Screen Transitions

20 years ago, Shah Rukh Khan entered the world of cinema after having worked for TV for 2 years. And after that he never looked back. 20 years later he is still the King of Bollywood, the ultimate superstars. In a nation of 1.2 billion, we have a population of approximately 56 million who dream of being Shah Rukh Khan and another 56 million, who dream of being with Shah Rukh Khan. Had Shah Rukh Khan not taken the leap across entertainment mediums 20 years ago, the face of Indian Entertainment would have been very  different from what it is today. SRK and Vidya Balan, who found a similar success in Bollywood after a stint in TV, is an inspiration for those countless TV actors who dream of making it large in Bollywood.

Every year, countless aspiring youngsters make a debut in television show with the hope that the small screen will be a stepping stone to the silver screen. Not many of them get such an opportunity though and are left playing mothers and grandfathers on the idiot box. We have a lot of exceptions to this though, right from R Madhavan, Prachi Desai, Rajeev Khandelwal, Ayushmaan Khurana and Yaami Gautam. Some like Mona Singh and Shruti Seth are left playing small roles, only to return to TV. Ram Kapoor is an actor who however, is having a string of successes in the film industry playing pivotal roles.

One actor, who has taken this leap of faith and has had a smooth landing, is the current Bollywood hotshot, Sushant Singh Rajput. After three years in the soapy Pavitra Rishta and a number of dance reality shows, he made the risky decision of quitting TV for greener pastures. One film old, he has already gathered a lot of praise in the industry. He wowed everybody with his performance in the earthy Kai Po Che, and went ahead to take over roles meant for Ranbir Kapoor (Peekay) and Shahid Kapoor (Shudhh Desi Romance). He also made headlines for not having taken any money for Peekay, because he did it solely for getting to work with Aamir Khan and Raju Hirani. And lined up is a major project “Fitoor”.

Yes, it’s confirmed. Sushant Singh Rajput is doing Abhishek Kapoor’s, his Kai Po Che director’s next “Fitoor”. It’s an adaption of the Charles Dickens classic “Great Expections” and stars none other than the number one actress of India, Katrina Kaif. Yes, the superstar who has been giving back to back movies with biggies Salman Khan, SRK, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan is going to star opposite newbie Sushant who is steadily climbing the ladders of superstardom. There had been reports of Katrina rejecting to work against the new Sushant, a deja vu of Kareena walking out of Ram Leela. But the flying rumors have settled and Sushant has indeed been cast against the dream girl.

 

Very clear similarities can be seen between Rajput and Shah Rukh Khan. Both have become the nation’s heartthrobs after winning performances on television. While Shah Rukh was already married before his movie debut, Sushant Singh Rajput is in a serious relationship with Ankita Lokhande. Both have unconventional looks and come from non-filmy backgrounds. The latter has won over film critics and audiences alike with his debut performance just like the former. And hopefully in coming years Sushant Singh Rajput will taste and maintain the same success like Shah Rukh Khan

And seeing his rise in just one year, that doesn't seem far than distant.