You blew the world as Raja, telling your wife you would not touch her until she accepted you.
With Raju, you came to Mumbai and showed us that love was stronger than the glamorous lifestyle.
Then with Ajay/Vicky schizophrenic personality you managed to woo the audience. The dead look in your eyes in the last shot revealed a land of wonders.
As Rahul Mehra, people became aware of the tormented love and could not help, but share the pain of not being loved back.
You came along with sparkling Sunil whose defeated posture in the rain and teary eyes announced the soon to be the knight of hearts.
As Raj Malhotra you made history and the world has never been the same since that year. You became a brand and a solid as rock print in our souls.
Ram Jaane reminded us of an angel with dirty face and the craziness of sacrifice.
Arjun Saagar marked the point where your charisma and sadness merged for the first time into an expression difficult to watch at times.
Other 2 Rahuls were yet to come in 2 love stories which almost annoyed the viewers with their unbearable sweetness and sorrow. Each and every tear you shed was thousand times multiplied and formed an ocean of admiration all over the world.
Then Amarkant puzzled everybody. One of those strange roles that leave you wrapped up in anguish.
With Baadshah, Ajay and Max, entertainment got a new side, but fans breathed easily when Raj Aryan came back with his eternal love for a dead woman.
Asoka confirmed an underlying statement – I am here to stay. For good. And I do not care whether you like it or not.
Rahul Raichand appealed to Western audience more than ever. Period. The gesture of blessing your bride, while rain was desperately pouring, could freeze anyone’s heart in a never-ending beat.
Soon after that, Devdas popped up in our lives. The depths of his eyes mirroring the hell of our own mistakes and loneliness were hard to bare. Grieving got a new meaning.
Without any mercy, you gave us Aman Mathur so we can be hunted and distressed even more.
Major Ram Prasad Sharma helped us cool down a bit, so we could cope some time later with that first split second of terror and misery in Veer Pratap’s eyes.
And what a feast Mohan Bhargava offered us. Decency, calmness, honesty, genuine talent, but also a new ironic statement: „Hey guys, you thought I couldn’t do it? Well, check that!”
Between Kishenlal, the boring „accountant” and the selfish Ghost, one cannot choose easily. So we were satisfied with the famous line: "I am the yearning that resides in a woman´s heart... that´s who I am."
Dev Saran shook again the Western hearts and troubled the Indian ones. Dev disturbed many people. Dev annoyed many people. Dev was hated by many people. Because Dev had the courage to show the truth. Dev had the courage to destroy so he could live. Dev had the guts to open up widely the „dark” side of our souls and desires. And Dev proved us how pathetic and coward we are and this was why I loved Dev so much. Unfortunately, Dev does not exist in the real world.
In a twist of fate, Vijay/Don „cleaned-up” the mess made by Dev and we watched in awe the wonderful new played double role. The mean, sarcastic, sharp, cunning and charming Don simply brought smiles on our face. Once again the audience was ready to understand and forgive the villain even if there was absolutely no reason for that.
2007 was a weird year. Kabir Khan and Om Prakash/Kapoor played with our feelings. On one hand here it is the astonishing coach - severe, correct, wounded, sad and tough – who stands uncorrupted in his heartbreaking solitude; while on the other hand, we have Om – the childish, gully, puerile, sissy, but so sexy hero. Split personality? Freaking talent? Blessed by Gods? I can only assume or guess and cannot give an answer.
Surinder Sahni/Raj does not any more introductions. The man has a heavenly gift and made justice for himself and for a feeling so much disregarded, but so much secretly desired by everyone: Love.
Sahir Khan let us catch glimpses of the real thing. He tries to tell us leave him alone. I am sorry but we are not able to do that. When your name is Khan, you are doomed to be forever locked in people’s hearts. It is a heavy burden, I know, but instead of swimming in rivers of tears, it is better to float on oceans of love.
Happy Birthday Shahrukh.
