Superstar Shah Rukh Khan discussed his four-year hiatus leading up to 'Pathaan' at a recent fan event and candidly admitted to grappling with self-doubt during this period. He recognized that his movies from the last decade were not performing well at the box office.
SRK emphasized that his three film releases in 2023 have revitalized his belief in the importance of following his instincts. Additionally, he expressed heartfelt appreciation to his dedicated fan base for their unwavering support and love for all his cinematic endeavors.
Shah Rukh said at the event, ‘It's new because I have been working for 33 years and you take such a big gap. Normally, you get a little nervous and you feel that, 'I hope I've got the film right'. Usse pehle kuch meri filmein thi jo itni acchi nahi gayi toh mujhe lagne laga tha ki main acchi filmein bana nhi raha hun (Before that there were some of my films that didn't do well and so I thought I'm not making good films). But I think more than my films ek pyaar tha logo ka jo (there was love for) Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki k liye.’
He added, ‘I think this whole country and people outside this country from India have actually taken me to their heart more than the films and said that, ‘Aare 4 saal k liye mat jaya karo, 2-4 mahine theek hai (don’t take a break for 4 years, 2-4 months are fine)'. So, I'm very very thankful to all of you, to the audience and the whole world for making me realise ki jo main karta hun woh theek karta hun aur mujhe woh baar baar karte rehna chahiye (that what I do is right and I should keep on doing it).’
After enduring a challenging period for a few years, Shah Rukh Khan made a triumphant comeback in 2023. He reappeared on the silver screen with Siddharth Anand's ‘Pathaan’ in January, portraying an action-packed character that left audiences in admiration. The film not only shattered numerous box office records but also secured a spot among the highest-grossing films in the Indian film industry.
He later went on to feature in ‘Jawan’ and ‘Dunki’.
Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film ‘Dunki’ was a social comedy drama released in December. It faced a box office clash with Prabhas' ‘Salaar.’ Despite starring Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal alongside Shah Rukh Khan, the movie received mixed reviews and fell short of the high expectations associated with the first collaboration between Shah Rukh Khan and Rajkumar Hirani.
Currently, Shah Rukh Khan has not yet announced his upcoming projects, as he is reportedly in discussions with several filmmakers for his next venture. There has been speculation about his involvement in Sujoy Ghosh's film ‘The King,’ which was supposed to mark the big screen debut of his daughter, Suhana Khan, with him in a special role. However, there is no clarity on whether Shah Rukh Khan will proceed with this project or not.
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