Paired With SRK – Only Once!
SRK – Shah Rukh Khan is the ‘Badshah’ of Bollywood who has dominated the industry for the past two decades or so. Now he is 45+ and has worked with almost all Divas of Bollywood in the past 20 years – From his first heroine Divya Bharathi to the latest one – Deepika Padhukone. Yet, a few successful heroines of Bollywood has been paired only once with SRK. You will be interested to know who they are. I have added a few less significant heroines too, in the list. The list clearly indicates that Shah Rukh Khan shares excellent screen chemistry with a few more heroines, if we keep Kajol, Rani Mukherjee and Juhi Chawla as exceptions.
Tabu: Tabu has won National awards twice and one among the most talented heroines of Bollywood from 1994. Yet, this successful actress has worked only once with Shah Rukh, that also for a cameo appearance. It happened in 2002, with Maniratnam’s movie – Saathiya. Till the release of the movie, guest appearance of SRK and Tabu were kept secret, and they played a significant role in the success of the movie too. They reprised the roles of Aravind Swamy and Khushboo, as husband and wife in year 2000 hit Alay Payuthey.
Karishma Kapoor: It’s often commented in a teasing way, in many TV shows that Karishma Kapoor bought a new show case to place the awards that she accumulated through Dil to pagal hai in 1997. When almost all leading ladies of B’town, including Juhi Chawla rejected the supporting role to Madhuri Dixit, Karishma accepted that role with full heart and this movie proved to be the best work done by her till now. Surprisingly, similar to the success of Raja Hindustani with the other Khan of Bollywood, Karishma Kapoor never worked with king Khan again!
Urmila Matondkar: This Rangeela heroine is most known for her glamourous looks and dancing skills. She was one among the most wanted faces during middle 90’s. Though Shah Rukh Khan worked for numerous movies till middle 90’s, he has worked with this lady only once in his life time for a ghost story named ‘Chamatkar’ released in the year 1992.
Sushmita Sen: When Farah Khan decided to do a movie and was working on the script, she had already planned in her mind that leading actress role will surely go to Sushmita Sen. Whole script of Mein hoon na was written keeping that fact in mind. In this blockbuster hit of SRK, Sushmita Sen and Khan were paired for the first time and last time together.
Mahima Chaudury: Pardes happened long back in 1997. It was released in the golden jubilee year of Indian Independence. It was the biggest break of Mahima Chaudury to Bollywood and same magic was never repeated in Bollywood with any other hero. Success of debut movie of Mahima Chaudary still stands alone in the list.
Twinkle Khanna: Badshah was only a moderate hit at box office. Yet this movie helped Shah Rukh Khan to earn the title, ‘Badshah of Bollywood’. Though this comic movie received mixed reviews from the critics, the movie released in the year 1999 was a semi hit at box office.
Gayathri Joshi: Swadesh was the next venture of Ashuthosh Gowarikar, after Oscar nominated movie ‘Lagaan’. Swadesh, released in the year 2004 was a critically well acclaimed movie though it was a box office failure. Soon after the release of the movie, the debutant heroine disappeared from the screen singing the song ‘Saawariya Saawariya’ in Alka Yagnik’s voice.
Isha Koppikar: Everyone including me was quite surprised seeing the climax of Don (2006), where SRK reprised the role of Amitabh Bachchan he did about three decades ago. Priyanka Chopra was paired for the first time opposite Shah Rukh Khan in this movie and whole throughout the movie Shah Rukh Khan romanced Priyanka Chopra. It was known in the climax scene only that Don was interested in Isha and not Priyanka.
Lara Dutta: Now also I am not sure if Isha Koppikar was replaced by Lara Dutta is the sequel of Farhan Aktar’s Don. Both actresses shared same mannerisms in both these movies. Similar to its prequel it’s clearly shown that Lara Dutta is the heroine of SRK, though she shared only a few screen shots with King Khan.
Suchitra Krishnamurthy: Kabhi haa kabhi naa of comic director Kundan Shah released in the year 1993 is still regarded as a classic comedy. It was a successful movie in the year that presented Shah Rukh Khan with a Filmfare for the best actor (Critics). Though SRK was the leading hero of the movie, Deepak Tijori wins Suchitra’s heart in the climax.
Priya Gill: The movie Josh was in news since Aiswarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan were casted as siblings. It was their first movie together. So, the lucky coupon of Shah Rukh Khan’s love interest was won by Priya Gill. Priya Gill is not a well known name in Bollywood, with a few exceptions like Sirf Tum and her debut movie, Tere mere sapne. Yet, she would have surely enjoyed SRK’s screen presence along with her in the movie. For the first time, Shah Rukh Khan sang a song for his heroine in his movie ‘Apun bola tu mere laila’.
Pooja Bhatt: In the list of flops, let me add the movie Chaahat released in the year 1996. Nothing is memorable in the movie except a few songs, specially the title track. It’s the only movie where Shah Rukh Khan and Pooja Bhatt shared the same screen space.
Shilpa Shetty: Baazigar was the debut movie of Shipa Shetty. It was the first big hit of Shah Rukh Khan as a solo hero too. 20 years have passed since the movie was released. Yet, still now, no one has forgotten the way by which Raj kills his love interest - Seema Chopra.
Navneet Nishan: Perhaps most of the readers may not know about Shah Rukh Khan – Raveena Tandon movie ‘Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke’. Yes such a movie shot in the year 1992 was released after a Jupiter year in 2004. Most recently I had a horrible experience too, seeing this uncompleted movie released without head or tail. Navneet Nishan is a popular serial actress of present times. Many of you people may not know that Navneet played the second heroine/vamp’s role in this movie and most surprising fact is that, she appears in more shots than Raveena Tandon. Also, SRK and Navneet shared more screen shots in the movie than SRK-Raveena pair. Surprisingly SRK and Raveena have acted together only in one song picturisation and the final shot before she got killed by a trucker!
Nagma: King Uncle is one among the first releases of Shah Rukh Khan. He played the younger brother’s role. Jackie Shroff and Anu Agarwal were the leading actors of the movie and SRK and Nagma played supporting roles. This movie was released before Baazigar in the year 1993.
Sri Devi: This beauty queen has been paired opposite SRK in 1996 flop movie, Army. Though SRK did a cameo in this movie and it’s a movie about romance and revenge, this movie is mostly remembered as the single movie in which both these great actors of silver screen shared screen space together.
Anjali Jathaar: Multi-star cast Trimurthy released in the year 1996 was one among the biggest flops of Subhash Ghai. Anjali Jathaar was casted opposite Shah Rukh Khan in this movie and her role too was less significant.
Katrina Kaif: Their sizzling chemistry was more noticed than the movie and its script. The movie was the latest release of SRK – Jab tak hai jaan, the first time for which SRK kissed his lady onscreen. It’s not sure if this super success movie will remain always as the single movie of Katrina and Shah Rukh together. Let us wait for them till they come back with a new story.
Hockey Team of Chak de India: 16 girls under one captain – Kabir Khan who played for India in World Hockey Championship. Perhaps it’s the only movie of Shah Rukh Khan as a hero, where he was not casted opposite any Bollywood heroine. Yet, it’s sure, all the ladies of the movie worked with SRK for the first and last time in the super hit movie – Chak de India, released in the year 2007.
Jab tak hai jaan, Baazigar, Saathiya, Kabhi haa kabhi naa, Pardes, Chak de India!, Dil to pagal hai or Mein hoon na - these movies were huge hits at box office. This success cements the fact that audience always love to watch fresh pairing of SRK with other heroines of Bollywood. Before I leave a special mention of 1992 movie – The idiot, which won Critics awards for best movie in the year 1993. This movie was one among the first releases of SRK. Though the movie was meant for Doordarshan, this movie was released seeing the popularity of Shah Rukh Khan with the release of Deewana. As I too have never seen this movie, I have no idea of who SRK’s co-star was – either Nastassya Mukhopadhyaya or Amba Mehta. But one thing is quite sure these two ladies have never acted with Shah Rukh Khan again.
Before I conclude, let me add the list of a few heroines who have been paired with SRK twice – Kareena Kapoor in Ashoka and Ra.One, Sonali Bendre in Duplicate and English babu desi mein, Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om and Chennai Express (yet to release), Anushka Sharma in Rab ne bana de Jodi and Jab tak hai jaan, Deepa Sahi in controversial movie Maya Memsaab and Oh darling! Yeh hai India, Manisha Koirala in Guddu and Dil se, Priyanka Chopra in Don and its sequel, Raveena Tandon in Zamana Deewana and Yeh lamhe hai judai ke, Aiswarya Rai in Mohabbatein and Dev Das and Divya Bharathi in Deewana and Dil Aashna hai. Let me add one more thing. Among the leading actresses he has never worked with Vidya Balan (except a song sequence in Heyy Baby), Bipasha Basu, Bhumika Chawla, Asin, Parinithi Chopra and Ameesha Patel. Perhaps Shah Rukh Khan is that single name who has romanced with almost heroines of Bollywood in the past two decades or so and audiences have always enjoyed those scenes and love songs. There is something in his eyes that captures millions of hearts over years. No doubt, among romantic heroes Shah Rukh Khan’s position is always number 1 in Hindi cinema. A year back, just before the release of Don 2, I have seen him so close in Don’s make up in an inaugural function and my opinion is that he looks more handsome and dashing live than on silver screen. In true sense, he is the romantic king of Bollywood, perhaps after one and only evergreen hero of Bollywood – Mr. Dev Anand.
Note: I have prepared this article based on my observations. If I have quoted some name wrong or missed any actress’ name, do comment please.
Image source: Wikipedia
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