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Forty-Plus Hunks: Bollywood Kings

Although most of the Indian audience is under 30, a batch of 40-plus male film stars are ruling the roost in Bollywood, writes Priyanka Bhardwaj.

(Above, Clockwise from left):Shah Rukh Khan, is the undisputed ‘badshah’ of Bollywood; Saif AliKhan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar continue to rule in the box officedespite being in their 40s.

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Itis an odd paradox, when you think about it, and this is a paradox rightout of the heart of India’s prolific movie industry in Bollywood.

While the majority of India’s population is under 30 years, Bollywood’smatinee idols (defined primarily in terms of box office returns) allhappen to be on the other side of 40, with very little competition insight.

Sexy, stunning, handsome, well proportioned, with athletic physique andrippling muscles, washboard tummies —reigning Indian reel heroes likeShah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt mayall actually be on the wrong side of 40, but they look under 30.

In the recent past, these stars have also cashed on their brand valuethrough lucrative television game shows, in addition to big earningsthrough commercials.

According to film analysts, for the 40-plus Bollywood hunks, age is nobarrier to big-value contracts and box office returns.

The colossal amounts being offered by film producers, commercialproducts and TV shows are a testimony to their appeal, image andconnection with the audience.

With the economic recession, it is also a good option for filmproducers to sign in the 40 plus bankable actors, with slim, chiseled,Greek god-like bodies, and pair them with young lissome upcomingactresses, with the hope—not always misplaced—all the sizzle will causeenough distraction for the audience not to notice the lack of steakbehind it all.

To be sure, there are challengers nipping at their heels. Thepretenders to the throne include Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham,Shahid Kapur, but almost all are considered too raw and young yet totake on the mantle of the 40-plus brigade.

According to film analysts, it takes a bit of time for a male actor to emerge as a star in India.

Given predominantly conservative Indian mindsets, viewers like theiractresses to be virginal, pretty and not terribly bright, while the menas the traditional providers need to fill the slot of being mature andin control.

For the ultimate example in defying age, there’s always the doyen ofHindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, over 60 and referred as the SeanConnery of Bollywood.

Though he is too old to be running around trees to playback songs,films continue to be written around the Bachchan persona, including atleast two versions of Lolita and a critically acclaimed and super hitBlack.

In India’s male dominated movie world, 40 years is not a bad place to be.

Take Shah Rukh Khan, 42, the Badhshah of Bollywood. A world poll hasrecently placed him 41st among the 50 most powerful people.

Last year one of the biggest Hindi blockbusters, Om Shanti Om, had him opposite Deepika Padukone, in her early 20s.

The box office badshah attracted considerable attention, posingbare-chested and sporting bulging biceps and six-pack washboard abs inthe movie.

This year the King grooved with 19-year old newcomer Anushka Sharma, in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, another runaway hit.

The SRK career spans 15 years, and he has experimented and delivered at least one blockbuster a year.

Success and maniacal fan following apart, he is a brand name, asignature style icon, with a perfume named after him, a documentary onhis life in the making and two biographies in various stages ofproduction.

Also he is reportedly completing an autobiography.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, his first blockbuster in 1995, is still playing at a Mumbai cinema.

His female counterparts are overawed by his larger than life persona.

While Priyanka Chopra calls him “the biggest brand icon,” with a yenfor self-marketing, actress Kareena Kapoor dubs him “the biggestsuperstar in the country.”

For SRK 2007 was a year of big earnings. He made nearly Rs 1 billionfrom movies, endorsements of products ranging from cellular phones,cars, cola drinks, pens, men’s beauty products and anchoring achildren’s television game-show this year which earned him over Rs. 350million for 30-odd episodes.

The filming of another TV series is underway.

Moving onto another Khan, Salman, the original shirtless-six-pack-heroof Bollywood, and rated very high on the sex appeal barometer, hosted a30-episode quiz show earning him nearly Rs. 250 million.

Part of the formidable trio of SRK, Salman, Aamir, Salman sets thepulse racing even two decades after his debut in Maine Pyar Kiya and isthe hottest eligible bachelor in town.

(Above, Clockwise from top, left):Amitabh Bachchan, seen in “God Tussi Great Ho,” is well into his 60s.He continues to defy age, raking in astronomical fees; Salman Khan,seen in “Partner,” continues to make women swoon;Saif Ali Khan, seen in “Race,” is another addition to the Khan-daanthat Bollywood female fans find irresistible; and Sanjay Dutt, seen in“Lage Raho Munnabhai,” has had a colorful life which appears not tohave hurt his box office appeal.

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Anotherhottie, Akshay Kumar, started his film journey as a martial artsteacher; in 2008 he hosted a-16-episode Khatron Ke Khiladi on thechannel Colors, charging a whopping Rs 15 million for each episode.

Akshay Kumar’s latest movie Singh is Kinng recorded a 95 percentopening, grossing Rs 250 million in its first weekend and earned hiscompany Hari Om Productions nearly Rs. 100 million in the same period.

Akshay’s endorsement earnings include products like Thumbs Up andMicrosoft X Box, earning him Rs 15 million each. This figure, accordingto latest reports has gone up to Rs 60 million per endorsement.

Thinking actor Aamir Khan sported his eight-pack abs in Ghajini,starring opposite 20-something newcomer Asin. The film is off thecharts in terms of box office returns.

While the King Khan reportedly asks for Rs. 30-60 million per film,Aamir has jacked his price to Rs 70 million as his salability surpasseseven SRK due to the reliability factor.

On the comparative scale Om Shanti Om made over Rs 900 million in its15th week and Taare Zameen Par, Aamir’s blockbuster offer last year,grabbed Rs 850 million in just eight weeks.
Aamir, too, endorses mobile phones, soft drinks and is a brandambassador for India’s federal Tourism Ministry. DTH operator Tata Skyhas signed him, while main competitor Dish TV has SRK endorsing theirproduct.
However, the list of 40-plus Indian stars continues.

Saif Ali Khan, a successful commercial actor and recipient of criticalacclaim for many award-winning performances commands a good portion ofthe endorsement pie, individually and with real-life girlfriend KareenaKapoor, a decade younger than him.

Sanjay Dutt, another dare-and-bare 40-plus Bollywood macho man, isevergreen in terms of film offers with the blockbuster Munna Bhaisequels. The latest on him, though, is that he has cut his rate a bitto Rs 40-50 million due to recession.

As the film grapevine goes Govinda, the funny man of yesteryears, hasdecided to join the six-pack bandwagon via sweat or surgery.

Bollywood has certainly come of age with age no barrier for the men, even as the women stars only get younger.