- Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan have dominated Hindi cinema for over 30 years
- Actor Imran Khan states leading men inevitably age out of certain roles and must adapt
- Stardom evolves as younger audiences prefer actors closer to their age and experience
For more than 30 years, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have dominated Hindi cinema, maintaining a level of stardom rarely seen in the industry.
What's Happening
- While their names once guaranteed box-office success, audience expectations have shifted in recent years, with viewers becoming more selective about the content they consume.
- Actor Imran Khan believes this shift calls for introspection from senior stars. In a recent conversation with News18, he spoke about how leading men inevitably age out of certain roles and need to adapt accordingly.
- "You cannot be playing the lead after a certain age," he said.
- Elaborating on his perspective, Imran explained, "As a leading man, actors also start to age out. There are certain years where you can work as a leading man, and then there comes an age where you are not able to play those roles. All three Khans are well into their 60s now. They have had 30 years of stardom, the likes of which are hard to conceive or parallel. I think a part of it is simply organic, an inevitable part of any actor's journey, that as you age, you start to transition the kind of roles you play."
- According to him, stardom itself evolves with time. He pointed out that while long-time fans may continue to support actors they grew up watching, younger audiences tend to gravitate toward performers closer to their own age and experiences.
- "Your stardom also starts to transition because there is an audience that knows you and grows with you, and then there is a whole new younger generation that begins to attach itself to people closer to them in age and experience. When we watch films or shows, first and foremost, we are trying to see ourselves in those stories and characters. That's what resonates with you. Instinctively, you connect with someone who is closer to your age and life experience. The younger generation might not want to watch the story of a 70-year-old man."
Background
His comments come at a time when box-office performances of the three stars have been closely scrutinised.
After the underperformance of Zero, Shah Rukh Khan took a four-year hiatus before returning in 2023 with Pathaan and Jawan, both of which emerged as major commercial successes.
However, his third release that year, Dunki, did not meet similar expectations.
Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha also failed to perform strongly at the box office.
His subsequent release, Sitaare Zameen Par, found appreciation largely for its ensemble cast and storytelling, rather than functioning as a conventional star-led vehicle.
Salman Khan, meanwhile, has faced a challenging run since 2018, with several releases underperforming commercially. Tiger 3 remains one of the few recent exceptions.
