Shah Rukh Khan has never shut down his politics on television; Jawan and Pathaan mark a new era.
On Shah Rukh Khan's 58th birthday, here's a look at his lengthy career of politically conscious cinema, which culminated in Pathaan and Jawan this year.
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If the plot of Dunki is as expected—a guy who helps lost Indians find their way back to their homeland—it will be Shah Rukh Khan's third film this year to deal with patriotism, following the success of Pathaan and Jawan. Shortly after the outbreak and Aryan's incarceration, a slew of films featuring an enraged Shah Rukh were released. Both Pathaan and Jawan featured the superstar in unusually (but not incredibly) melancholy characters, but they fit together seamlessly with a filmography that has never been as politically neutral as some may assume.
In Jawan, Shah Rukh broke the fourth wall and in a quivering voice demanded
Shah Rukh's character in Pathaan is a covert operative who criticizes India's militaristic approach to conflicts, falls in love with a Pakistani spy, and advises a humiliated Army commander to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Shah Rukh's character in Jawan shattered the fourth wall by pleading with the Indian public to vote more responsibly for their government. He never once placed blame for the country's predicament on them, but he did emphasize the weight of the duty they bear.
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And despite the narrow line that actors of his magnitude typically have to tread in our country, Shah Rukh hasn't played it as safe as some of his peers. To begin, he played anti-heroes before he became known for his romantic parts. This year he went back to his family's homeland.
Shah Rukh addressed Pathaan and Jawan in Dil Se, nearly 25 years ago.
Shah Rukh's Dil Se..., directed by Mani Ratnam more than two and a half decades ago, dealt with many of the same issues as Pathaan and Jawan. The film addressed the insurgency in Assam and was critical of the Indian government's response. What has been happening in Manipur this year makes Dil Se... still relevant today.
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Like the 2023-sounding premise of "Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani," which deconstructed the relationship between the government and television news media, this film was released in 2000. As with the documentary While We Watched, which featured Ravish Kumar, the film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani can be seen as a companion piece to Jawan.
Shah Rukh saw politics more softly and inwardly in the mid-2000s.
Shah Rukh's view on politics softened and turned inward during the middle of the 2000s. His films at the time suggested that an individual's ideology developed independently of their environment. He had roles in Swades, Chak De India!, and My Name Is Khan at this time. They were all extremely expensive to make and promoted with billboards. While Swades covered a wide range of topics, the ongoing discussion about NRIs' influence on domestic politics ensures that it is still relevant today.
On the other hand, films like Chak De and My Name is Khan have brought attention to Indian Muslims at a time when the country is actively reevaluating its views on this population. And then there's Raees, a picture that Shah Rukh was too afraid to classify as a "gangster film" before it came out, despite the fact that it's likely his most politically charged film previous to Jawan (it parallels the 2002 riots in Gujarat and doesn't leave the eponymous character's Muslim identity uncertain).
Shah Rukh has always found himself between a rock and a hard place
The events of Raees demonstrated two things: first, that Shah Rukh can never risk alienating his fans, and second, that he is capable of mustering on screen the fortitude that he may occasionally lack in real life.
Shah Rukh has always been caught between the left, who want him to speak out against bigotry, and the right, who criticize him for not toeing the party line. One thing everyone agrees upon, though, is that he is a dedicated film buff. Even if he is restrained in reality, he can break free on the silver screen. Come to think of it, that characteristic position makes full sense.
