I was very happy to go through March 21st Screen issue, the cover story of which featured the kings of Hindi cinema and it was very engrossing. There has always been a comparison between Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan right from the 90s to the present day. The competition between them gets tougher and tougher. No doubt its Shah Rukh Khan who calls the shots at the box-office. Post Chak De! India and Om Shanti Om, Shah Rukh clearly establishes his supremacy as the undisputed No 1 star actor. In Chak De! India he not only silenced all his detractors by giving one of his finest performances as Kabir Khan. Clearly with Chak De! India, SRK has blinded his rivals with his blazing success. It’s high time that he does powerhouse roles like Swades, Devdas and Chak De! India. Time is ripe for Shah Rukh to expand his horizons as an actor and work with debutant directors.

On the other hand his close rival Aamir Khan gets into the skin of his character and performs with perfection thus enhancing the character he plays. The quality has allowed him to surmount different kinds of character frictions that are natural blockbusters. Aamir is the only actor in the industry who has broken norms by opting to work with new directors. It’s a good sign for the industry as it opens up new windows for debutant directors. Comparing Aamir with Shah Rukh we find that each one has his own innate ability which has allowed them to carve out their own niche. While Shah Rukh is known for his intense histrionics, Aamir has an eye for perfection which lifts the product and gets the acceptance at the box-office.

Infact 2006 was a dream year for Aamir Khan who’s given back to back super hits like Rang De Basanti and Faana. Literally Aamir was breathing down Shah Rukh’s neck and the damocles sword was hanging on SRK. The trade was saying that it was just a matter of time when Shah Rukh would be dislodged. Came Chak De! India at the right moment Shah Rukh Khan ascended the heights once again. During this period Aamir Khan delivered a big blockbuster in the form of Taare Zameen Par under his own direction which added to his feathers. Today any Aamir Khan movie is awaited with bated breath as he has set himself such high standards in the industry for he has become a role model for all the aspiring actors.

Aamir should be more accessible to the media with more PR and savvy to the media. Its unfair to compare these two actors, as each one has got their own place. The Industry terms Shah Rukh as King Khan whereas Aamir has earned the sobriquet of being mentioned as Ace Khan in the industry. But at the moment it’s Shah Rukh who reigns and Aamir follows. Following Shah Rukh and Aamir are Hrithik, Akshay Kumar and Salman who constitute the big league of the powerlist actors of Hindi cinema.
Raghu Chandra Parsa (Mumbai)