It was at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan finally shared his mind on the raging debate between Bollywood and the South Indian film industry. The tinsel town star, after being showered with Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno, spoke what others wanted to say about Indian cinema.
He had soon corrected the term, saying that Indian cinema was too diverse to be “regionalized.” “For years, the idea of ‘regionalizing’ Indian cinema seemed wrong to me. Our country is so vast, and we don’t just have different dialects – we have entirely different languages. It’s all Indian cinema, and some of the greatest storytelling in India comes from the South,” he said.
He further went ahead to praise the cinematic genius and technical brilliance which has time and again come out from the South Indian cinema, stating contemporary blockbusters like Jawan, RRR, and Baahubali as quintessential examples of the said talent. “Cinematically and technically, South cinema is really fantastic,” he said.
But here’s where the irony kicks in—after decades of Bollywood stardom, Khan now seems to be singing the praises of South Indian cinema. The very industry that catapulted him to fame—Bollywood—was notably absent from most of his praise. Is it that the King of Bollywood is now looking southward because that is where the blockbuster winds are blowing?
Speaking about his experience while working with famous South Indian director Atlee on Jawan, Shah Rukh said it was a very interesting and new experience for him. “South cinema has a different style, with larger-than-life heroes and lots of music. I really enjoyed that. It was a new experience for me, and I even found myself asking my kids if I looked okay on screen because it felt like I was part of something grand,” he added.
While it is laudable that SRK has developed a new respect for South Indian cinema, somewhere the question comes to mind regarding what exactly made this shift in allegiance happen now. After all, it’s Bollywood that laid the bedrock of his incredible career. So isn’t this smartness at work to hold relevance in an industry that is acquiring worldwide attention toward South Indian cinema, or is SRK really discovering a new love for the South? Whatever be the reason, it is crystal clear that Shah Rukh Khan’s cinematic journey is certainly taking an exciting new turn.
Workwise, Shah Rukh Khan is currently busy prepping for his next film titled King, where he will be sharing the screen with his daughter Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan as the lead antagonist.
It appears that the King of Bollywood is fighting to be supreme in every department of Indian cinema—better late than never, eh?
Ritesh has only two passions in life: movies and writing. With over two years of professional writing experience, he goes beyond SEO norms to convey his unfiltered love for cinema. A devoted admirer of Martin Scorsese, Ritesh believes that cinema is the most powerful storytelling medium on the planet, and through his words, he seeks to share that passion with the world.