Why India Is Still Enamoured By The Triumvirate Of Khans?

Why a country made mostly of young people is still enamoured by the triumvirate of Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman khan, each of whom is well past their sell by date, going by Bollywood's century old history. 

- Mayank Shekhar

I could see Shah Rukh Khan waving waving his hand in my direction, but was reasonably sure it wasn’t pointed at me. Just a few seconds ago, he’d already taken my case while I’d presented him a trophy on behalf of the Hindustan Times at the Film Producers’ Guild Award — one of those fake TV show prizes, “entertainer of the year” type of thing, that are instituted to keep both stars and sponsors happy.

“Thanks for this Mayank, even though you don’t like my movies,” he’d said in his characteristic self-deprecating tone. And then he turned to face the audience, carrying on with a spiel that I could hear nothing of, because the voice was being projected toward the massive hall and I was standing right at the back.

Now was calling me up again. This time I could hear him better, as he pulled me to his side. “Aaya oonth pahad ke neeche. You don’t have to make movies, but you can criticise them,” he said. “Just doing a job,” I vaguely mumbled. “Repeat the dialogue after me,” he started. I parroted the first line (whatever it was from one of his movies), and while repeating the second, said “Mujhe ghar jaana hai (I want to go home).” The audience was his. They laughed (at me, I’m sure). For that brief moment, I felt a little awkward. A little later, I thought “What a graceless guy, I was just there to hand him a trophy.” I don’t know how much of this embarrassing episode played out on TV.

Later, when I was getting a drink with one of SRK’s close associates, I wondered aloud about why someone so earth-shatteringly famous and rich, who’s had the nation’s box-office figures dancing at his feet for two and half decades would care about one reviewer or review (