Shah Rukh Khan : The Roger Federer of Indian cinema

A man respected by his foes and fans alike. There are no traces of envy even among those who grudge his greatness, as there are very few like Shah Rukh. Probably, it is in the very name - Shah, after all, stands for royalty.

It will be cruel to compare any contemporary young Indian star with Shah Rukh. Even the most exceptional of them seem to be lacking one dimension or the other when it comes to the sheer mass appeal of this man. It is not just luck, or talent, but it is the harnessing of that very talent which separates him from the other equally talented. Shah Rukh is not the best of dancer, fighter, or lover boy - but he teases the audiences the way no body else does.

Perhaps the closest a person comes to resembling Shah Rukh’s persona is someone from altogether the other side of the fence. Who else but tennis champion Roger Federer! Both are incomparable geniuses, the quintessential champions of their art, always striving to improve. They have tremendous sense of history too, a must to become part of it. There are at least four similarities between the two, as they continuously strive to redefine greatness.

Loyalty:
Both superstars are famed for their family values. They have never allowed any scandal to tarnish their good husband/companion image. Shah Rukh’s loyalty to his wife Gauri compares well with how Federer vibes with his girlfriend Mirka. Even when they have the world at their mercy, they do not change their girlfriends by the night, upholding the value of loyalty.

The scene in Chak De India, in which Kabir Khan ‘Zips it back on’ and stuns a claimant for captaincy, is a reflection of his real life image. Whether cultivated or otherwise, it has been a great success. How he wooed his girlfriend and won over her, is the stuff dreams are made of.

Quest to be the greatest:
For Federer, it is 14 Grand Slams of Pete Sampras, and for Shah Rukh, it is the iconic, everlasting image of Amitabh Bachchan, or Dilip Kumar. Both are not satisfied for being the very best of their times. They want to be the very best of all times.

That burning ambition ensures that Federer slugs it day-in-and-day-out (from February to May) at the slow clay courts of Europe in his quest to win the French Open, and Shah Rukh experiments with Dilip Kumar’s and Amitabh’s bockbusters to test if he has reached the same league or not.

The new Devdas, latest Don, and Shah Rukh’s fresh identity in Kaun Banega Crorepati is an imitation, which is certainly not meant to be flattery. It is more of testing of his mettle in Cinematic and TV classics.

International image:
Federer-Nadal Rivalry has Indians glued to their TVs, while Spanish actress Penelope Cruz will be too glad to work with Shah Rukh. The international appeal of these two personalities transcends all borders, nationalities. In Federer’s case, one may credit it to the image of tennis, in case of Shah Rukh, it could be NRIs. But you always need two to tango - a personality and a product.

Making friends with claimants for greatness: Bjorn Borg applauding Federer as he equalled his Wimbledon record of five consecutive titles, and Amitabh Bachchan often acknowledging that Shah Rukh Khan is today’s best, proves that both the champions of their trade are good at placating their rivals, and get their unwavering praise.

Amitabh may not be in the title song of Om Shanti Om, but he is very much part of a movie that might redefine six pack Shah Rukh for the future. Of course, at times there will be bad vibes. After all, even Borg too looked to be silently praying for Nadal to convert his breakpoints in the decisive final set at Wimbledon 2007! Both Federer and Shah Rukh will always have the respect of the past greats, even as they go on demolishing their achievements.

By the time these two retire, they will have achived the greatness which will take quite some effort to equal. But what other standard you expect the two to set. When Shah Rukh cuts the cake two days from now, it won’t be a bad idea for Federer to become a surprise, uninvited guest. A guest whose presence will be most cherished by a man who lives by the same sets of values and ambitions.

Ibnlive.com