There’s always been a patriarch for every field. He leads, people follow. He takes new paths — praised if he’s successful, derided if he fails. But then somebody has to do the job. Somebody has to invent for the others to reinvent. Somebody has to stand up for our fifty six year old philosophy — for the people, by the people, to the people. Shah Rukh Khan did just that. He invades areas where no actor has ever been. A clear brand philosophy and a brilliant understanding of mass psyche has been the strength of the SRK product. He is probably the best brand ever churned out by Indian industry. Outrageous and outspoken in his interviews, he played to the masses and boy did he play it right. Then there is the proverbial pinch of salt. With which SRK takes himself. While his work reflects his passion, there has always been that wry black humour that grounds his reality. He has consistently stripped the idealistic glamour from his profession by branding himself a performer. One section of this story deals with the portrait of the artist as an individual, while the other would be an analytical commentary of his body of work and closer look at the Shah Rukh phenomenon through his films. The books argues on several premises including that of visual pleasure and the erotic gaze to explain the strongest points of attraction that a Shah Rukh film holds for the audience. The book would argue that the films under discussion have an underlying theme that binds them the skilled manipulation of visual pleasure and the subversion of the erotic into an acceptable mandate that nevertheless attracts the audience. The book would talk about the emotions and economics of being the Shahrukh Brand. The book would reveal a candid star talking unreservedly on his art and acting. Shahrukh Khan had stepped into the film world as an outsider, a young man bereaved from the loss of his parents, seeking solace, work and passion in an alien world. Today, this outsider is the most familiar member in every fan’s household. This book is therefore also the tale of a journey that led from a suburban housing colony in New Delhi into the homes, hearts and minds of innumerable fans all over the world, a journey that transcended boundaries of nations, and the artificial barriers of culture.The book is the story of a survivor, a winner, a never-ending story of success.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mushtaq Shiekh
Mushtaq Shiekh has been an integral part of the high profile world of films in India – with a career spanning over fourteen years. It was with the pseudonym Shiekhspear that Mushtaq Shiekh had launched his career and began his affair with the pen, which over the years transformed into the intimacy of an extra marital affair albeit with the laptop. His first brush with the film industry was as a cub reporter with G magazine when he was just 16. He moved to Star & Style and became the youngest editor of a film magazine. The past few years have witnessed Mushtaq move away from the commentator's box and don the colours of the film world as a player on the field, turning from a scribe into a scriptwriter. His scripts have been televised on the national and other satellite channels as serials and telefilms such as Kahin Toh Hoga, K Street Pali Hill, Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat, Kehna Hain Kuch Mujhko, Kahaani Ghar Ghar ki, Kasauti Zindagi Ki. Mushtaq Shiekh's resume includes his highly acclaimed work as a screenplay writer for Om Shanti Om and Barber. Despite being hard at work on scripting for the silver screen, he has kept his interests in television alive with his creative products such as the first of its kind mytho-social serial on Indian television – Mata Ki Chowki. This internalization of the film world also led to his first non-fiction work done for close friend Shah Rukh Khan – The Making of Asoka. This was the first book on the making of an Indian film, and went on to become a trend setting bestseller. It was released by the then President of India, K R Narayanan. As a worker bee, in this honeycombed industry, first as a scribe and then as a colleague, Mushtaq Shiekh has built close friendships within the film community and has come to regard several colleagues as an extended family. One such valued member is Shah Rukh Khan. The close proximity to Shah Rukh’s world and as a fellow traveller for a good part of both their lives, led to destiny choosing him to be the one who would chronicle the story of Shah Rukh Khan's journey. The author lives in Bandra, Mumbai, India with his mom, dad, two sisters, brother-in-law and cute nephew, Zidane. His immediate family is his Life Coach, Bageera – the all black beautiful Labrador. His other close relatives are his pet goat "Blimby" (pronounced as Limmy), the shimmering gold fish "Iquara" and the parrot "Envy". The latest addition to this circle is the turtle which refuses to move lovingly named "Inertia".
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