Khan vs Khan

Yes, I am a confirmed Bollywood enthusiast, merely implying that I claim to have information on any A grade film made in Bollywood since 1975. Well...at least most of them.I guess, this pretty much summarizes my interest in hindi films.

Having seen hindi films for a really long time now, I can safely claim to be an Aamir Khan fan as opposed to a Shahrukh fan. In fact, there was a time in my life, when I kept away from people who were SRK fans. A friend of mine once saw a huge SRK poster on a glass building and exclaimed, " SRK and glass buildings are the two things that are wrong with the world today!" I agree with her without any hesitation. I suppose, what she meant with this statement was that a glass building represents everything that is not eco friendly and SRK represents everything that is not modest or real.

SRK has managed to enthrall the masses for over a decade now with his nonsensical films. I have to hand it to him that he has a certain amount of charm, which makes women from 20 to 60 go weak in their knees. On the other hand, Aamir has been described as a 'perfectionist' by many (as if there is anything wrong in being one!). His acting skills have been applauded by many. Be it his sense of comic timing or his portrayal of sensitive emotions on screen, he has always given a 100 percent to his characters. While SRK is undoubtedly the Badshah of Bollywood, Aamir is a true actor, who is honest to his craft.

At then end of 2007, both Aamir and SRK had their biggest hits in the recent times. While SRK did his usual naach gaana with a heroine less than half his age, Aamir decided to take on the task of being a director of this film with a rather unusual subject. Om shanti om saw SRK playing a double role with a lack of complete conviction for either of the roles. The movie, though entertaining borrowed its plot from two older movies. The run-of-the-mill film boasted of a song with some 31 bollywood stars in a song and the recently acquired 6 packs of SRK. In some sense the film was more about packaging and marketing than the story or the screenplay.

On the other hand Taare Zameen par was truly a pleasure to watch. Having done a number of films with different subjects, Aamir's latest film was on dyslexia. Not only did he successfully introduce the subject to millions of viewers, he also managed to sensitize both the media and public in general to this learning disability.

While SRK tried to hog the limelight with his 6 packs and brainless jokes (offending many senior actors in turn), Aamir decided to do justice to the film by playing the role of a supporting character and letting an eight year old demonstrate his acting skills. It is interesting to note that both these actors now in their 40s have such different ways to embrace their lives. SRK has displayed his inability to accept his age and insists on playing roles suitable for much younger actors. On the other hand Aamir has not only gracefully accepted his age but has also used it to his advantage.

I suppose that's what differentiates a true actor from a superstar.