Posted:
Shah
Rukh Khan
Swades or pardes, SRK rules
It's been a vintage year for Shah Rukh Khan the actor. First, the madcap mayhem of Main Hoon Na (could anyone else have carried it off?). Then the soulful journey from sarson ke khet to jailhouse in Veer- Zaara (delightfully, the older Shah Rukh was better than the younger one). And to wrap up, an inspiringly introspective portrayal in Swades (end of 'It's the same ol' Shah Rukh Khan' complaints). Swades flopped, but his other two movies compensated handsomely as he brought in the moolah—in multiplexes and musty cinema halls, in India and abroad. He claims titles like King Khan and Badhshah of Bollywood don't mean too much to him, but the trade takes them very seriously indeed.
Rank 2003: 1
Aamir Khan
Wait for me
2004 came and went without a release. All the acting we got from Aamir Khan's was in a highly visible ad campaign. Three years is a long time to coast on past performance and the result is that expectations from The Rising are, well, rising. Once that's taken care of, Aamir is scheduled to start work on a new Yash Raj project opposite Kajol. It is a combination that's got the trade and fans equally excited. 2005 promises to make up for his three-year sabbatical.
Rank 2003: 2
Hrithik Roshan
Nothing doing
Most actors don't find it easy to say no to big banners, to money, to friends. Hrithik Roshan, ever-polite though he is, has no such problems. The flip side is that once he green-lights a project, he disappears from the public eye, gets into character and stays there. Anybody who signs him on has the advantage of his undivided attention and undiluted focus. Which is why they make sure they have something worth his while. He'll make it worth theirs too. Though Lakshya was a losing box office proposition, it took him a couple of notches higher as an actor.
Rank 2003: 3
SALMAN KHAN
It's like old times
Salman Khan is back in business. Mujhse Shaadi Karogi saw him in superb form shirt off, biceps gleaming, that good-boy smile well in place. His box office graph may have been erratic MSK was a full-blown hit, Garv-Pride & Honour did decent business and Dil Ne Jisse Apna Kaha was a family tragedy but four films a year showed that Salman Khan's market is still booming. He wrapped up proceedings in typical style by doing a bit role in Phir Milenge for an old friend and then donating his fees to charity.
Rank 2003: 5
AMITABH BACHCHAN
Out of character
I'm a character actor now, declared the baritone. No go, replied his fans; they attach too much respect and adoration to the name Amitabh Bachchan. Nine movies down the road, Bachchan halted, admitted he'd overdone it. And promised to be more careful with public expectations. There will be fewer movies in 2005. The year kicks off with Black—an auspicious beginning.
Rank 2003: 1
Ajay Devgan
The mirror has two faces
Ajay Devgan had a relatively quiet year with only two releases Khakee and Raincoat. But they summed up this brooding actor's versatility and indicated the direction in which he's taking his career. If he took time to pause (and spend time with daughter Nysa) in 2004, this year will see a spate of his releases. In fact, he's booked till the end of 2006. Besides, Ajay is determined to work to his advantage the fact that he is one of the few heroes whom audiences will accept equally in outrageously macho or subtly subdued roles. That's what makes him so popular with his producers and distributors. And his fans, of course.
Rank 2003: 4
Akshay Kumar
New, improved
Say a polite goodbye to the old Akshay Kumar. Sit up and enjoy the new one. He's polished, he's charming, and he leaves the martial arts to someone else. Khakee had you sit up and smile. In Mujhse Shaadi Karogi he made the most sporting loser you've seen in a long time. And in Aitraaz, he had the women clambering all over him. Yes, the old Akshay was seen in some old-style maar-dhaad movies, but these were all long-in-the-making films, completed because, he says, he will not leave his producers in the lurch. That's why they keep coming back to him.
Rank 2003: 7
Sanjay Dutt
Guns 'n' poses
Whether it's macho stud, sensitive lover or goofball, Sanjay Dutt's decided to play his age. Which means a refreshingly new perspective to his career. After he was resuscitated by Munnabhai MBBS, Dutt has been seen in two very different kinds of movies. One lot is invariably full of fists and fury (Musafir being the latest example). The other is more of a mixed bag films like Shabd (where he plays a writer), Viruddh (where he pairs up with Amitabh Bachchan) and of course, the much-awaited sequel, Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi. The second lot has had more takers of late, but Sanju doesn't seem to be able to resist the guns 'n' poses flicks his band of boys dream up for him.
Rank 2003: 8
Saif Ali Khan
Getting there
So Saif Ali Khan has finally entered the big league after hovering on the fringes for years. Two big banner hits Kal Ho Naa Ho and Hum Tum did it for him. The question now: Can he stay there? The maverick actor followed up his success by signing two fairly offbeat films, Akuri and Parineeta, with a Yash Raj project for ballast. Saif admits he'd like to be up there with the other Khans but that would need big names and big-money projects. Will Saif join the big boys? We should know soon enough.
Rank 2003: —
Sunny Deol
Still packs a punch
Both his films Lakeer and Rok Sako To Rok Lo laid eggs at the box office. They built up Sunny's nest egg though, since he can still ask for a hefty price. The actor has been plagued by back problems and huge production losses for the last couple of years, but neither has held him back. In 2005 he will be seen in his home production, Devdhar Gandhi, as well as Rahul Rawail's Jo Bole So Nihal and Guddu Dhanoa's Dhool. Those films tell their own story Sunny likes to stick to directors and producers he is comfortable with.
Rank 2003: 6
Swades or pardes, SRK rules
It's been a vintage year for Shah Rukh Khan the actor. First, the madcap mayhem of Main Hoon Na (could anyone else have carried it off?). Then the soulful journey from sarson ke khet to jailhouse in Veer- Zaara (delightfully, the older Shah Rukh was better than the younger one). And to wrap up, an inspiringly introspective portrayal in Swades (end of 'It's the same ol' Shah Rukh Khan' complaints). Swades flopped, but his other two movies compensated handsomely as he brought in the moolah—in multiplexes and musty cinema halls, in India and abroad. He claims titles like King Khan and Badhshah of Bollywood don't mean too much to him, but the trade takes them very seriously indeed.
Rank 2003: 1
Aamir Khan
Wait for me
2004 came and went without a release. All the acting we got from Aamir Khan's was in a highly visible ad campaign. Three years is a long time to coast on past performance and the result is that expectations from The Rising are, well, rising. Once that's taken care of, Aamir is scheduled to start work on a new Yash Raj project opposite Kajol. It is a combination that's got the trade and fans equally excited. 2005 promises to make up for his three-year sabbatical.
Rank 2003: 2
Hrithik Roshan
Nothing doing
Most actors don't find it easy to say no to big banners, to money, to friends. Hrithik Roshan, ever-polite though he is, has no such problems. The flip side is that once he green-lights a project, he disappears from the public eye, gets into character and stays there. Anybody who signs him on has the advantage of his undivided attention and undiluted focus. Which is why they make sure they have something worth his while. He'll make it worth theirs too. Though Lakshya was a losing box office proposition, it took him a couple of notches higher as an actor.
Rank 2003: 3
SALMAN KHAN
It's like old times
Salman Khan is back in business. Mujhse Shaadi Karogi saw him in superb form shirt off, biceps gleaming, that good-boy smile well in place. His box office graph may have been erratic MSK was a full-blown hit, Garv-Pride & Honour did decent business and Dil Ne Jisse Apna Kaha was a family tragedy but four films a year showed that Salman Khan's market is still booming. He wrapped up proceedings in typical style by doing a bit role in Phir Milenge for an old friend and then donating his fees to charity.
Rank 2003: 5
AMITABH BACHCHAN
Out of character
I'm a character actor now, declared the baritone. No go, replied his fans; they attach too much respect and adoration to the name Amitabh Bachchan. Nine movies down the road, Bachchan halted, admitted he'd overdone it. And promised to be more careful with public expectations. There will be fewer movies in 2005. The year kicks off with Black—an auspicious beginning.
Rank 2003: 1
Ajay Devgan
The mirror has two faces
Ajay Devgan had a relatively quiet year with only two releases Khakee and Raincoat. But they summed up this brooding actor's versatility and indicated the direction in which he's taking his career. If he took time to pause (and spend time with daughter Nysa) in 2004, this year will see a spate of his releases. In fact, he's booked till the end of 2006. Besides, Ajay is determined to work to his advantage the fact that he is one of the few heroes whom audiences will accept equally in outrageously macho or subtly subdued roles. That's what makes him so popular with his producers and distributors. And his fans, of course.
Rank 2003: 4
Akshay Kumar
New, improved
Say a polite goodbye to the old Akshay Kumar. Sit up and enjoy the new one. He's polished, he's charming, and he leaves the martial arts to someone else. Khakee had you sit up and smile. In Mujhse Shaadi Karogi he made the most sporting loser you've seen in a long time. And in Aitraaz, he had the women clambering all over him. Yes, the old Akshay was seen in some old-style maar-dhaad movies, but these were all long-in-the-making films, completed because, he says, he will not leave his producers in the lurch. That's why they keep coming back to him.
Rank 2003: 7
Sanjay Dutt
Guns 'n' poses
Whether it's macho stud, sensitive lover or goofball, Sanjay Dutt's decided to play his age. Which means a refreshingly new perspective to his career. After he was resuscitated by Munnabhai MBBS, Dutt has been seen in two very different kinds of movies. One lot is invariably full of fists and fury (Musafir being the latest example). The other is more of a mixed bag films like Shabd (where he plays a writer), Viruddh (where he pairs up with Amitabh Bachchan) and of course, the much-awaited sequel, Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi. The second lot has had more takers of late, but Sanju doesn't seem to be able to resist the guns 'n' poses flicks his band of boys dream up for him.
Rank 2003: 8
Saif Ali Khan
Getting there
So Saif Ali Khan has finally entered the big league after hovering on the fringes for years. Two big banner hits Kal Ho Naa Ho and Hum Tum did it for him. The question now: Can he stay there? The maverick actor followed up his success by signing two fairly offbeat films, Akuri and Parineeta, with a Yash Raj project for ballast. Saif admits he'd like to be up there with the other Khans but that would need big names and big-money projects. Will Saif join the big boys? We should know soon enough.
Rank 2003: —
Sunny Deol
Still packs a punch
Both his films Lakeer and Rok Sako To Rok Lo laid eggs at the box office. They built up Sunny's nest egg though, since he can still ask for a hefty price. The actor has been plagued by back problems and huge production losses for the last couple of years, but neither has held him back. In 2005 he will be seen in his home production, Devdhar Gandhi, as well as Rahul Rawail's Jo Bole So Nihal and Guddu Dhanoa's Dhool. Those films tell their own story Sunny likes to stick to directors and producers he is comfortable with.
Rank 2003: 6
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