On August 15, 2024, India marked its 78th Independence Day with a wave of patriotic fervor, amplified by the voices of Bollywood’s biggest stars. Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Sunny Deol, and Anupam Kher led the charge, flooding social media with heartfelt tributes that struck a chord with millions across the nation. Their messages, rich with national pride, celebrated the spirit of independence and unity. Amidst the outpouring of emotions, Shah Rukh Khan added a touch of warmth and togetherness by sharing a charming family photograph, further enlivening the national celebration.
On Thursday, Shah Rukh Khan took to Instagram to share a heartwarming moment with his family, captured beneath the majestic Indian national flag. The picture, which radiates a deep sense of patriotism, shows the Khan family standing outdoors, dressed in a blend of traditional and casual attire, perfectly embodying the spirit of Independence Day. With the tricolor flag soaring high against a clear sky, Shah Rukh’s heartfelt caption, “Let’s celebrate our beautiful country India with pride in our hearts…. Happy Independence Day and love to all!!” resonated with fans, spreading a wave of national pride across social media.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan, the undisputed King of Bollywood, finally opened up about his four-year hiatus from the big screen after the box office disappointment of Zero in 2018. Directed by Aanand L Rai and co-starring Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif, the film’s underwhelming performance had many speculating that the superstar had taken a step back from acting due to its failure. However, in a candid conversation with Variety, SRK set the record straight, revealing that his decision to take a break had nothing to do with the film’s commercial fate.
“I try to make it as varied as possible, given the parameters of commercial cinema,” Khan explained, reflecting on his film choices. “Yes, it should have its songs, dances, fights, emotions. But can we say something still new? So, all the films that I do, whether it’s Jab Harry Met Sejal or Zero or the ones which didn’t do well like Fan — I thought it was an interesting film. I love that film. Some of the ones I love the most are the ones which haven’t done well. And I have a reason for it.”
Khan’s love for cinema, despite the box office outcome, is evident as he delves into the essence of filmmaking. “Cinema is a mass communication medium. It needs to communicate, very simply, to a lot of people. It should not intellectualize. It should not sermonize. I always keep saying it can’t moralize. It should just be simple. Some of these films which didn’t do well were so personal that they were not simple enough, they were so personal they got very shrunk.”
The break, Khan emphasised, was not due to the failure of his films. “The hiatus wasn’t because of the films. I’ve always maintained that the day I don’t feel like getting up in the morning and conquering the shoot, I don’t want to work,” he said. “It wasn’t the failure of the films, to be honest. I was doing a film in January, and this was in December. Very unprofessional of me. I just woke up and I said, ‘I don’t want to go and shoot this film.’”
In a surprising move, Khan decided to take a year off. “I called the producer and I said to him that I don’t want to work for a year. He said, ‘It’s not possible. You don’t sit without working for even a minute. So you don’t like the film, say no, don’t say you’re not working for a year.’ And a year and a half later, he did call and he said, ‘I was really surprised you actually are not working.’”
Reflecting on his decision, Khan admitted, “So I just didn’t want to work. I just didn’t want to act. I didn’t feel like acting. Because for me, acting is genuinely very, very organic.”
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