Summary

Shah Rukh Khan’s latest film, Jawan, has received massive attention and viewers lined up at theaters to watch it on its first release day. Shah Rukh Khan’s fame as the “King Khan” and “Baadshah of Bollywood” has made him one of India’s most popular actors, with a global recognition surpassing Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise. After a four-year hiatus, Shah Rukh Khan’s career comeback with films like Pathaan and now Jawan has generated immense hype and anticipation among his fans, especially with his dual role in the film.

Indian films have always offered something new to audiences, although they mostly rely on film stars to gain a marketing advantage. For instance, films like RRR have become instantly popular as a result of their predecessors, Bahubali: The Beginning and Bahubali 2: The Conclusion. However, that was in 2022, but this year is specially reserved for Shah Rukh Khan, as not one but two of his films have taken the box office by storm.

Pathaan, which was released earlier this year, has surpassed the 1000 crore mark in Indian currency, which is equivalent to $130 million worldwide. As if that weren’t enough, the actor’s most anticipated film, Jawan, has finally been released in theaters all across the world.

While the film is expected to have some commotion during its release, viewers have lined up in front of theaters to watch it at a moment’s notice. Here’s why Shah Rukh Khan’s latest film, Jawan, received so much attention on its first release day.

Shah Rukh Khan’s Massive Fame

The film industry has provided many actors with a second life, and Shah Rukh Khan, widely regarded as the “King Khan” and “Baadshah of Bollywood,” is no exception. The actor made his screen debut in 1988 with the television show “Dil Dariya,” but after appearing in a few other movies and TV shows, he went on a hiatus for two years owing to his mother’s death.

No one could have predicted that it would be the rise of India’s most popular actor after a couple of decades as he shot to fame through both positive and negative roles over the years. Needless to say, his career was far from smooth, with plenty of ups and downs that could have made him one of the bunch. According to the surveys conducted in the early 2010s, over 3.2 billion people in the world knew who Shah Rukh Khan was, which was more than Tom Cruise.

He was described as “the biggest movie star you’ve ever heard of…perhaps the world’s biggest movie star, period” by the Los Angeles Times in 2011. Furthermore, Khan is not only one of India’s wealthiest celebrities ($400-600 million in 2015) but was also listed as one of the 50 greatest actors of all time by Empire magazine and the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

Related: 10 Bollywood Actors Who Starred in Famous Hollywood Movies

The Actor’s Second Film After a Long Absence
Yash Raj Films

Despite being the face of Bollywood and, perhaps, Indian Cinema, Khan’s career has suffered a major setback in 2018. While his age may have been a factor that held him back from acting in more films, a part of it was due to the pandemic. However, prior to his four-year-long hiatus, the actor was experiencing a career comeback, with movies like Zero (2018) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) failing to meet fans’ expectations and earning mixed reviews.

During his four-year break, Khan was adamant about making a huge comeback and reunited with Deepika Padukone (XXX: Return of Xander Cage) to star in Yash Raj Films’ action thriller Pathaan, which was released as a part of YRF Spy Universe with War and Tiger Zinda Hai. Even before Jawan, Pathaan had massive hype, with Shah Rukh Khan’s fans raving about the movie from the beginning of its production.

With Jawan being a similar film but more focused on patriotism, which easily moves any Indian, it is no surprise that fans are lining up to watch it on the first day. It makes even more sense considering that the legendary actor is playing a dual role in the film as Raj Vardhan Thakur and Vikram Rathore.

A Movie That Resonates with Actor’s Love Towards India
Red Chillies Entertainment

While many people across the world only knew Shah Rukh Khan as a phenomenal actor who rose to stardom through a string of successful films over the past two decades, not many were familiar with his attitude and humbleness. Khan was awarded the Padma Shri in 2005, an honorable award only granted to a select few in the country.

Related: 10 Movies to Get You Started on Indian Cinema

Shah Rukh Khan has appeared in numerous patriotic stories during his career, including The Forgotten Army – Azaad ke liye, A.R. Rahman’s Jai Hind India, Pathaan, and many others. The film provided Indian fans a purpose to watch, with Jawan translating to “Soldier” in English.

In addition, the trailer was powerful, with dialogues that strongly resonated with fans and moviegoers alike, particularly “I’m a soldier. I can give my life a thousand times, but only for my country. Not for people like you who sell our country.”

While Pathaan was a spectacular action thriller that showed King Khan in his peak form, Jawan is a different story. Contrary to popular belief, the film brought out the real actor in him while still providing fans with what they wanted with his second role.

Jawan is currently released in 5,500 theaters in India and 4,500 screens in other international regions.