THE BADSHAH IS BACK

Pathaan comes as redemption not just for the actor himself but also for Bollywood and is a fitting retort to the hashtag boycott culture

- SUHANI SINGH

Kings rule, but their reigns also come to an end. Shah Rukh Khan sat on the throne for nearly two decades, winning hearts, whether he was helping a young woman get on to a train, or dancing on top of it. He was everyman, and God. You laughed when he laughed, cried when he cried, felt a frisson of patriotism as he led a young Indian women hockey team to the rousing anthem of "Chak de! India" or returned home to Swades. You were happy when he fell in love, distraught when he was heartbroken. Pathaan costar John Abraham put it best: "Shah Rukh is not an actor anymore, he is an emotion."

For a while, though, that empire seemed shaken. Fans were unforgiving of mistakes, and cold to his experimentations. Great power, Khan learnt, came with great responsibility. Vulnerability too. The end seemed nigh. But, four years later, SRK is back. As Badshah 2.0. In the face of all challenges, personal or professional. Defying controversy, and age. And his fans can't have enough.