Shah Rukh Khan has been in the movie biz for more than 3 decades and he still shows no signs of stopping. At least not going by the numbers he still manages to pull at the box office.
In a career filled with a variety of mainstream entertainers, Shah Rukh Khan has given us everything ranging from the ‘iconic Hind-film romantic hero’ to the ‘sunglasses-clad underworld don.’
Today we’ll be looking back at some of the actor’s best work in the form of a top 10, counting down movies that managed to strike a chord with audiences and critics alike.
Not necessarily following the box-office turn out of this megastar, we have hand-picked these ten flicks based on their value and significance in popular culture and ofcoarse, the movies that ooze with major SRK-ism.
Here are Shah Rukh’s top 10 best movies till date:
10) Kal Ho Na Ho
An early 2000’s classic from SRK. This movie made almost everyone in the theatre bawl their eyes out. Despite it’s high-on-melodrama content – courtesy of it being a Karan Johar production, it is still filled with an equal portion of heart-rendering scenes and humour that is enough to entertain you and still make for a great Sunday binge.
9) Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
One of those movies that instantly turned SRK into a whole generation’s favorite. After Dilwaye Dulhaniya Le Jayenge this directorial debut by Karan Johar, defintely stole and broke the hearts of youngsters back in the late 90’s. A high-on-drama love triangle and a coming-of-age story of heartbreak – which may look a little dated and somewhat over-acted now, but certainly stole our young hearts back then.
8) My Name Is Khan
Another collaboration between SRK and Karan Johar. MNIK was definitely one of the most challenging roles in Shah Rukh’s career, as he attempted to play a man suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. Broadly based on Islamophobia and the cross-cultural conflicts in United States or other similar first-world nations, the movie was an interesting take on a universal subject, becoming a major highlight in his career.
7) Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na
Released in the year 1994, SRK played the role of quite a rare mainstream protagonist in this one, who fails at almost everything in life, including his desire to marry his love-interest in the movie played by Suchitra Krishnamurthy. The movie has an overall bitter-sweet theme, incredible music and characters carved out so well, they stay in your memory for along time. Even SRK once said it was one his personal favorite movies of his own.
6) Raees
One of SRK’s more recent flicks to have struck the right chords with both audiences and critics alike. After a number of pointless and formulaic romantic comedies and brainless Farah Khan potboilers, SRK took a break from his usual image, to venture into this highly intense and entertaining action-drama based on the underground trade of illegally supplying alcohol in Gujarat. With a powerful supporting performance from Nawazuddin, this movie, turned into SRK’s best work in the recent years.
5) Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge AKA DDLJ, became not only a mega hit for Shah Rukh but also one of the most successful films in Indian movie-making history. Helmed by Yash Chopra – the movie boasts of some pretty iconic dialogues and scenes – in the genre of Bollywood romantic musicals – an area for which SRK served as the poster boy for over a decade. The style of movie-making may no longer by relevant in the present Hindi film-making scene, but the movie still gets it’s place in our Top 5 for it’s iconic stature.
4) Dil Se
A heartbreaking love-story under the direction of Mani Ratnam, which featured SRK in the role of a stubborn radio jockey, who’s searching love in the heart of a female terrorist who’s out on a fatal mission – stunningly played by Manisha Koirala. It wasn’t that much of a box-office hit at the time of it’s release, but with the amazing music of AR Rahman, breathtaking cinematography by Santosh Sivan and out-of-the-box performances by both SRK and Manisha, this has become a classic in his career. And who can forget that iconic train-dance sequence in Chaiyya Chaiyya?
3) Chak De! India
An inspiring and uplifting sports drama, revolving around India’s female hockey team, led by their passionate coach – played by Khan. SRK garnered a lot of praise for his role on this one and it was quite a breath of fresh air after his long string of rom-coms and mainstream masalas. A must-watch SRK classic.
2) Devdas
Released in the year 2002, Devdas was the most expensive Indian movie of it’s time. Extraordinary sets, extravagant songs, rich music, classical-inspired choreography topped with out-of-the-world costumes, this movie is a visual stunner of sorts and art to the eyes. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of this classic Bengoli novel may not be aesthetically true to the book, but the amount of art that went into creating it’s extraordinary visual beauty, is still awe-inspiring.
1) Swades
Swades is one of those movies that weren’t a box-office hit at the time of their release, but turned into a classic over the course of time. It is also one of the most re-watchable movies of Shah Rukh, that doesn’t fail to touch your hearts no matter how many times you see it. Directed by Oscar nominee Ashutosh Gowarikar, Swades talks about a man whose inherent, but somewhat lost, love for his home-country, drives him back to his village to do some good. The movie has some great performances, a groundbreaking background score by AR Rahman, and a number of emotionally captivating scenes, which reek of the director’s genius. And it still manages to entertain you despite being quite heart-rendering on parts.
Shah Rukh’s career may have gone the path of Bollywood’s ‘out-and-out mainstream hero’, which led him to be stereotyped into a caricature of himself for a major part of his filmography, but his association with talented filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ashotosh Gowarikwar, has resulted into some memorable iconic movie moments in Indian cinema.
Honourable mentions also go to his movies like – Baadhshah, Chamtkaar, Maya Memsab, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and more.