33 Years Of Shah Rukh Khan: Thirty-three years ago, when Raj Kanwar’s Deewana hit screens, all eyes were fixed on the then leading-man of Bollywood Rishi Kapoor and the doe-eyed Divya Bharti, who would soon fall prey to the cruelty of fate. But the film also introduced someone else —an energetic young man with a sharp jawline, wide-eyed intensity, who would go on to rule Bollywood like never before. That man was Shah Rukh Khan. And while over the years, Shah Rukh Khan would soon earn the moniker King of Romance, the real magic of SRK always lay in something deeper and grittier—his ability to play the “everyman” like no one else. Now, as Shah Rukh Khan completes 33 years in the film fraternity, one has to pause and ask, what defines his legacy? Is it the wide-armed romantic on mustard fields, serenading his heroines with expressive and poetic eyes? Or is it the flawed, vulnerable, sometimes unhinged man grappling with inner turmoil, longing, ambition, or pain? And while for many this may be a subject of serious debate, for this fan, the answer is clear: Shah Rukh Khan’s raw, relatable, and real acts —his everyman avatars have always been more compelling than his dreamy romantic icon. Also Read: 33 Reasons Shah Rukh Khan Has Ruled Hearts For 33 Years Shah Rukh Khan Was At First – An Outsider Before SRK was crowned the King of Bollywood, he was the anti-hero, the misfit, the risk taker, who would dare to do 1993’s Baazigar alongside Kajol and Shilpa Shetty, playing a murderer with a vendetta. Not only that, Darr (1993) immortalised him as the obsessive stalker, and Anjaam (1994) saw him embrace full-blown psychopathy. In all of these, SRK did not sell perfection, he did not serenade heroines in expansive firelds—he sold conflict. And it worked. Even in films like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994), arguably two of his most underrated performances, he wasn’t the ideal hero. He was Raju/Sunil, a lovable loser, messy and full of heart, whose imperfections made him more human than most of the celluloid superheroes of the ’90s. What makes these characters resonate is the fact that they are not draped in fantasy, but rather, they are men who failed, lied, broke down and fell apart in front of the audience. These are men who lived closer to the audience than the stars they paid to watch. The Rise of the Romantic God But Shah Rukh Khan’s career trajectory is not just the everyman. Yash Raj Films and Karan Johar soon sculpted SRK into a different kind of hero and the Raj and Rahul era commenced. With Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), SRK was no longer just a performer; he became a phenomenon- a poster boy of romance as he serenaded Kajol. Dil To Pagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham followed, turning him into the ideal lover - sensitive yet strong, cheeky yet deep, modern yet rooted – the Indian version of a Knight in Shining Armour who would swoon women off their feet by his sheer charm. For a generation of Indians and NRIs, Shah Rukh Khan represented aspirational love. He was the man who patiently waited, who charmed, who respected boundaries and would emote – far removed from the machismo image of Bollywood heroes. And it is undeniable that these films gave him longevity and iconography, cementing his place as a star. But while the romantic avatar gained mass adoration, it also typecast him into a genre that sometimes didn’t do justice to his range. Suddenly he became beyond our reach. The Emergence of the Everyman In the 2000s Swades (2004), Chak De! India (2007), and My Name is Khan (2010) saw SRK shed his lover-boy image to take on roles with social and emotional complexity. Mohan Bhargav, the NASA scientist who returns to rural India; Kabir Khan, the disgraced hockey coach seeking redemption; Rizwan Khan, the autistic man battling Islamophobia—these weren’t romantic heroes, but rather real men with struggles, complexities, and they gave SRK the space to act, not just charm. Shah Rukh once again grappled with identity, nationhood, trauma, and failure. These characters needed to confront systems, fears, and themselves. And SRK’s everyman was reborn. Post-2010, SRK faced a dip. Films like Ra.One, Dilwale, and Zero struggled to find footing, despite his commitment to experimentation. For a while, it seemed like the romantic or larger-than-life persona was running thin. Also Read: STOP Calling Yourself A Shah Rukh Khan Fan If You Haven't Watched These 5 Underrated Movies Then came 2023 After a hiatus following the disastrous Zero, Shah Rukh Khan returned with Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki—a trifecta that reminded the industry of his power, but more importantly, reintroduced his everyman hero in a new avatar. Pathaan gave him action (something he has long aspired), but not without emotion. Jawan, with Atlee at the helm, turned him into a mass leader fighting corruption, playing both a soldier and a vigilante. And Dunki brought him back as Hardy, a simple man navigating illegal immigration with empathy and quiet courage. Suddenly SRK’s acts were embedded in current realities—aging, hurting, fighting, surviving. Why the Everyman Matters More Than Ever In a rapidly evolving, forever changing cinematic landscape, SRK’s everyman persona mirrors the journey of his own life: the outsider who made it, turning into the most loved face of Indian cinema. And while his romantic avatar may have earned him swoons, it is the everyman who’s earned him loyalty. Because it is these acts that make you believe that you, with your flaws, heartbreaks, and struggles, could also be the hero of your story. Finally As Shah Rukh Khan celebrates 33 years in cinema, his legacy isn’t just about roses, rain and romance. It’s about resilience, reinvention, and real emotion. And while Raj may still win Simran it is the Sunil, Mohan, Kabir, Rizwan, and Hardy that will forever keep him closest to our hearts.