Summary
- Shah Rukh Khan has never starred in a Hollywood film, and the actor explained why.
- Despite opportunities, Khan is waiting for the right project.
- Khan’s approach sets him apart from other Indian actors who have crossed over to Hollywood roles.
India’s superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan explains why he has never been in a Hollywood movie during his entire career. Born in 1965, Khan has had a prolific career in Hindi-language film and TV, beginning with the TV series Dil Dariya in 1988. Since then, Khan has gone on to act in over 100 projects, most recently including the hit films Jawan and Pathaan, as well as Dunki. His upcoming projects include titles such as King, Operation Khukri, and Tiger vs Pathaan.
Related
Jawan Ending Explained
The Shah Rukh Khan-led action thriller Jawan ends on a memorable note with some surprisingly political themes and a glamorous musical number.
Speaking with Variety, Khan explains why he has never acted in a Hollywood film over the course of his 36-year career. While admitting that Hollywood is “the world’s greatest and biggest cinema in terms of reach,” he asserted that he will only want to take a role “worthy of the status the Indian audience has given” him. Without risking seeming “flippant” or “uppity,” the actor confirmed how much he appreciates the quality of projects. Rather than acting in Hollywood, Khan’s ultimate goal is to “get that one Indian film to be seen“ with a Hollywood-level high profile. Khan elaborates below:
I think it’s the world’s greatest and biggest cinema in terms of reach and how people watch it. I don’t think I’m in a position to choose and put conditions, but yes, when an opportunity arises — I hope I can speak English well enough. And, I don’t want to sound uppity, but it should be a role worthy of the status the Indian audience has given me. It should not let down.
I come across as very flippant and happy-go-lucky, but I fully respect and realize the amount of adulation I have, how people adore me. People look up to what I do. People have given me too much respect. People have given me and my family everything that I have, people of India and all around the world, Indians and people from the subcontinent. And there’s a respect that I need to keep when I play a role in any film, whether it’s a Hindi film or a South Indian film or a Marathi film or a French film or a Hollywood film. So I don’t think anybody’s offered me that kind of role, yet. I don’t have an agent there. I’ve not also gone looking for it, to be honest.
My dream is to get that one Indian film to be seen with the kind of audience that a big Hollywood film is seen, whether I’m part of it as an actor, as a light man, as a producer, as a writer, as a presenter. I just want an Indian story to be accepted worldwide, and hopefully I can be a small part of it.
How Shah Rukh Khan’s Choice Differs from Other Indian Actors
The Bollywood to Hollywood Pipeline Has Moved Along Before
While Khan includes the line that he hopes he “can speak English well enough,” the actor’s absence of Hollywood roles is not for lack of opportunities. Given his extremely high profile in Bollywood, Khan has been approached to star in some Hollywood films in the past. This includes the Danny Boyle film Slumdog Millionaire, for which Khan was offered the role of Prem. The actor ultimately decided to decline the part due to his existing involvement with the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Kaun Banega Crorepati?), and the part went to Anil Kapoor.
Given his status as a Hindi cinema darling, it is somewhat surprising that Khan has not yet crossed over into Hollywood film. Other popular Indian actors have done so in the past, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Slumdog Millionaire‘s Kapoor, and the late actor Irrfan Khan, who was also in Slumdog Millionaire, along with titles such as Life of Pi and The Darjeeling Limited. Hindi cinema actress Tabu was also in Life of Pi, and will soon appear in a major English-language TV series with her role in Max’s upcoming Dune prequel Dune: Prophecy.
With all these Hindi cinema stars crossing over to English-language works, one would think that Khan’s career would have involved a Hollywood debut by now. After all, the actor is beloved in his home country and has won and been nominated for countless Filmfare awards (an Indian equivalent of the Oscars), including for his recent film Jawan. From Khan‘s recent interview, however, it sounds like the actor is highly intentional in what parts he selects across the board, and he will not take a Hollywood role until the right one comes along.
Source: Variety
