There’s a reason why Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol make Bollywood’s No.1 jodi, despite never having kissed on screen. Their real life chemistry and camaraderie translates onto celluloid so effortlessly, that they’ve set the bar way too high for other lead pairs. Having said that, it is high time that they evolved into something more than just a romantic pair.
We’ve seen enough of their signature moves, sharmana with a little bit of muskurana, sari lehrana aur phir baahein phailana. DDLJ nostalgia is great and has lasted us for two whole decades. But can we please move on now? So what would we rather have them do, if not romance their way onto our big screens? Well, for the accomplished actors that they are, it’ll be great if they could just go back to basics. At this point, unlearning stardom to soak in their characters would be a great place to start. Don’t you think? Hey, they could also play around with more unconventional scripts. How about these for example:
A Suspense Thriller
SRK and Kajol have done it before in Baazigar (1993) and they surely can make a thriller quite riveting. All they need to do is cut down on the song and dance, and bring back the drama.
A Period Drama
Wouldn’t it be exciting to see SRK and Kajol play historical characters? SRK made for a convincing emperor in Asoka (2001), but he could certainly do much more. It’s high time that king Khan takes up a challenge like this. Kajol would make a regal warrior queen too.
A ‘Save the World’ Sci-Fi
Ra.One (2011) didn’t quite hit the ‘superhero’ note but there’s immense scope for this hit jodi to save the world together, convincingly. In fact, it would be exciting to see them pitted against each other as rival super powers too. Kajol could take realistic inspiration from Jessica Jones and SRK could literally pick his favourite Marvel character. While he has always had a thing for being an action hero, Kajol has the gift of spontaneity and wit that will compensate for her not having to slip into a spandex costume even. Unconventional as it might be, this duo needs to strike a chord with the young generation, that doesn’t take Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge as seriously as we do.
No More Nostalgia
DDLJ has some seriously epic moments, one can’t deny that. But it’s time to move on. Don’t fall off your chair there, someone had to say it out loud. Sure, it defined their careers and set the bar super high for Bollywood romance. But ageing gracefully is all about evolution. SRK-Kajol worked wonders 20 years ago, but we’d love to see them in a new avatar now.
Realistic Roles In Realistic Films
My Name Is Khan (2010) was surely a bold attempt by the SRK-Kajol-KJo trio. It established that despite being big names in the industry, this bunch isn’t afraid to push boundaries. It was an honest shot at telling a complex story about political discrimination, weaved around a character with Asperger’s syndrome. SRK-Kajol brought their signature styles into the film to a large extent, but it did deliver the message quite well. Something realistic on these lines, or a film based on true events and real life character struggles, is something right up SRK and Kajol’s alley. Maybe they just don’t see it yet.
SRK-Kajol fans out there might be wincing in disagreement right now, but the fact that Dilwale didn’t break all industry records, is proof that Bollywood’s hottest jodi needs to try something new.
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