Meet The World’s Biggest Film Star

Not Tom Cruise, but Shah Rukh Khan; the biggest thing in Bollywood (Indian Cinema). As The Guardian puts it in a feature on him,

“Shah Rukh Khan (also known as “King Khan”) has been in more than 50 Hindi films and has won 13 Filmfare awards, regarded as the “Bollywood Oscars”. He is the biggest star in Hindi cinema and this means billions of fans (Bollywood has a global audience of 3.6 billion; Hollywood has 2.5 billion).”

Having lived in India, I’m somewhat biased towards the creativity, pleasure and cultural insight to be had from Bollywood movies. Like any national cinema, there is good and bad. However, the best films are really something special and no longer confined to their region. Many films are set outside India and as a result are interesting explorations of the cross-cultural and cosmopolitan experience. I’m not sure it is possible to take someone writing in Theology, Religion and Film seriously if they are not commenting on Bollywood.

Moreover, for those interested in film and the study of the human experience, the nature of Bollywood films are often quite revealing treatments of the human condition, particulary of human relationships (often in all their absurdity and discontinuity). Not just lover’s triangles, but also family relationships, friendships and even working environments. If you don’t believe me, then go now and watch Lagaan.

If you want to check out some Shah Rukh films, I’d suggest starting with the Devdas and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (both widely available in the west in subtitled editions) and keep an eye out for the upcoming Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (on my must see list).

[tags] Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood [/tags]