SRK Superstar

turns 40, though he doesn't look it most of the time. He remains likeable, charismatic and immensely quotable. And of course, he delivers. Hit after hit. What if Swades and Paheli were not blockbusters - he has Karan Johar's next coming up - as close as one can get to a guaranteed hit.

I 'discovered' SRK in his 'Fauji' days, and he did register as somebody 'different' from all the AB-clones of that decade. Once SRK graduated to movies, he simply chewed up co-stars (Rishi in Deewana, Sunny in Darr, D.Tijori in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa). There was a raw finesse to him that made him endearing, especially in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. It was after DDLJ that he became 'the' SRK.

This phase delivered the most hits, but almost alienated the actor in him (and there is one, behind all the grunts, the stammering and the hamming) . Whenever SRK attempted to break free of the shackles (Asoka, Hey Ram), mediocrity dragged him back. Swades was a valiant attempt in the right direction; so was Paheli (though that was more of Rani's vehicle).

Here's hoping that SRK continues to experiment with roles other than the 'Rahul' persona.