Dad's the way!

He sang Didi tera dewar deewana and hit Madhuri Dixit on the back with a sling shot in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, the super duper hit from the Rajshri stable way back in 1994.

Fourteen years later, one story doing the rounds is that the same Salman Khan will play Shahid Kapur’s father in Hum Aapke Hain Koun-2 , a sequel to that film. It’s also being said that Amrita Rao and Madhuri Dixit will be the other costars in HAHK2 , a film that will surely make us look at Salman with a feeling of surprise among other things.

If any superstar plays a long innings in the world of movies, there might come a time when s/he chooses to step outside the domain of conventional heroism. Having said that, the fact remains that lots of these stars — be it SRK or Aamir, Salman or Aishwarya — are at the peak of their careers. So, will the audiences accept them if they start playing elderly figures on the big screen?

Actor Masumeh Makhija of the Maqbool fame thinks that they will click. Says she, “I think the audiences are ready to look at all these actors in such roles. I am not sure that the audiences will accept Salman in the role of Shahid’s father, but he will probably suit a role of a father of a kid or a teenager. Objectively, Salman Khan as a father is something that is a little unacceptable. But, as an actor, he can definitely play one.”

Incidentally, Salman played the father to a young Aditya Narayan in the 1998 film Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai starring Twinkle Khanna. But, that character had a lot of playboy elements. Since the child was young, as was the case with SRK in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Aamir in Akele Hum Akele Tum , the characters were entirely believable. However, actor Swapnil Joshii is completely against the new change in Salman’s image. “I am not sure about other actors, but Salman Khan will not be accepted like that. He is hot and happening, looks like he is merely 29 years of age and, surely doesn’t look like Shahid’s father. He is at the peak of his career, and the audiences love him the way he is. So, he shouldn’t deprive them.”

While Masumeh and Swapnil feel differently, actor Archana Puran Singh thinks it is time actors played their age. She affirms, “I guess they have to play elderly characters now. They can hardly pull off playing characters that are younger than their age.” So, will the cash registers ring if Salman and Aamir play older characters? “Yes. Why not? They have a strong fan base, and the box office will be pleased. Audiences will see them in more believable roles, and that will work. Plus, inconsequential actors were doing mummy-papa roles. If that stops, the scripts will be well balanced,” says Archana.

Whether or not Salman plays dad to Shahid, only time will tell. But, the ones who will call the shots are the captive fans who will eventually decide whether or not their heroes ought to strike gold with grey hair.

Pravda Godbole