With the release of Jawan my insta feed is again filled with the stories of Shah Rukh Khan’s humility, as happened after Pathan’s release this year. Yes, the witty man mesmerizes us with his gestures on/off screen.
Shah Rukh’s journey from a common Delhi boy to becoming the huge icon of the country resonates with the integrated sentiment of thousands of people in the country, who appreciate the larger-than-life persona. Right from seeing him as a male character who never showed reluctance in entering the kitchen and cooking for his lady love, to serving people in large gatherings which are considered ‘effeminate’ (by biased society standards) – “Dilwale Dulahiya Le Jayenge” or “Duplicate”; people find him the next-door boy who is good at heart, and admire his accomplishments with hope and glitter in their eyes.
Not only the online persona but Khan’s offline image in press conferences and documentaries have only added to his public image. His way of tackling weird questions, and answering with references to asteroids and universes when asked simple questions, have made him more likable to people.
These videos/reels cover a large spectrum of this behavioral aspect called ‘humility’, for instance, Shah Rukh making everyone comfortable around him on the set, being generous about sharing screen space, allowing editors to cut his screen time to highlight someone else’s character, and so on.
In one of the interviews, Sunil Shetty talks about Shah Rukh’s reluctance to hit him in Main Hoon Na and how he suggested alternative ways to avoid doing so. Sanya Malhotra spoke about Shah Rukh Khan’s tips for acting, and Raj Kumar Rao blushed about the fact that Khan knew everything about him in the very first meeting.
Moreover, gestures like making everyone sit in the room before he takes a seat, to dropping the guests to their cars whenever they leave his lavish parties – these attributes are testament to what one must do to show respect and make people happy around them. Quite frankly, there can be a handy guide that lists down his off-screen activities for people wanting to become better-mannered.
As we wait for the guide to come to life in the future, my question is: why is it so rare to find humility on earth – while we listen to celebrity stories or rather just around us, in our neighborhood? Is it so difficult to treat people well and make them comfortable around you? And even if you argue that this is all for good PR, then kudos! It Is Working! So why aren’t other actors trying the same PR agency/strategy?
At the core, it is not even about any single attribute or a collection of them, but maybe it is about making a few moments easier for others as they go through the tough ones throughout the day. And ‘humility’ must be normalised to the level that the next time a renowned person treats you well – it should not be a “news” item, but a part of “human culture”.
Please Note: The title of this article is inspired by Shrayana Bhattacharya’s book – Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh