchan, the three Khans stood up. Born inside a couple of months of one another, these three actors started their careers across the identical time and had their breakthroughs as main heroes concurrently. For the following half-decade, the names Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir have been virtually all the time used collectively. Any rising star was dubbed the ‘fourth Khan’. However then got here a time when Shah Rukh broke free, incomes the moniker “King Khan.”
In a profession spanning virtually 4 many years, Shah Rukh has established himself as probably the most profitable actors within the historical past of Hindi cinema. With a field workplace gross of virtually ₹8000 crore and an enviable abroad file, he actually has been the numero uno star of the Hindi movie business. A have a look at how that unbelievable profession has stacked up in numbers.
How Shah Rukh Khan freed from the opposite Khans
Shah Rukh debuted in movies in 1992, 4 years after each Salman and Aamir had made their respective debuts. By this time, the opposite actors had solo hits to their title. Shah Rukh, alternatively, started in two-hero movies (Deewana, King Uncle) after which even performed the villain (Darr, Anjaam). But he was in a position to bridge the hole and shortly draw degree with Aamir and Salman. All through the 90s, the three Khans have been the highest main actors in Hindi movies, with SRK and Salman forward of Aamir.
The tide turned because the century turned. From 2000-07, Salman confronted fluctuating fortunes on the field workplace. He had a spate of flops and solely intermittent successes in No Entry and Companion. Aamir turned extra selective and gave 4 years to a single movie – Mangal Pandey, which didn’t fare too effectively. Shah Rukh, alternatively, had his golden run, giving era-defining hits like Mohabbatein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Devdas, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer Zaara, and Om Shanti Om, all in succession. Throughout this era, he earned a staggering ₹1326 crore on the field workplace, greater than what Aamir and Salman made mixed.
The three Khans, as soon as once more
2008-09 was when the situation modified once more. Aamir’s Ghajini established the 100-crore membership, whereas Salman entered his ‘bhai’ period with Needed and Dabangg. Over the following six years, the 2 actors drew degree with Shah Rukh. SRK nonetheless had the massive hits corresponding to Chennai Specific and Comfortable New 12 months, however Salman and Aamir had higher cultural affect with seminal movies like Dabangg, Ek Tha Tiger, 3 Idiots, and PK. The field workplace earnings have been related for all three actors.
After which got here the worst section of Shah Rukh’s profession. After 2015, none of Shah Rukh’s movies was a clear hit. He had the odd success in Dilwale or Raees, however they didn’t do the numbers his contemporaries did. Across the identical time, Aamir was ruling the roost with Dangal, whereas Salman was additionally smashing field workplace data with Sultan and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Even Akshay Kumar, with a spate of hits, out-earned Shah Rukh on the field workplace throughout this time.
The post-pandemic resurgence
The Covid pandemic modified the dynamics of how Indian audiences devour cinema. The arrival of OTT meant theatres have been challenged for the primary time. Each Salman and Aamir confronted challenges as their movies, Laal Singh Chaddha and Radhey, tanked on the field workplace. Akshay Kumar confronted related challenges with a string of flops earlier than he recovered. Shah Rukh, alternatively, spent the primary few years of the post-pandemic period on hiatus earlier than smashing data in 2023.
Regardless of working in solely three movies since 2020, he’s the second-highest-grossing Indian actor throughout the interval, behind a Dhurandhar-led Ranveer Singh. His ₹2671 crore gross throughout this era far outstrips Salman ( ₹902 crore) and Aamir ( ₹359 crore). Within the course of, he has taken his lifetime cumulative field workplace haul to a staggering ₹8000 crore, drawing degree with Salman Khan. Aamir remains to be at round ₹6600 crore, however with fewer movies.
Probably the most prolific primary star
However judging Shah Rukh’s success in simply numbers, with out the context of inflation and common ticket costs throughout eras, is meaningless. A extra apt stat to measure his stardom is how he has dominated the field workplace 12 months after 12 months. Over the course of his profession, Shah Rukh has starred in 64 movies because the lead. Ten of those are blockbusters, whereas 30 others are superhits or hits. Salman Khan has 88 movies as lead, with 15 blockbusters and 22 different successes. Aamir Khan, the extra selective of the three, has finished solely 43 movies within the lead function, with 7 blockbusters and 14 different successes. Shah Rukh has the perfect success price amongst all main actors, aside from Dilip Kumar. The 2 stay the one main stars to have an over 50% success price.
However what’s most telling is what number of calendar years Shah Rukh has dominated. Since his debut in 1992, Shah Rukh has given the number one movie of the 12 months 10 instances. Dilip Kumar follows with eight such years, adopted by Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan with seven every, and Raj Kapoor with six. Shah Rukh can also be the one Indian actor to have a number one movie in 4 totally different many years. He had two such movies within the Nineties, six within the 2000s, and one every within the 2010s (My Title Is Khan) and 2020s (Jawan).
A lot of Shah Rukh’s dominance within the 2000s was resulting from his immense reputation abroad. Regardless of Aamir’s success in China, Shah Rukh stays India’s highest-grossing star abroad, with an estimated $400-500 million earnings for his movies exterior India, one other file.
At 61, Shah Rukh Khan reveals no indicators of slowing down, not to mention stopping. With Rajinikanth and Mammootty exhibiting how heroes can proceed to dominate of their 70s, there isn’t a purpose why SRK cannot emulate them. If he does, there isn’t a telling how far forward he’ll lengthen his dominance.