German BollyBlogosphere Discussing Shahrukhanism
Me and my dear fellow Blogger Maria discuss these days about Shahrukhanism especially in western Bollywood-Communities: There are so many infantile behaviours and non-reflecting love to only one star withoutwithout even knowing other ones. Is that fair? Some, like me, react by writing a bit of sarcastic, ironic and someway injustice comments to let community react and defend - is that correct?
How do you stand beside this struggle between Shahrukhanism and Contrashahrukhanism? Can you work with this idealistic love people write in the net, can you make it when reviewer try to write only bad about king khan cause they don’t like him? Do you ignore one or both groups?
And are you a Shahrukh-Khan-Girlie/Boy or a Hater of King Khan?
December 1st, 2006 at 7:57 am
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December 1st, 2006 at 1:08 pm
I LOVE SRK… watching him makes me happy… but I’m not offended by people who don’t. It’s their opinion, and they’re free to hold it. From things I read though, I think the lovers and haters both go overboard sometimes. There are more important things in the world.
December 1st, 2006 at 4:59 pm
I’m with anonymous. To each their own. However, I think to overlook him because he’s wildly popular AND to view him uncritically because he’s wildly popular are both problematic. Ideally, we take each piece of work as it comes.
Now I’m wondering about the connection between watching a film with a critical eye and the ability/willingness to be entertained. How do those impact each other? Just because I find Shahrukh incredibliy entertaining, does that mean I cannot be as objective about him as someone who does not necessarily enjoy him all the time? Hmmm….
December 1st, 2006 at 4:59 pm
PS thanks for posting this in English - I ran one of your posts on this through a translator, to much comic effect.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:00 pm
I come down on the “not a fan” side of the SRK line, and I have given far too much thought as to why this might be, to the point where I’m not sure I *can* surrender myself completely to his films, because it becomes an overly intellectual exercise: “Okay, that scene was supposed to be cute, but I just found it annoying, so now why do I find it annoying where his millions of adoring fans find it irresistibly charming? Let’s see …”
I like a good intellectual exercise as much as the next obsessed Bolly-blogger - but sometimes I just want to enjoy a movie.
Shah Rukh’s immense popularity engenders defensiveness on both sides. In my own critiques I try really hard not to be a “hater” because I want to avoid that defensiveness in the discourse. It doesn’t always work.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:52 pm
You know what I think is funny? I read this point on a particular blog and think it’s so funny, but true. Here it is: People who dislike SRK spend good money watching his movies and making him fabulously wealthy and successful. Why? I mean, if you don’t like him, you don’t like him - it really shouldn’t matter to you if the rest of the universe thinks the sun shines out of his behind. There’s no need to torture yourself watching his stuff just so you can say ‘I even tortured myself watching his stuff’. I don’t get it. I love SRK so I watch him, by the same token I loathe Sunny Deol so I never watch him. So here’s a question for the SRK-haters - there are loads of movies without him in them, so why not go and watch them? Are you afraid you might miss something? LOL Okay I admit I am playing devil’s advocate here - but it’s a serious question.
December 2nd, 2006 at 12:21 am
@carla: Perhaps it doesn’t always work - but I can tell you that it works great with me. I am definitly a Shahrukh fangirl, and I know that our views on that matter differ very much, but nevertheless I have never felt offended by your posts on bollywhat or on your blog. And I am very, very greatful for that, because it proves that “non-srk-fans” can get along well with the fans - without having to insult one another.
That was the problem that initially sparked this discussion between michael and me - that some people deliberately offend Shahrukh and/or his fans, just to distance themselves from the huge Shahrukh fanfollowing… which is in my opinion just wrong and unnecessary.
So, again thanks for your efforts not to be a hater - rest assured that yours is the right way
(well, at least the way I am prefering *g*)
December 3rd, 2006 at 5:17 am
I’ve never loved Shah Rukh, but i’ve never hated him either. I don’t think it’s his popularity that puts me off because i love Aamir Khan and he’s pretty much on the same status. I say like who you want to like. I hate declarations of certain entertainers ’selling out’ just cause they hit the mainstream. But i do like your idea of arguing just for the sake of creating angry community responses! I do that all the time!!!
-Amy
December 3rd, 2006 at 6:01 pm
I read your post and i think you are right. Okay, Shahrukh is very talented and i ever think he’s the best of all the khans, but Aamir is very talented either.Salman is okay… and there are not only Khans: Vivek, Ajay and Abhi are also great actors. It’s clear why a lot of people might be “love” Shahrukh: because they don’t know many other actors . In Germany they often sell films with Shahrukh ( discussing the “Shahrukhphenonome”) and the films without the actor are not so famous or the people are not interested in… might be a problem!!!
Good wishes
pinkey
January 2nd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I love you shahrukh !! Main tumse Pyar Karti Hoon ! Te Quiero ! Ti Amo !
January 30th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Well, I like Shahrukh.
Immensely.
Nevertheless I squirm every time Shahrukh-The Entertainer is on screen, being eager to please.
But then again I remind myself that this is the way it works and that subtlety never was a virtue of the All-Indian entertainment for the masses.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mean to apply western standards. Sometimes it’s just hard to bear that complete lack of cynicism when you are so used to it.
Everyone laughing because Republic Day is celebrated on a quiz show by standing up and singing the national anthem? No, not at all! On the contrary, it is the most normal thing in the world. Visit Regal Cinema in Bombay and you will know what I mean.
So when I see Shahrukh as a person of public interest it is always a mixed blessing.
An interview that pleases me, where he is outspoken and witty (and yes, sometimes even cynical or - God forbid - vulgar) is not necessarily the kind of interview the average fan will digest. Thus I like him for giving those kind of interviews and I hate him when he adjusts (at least I think it’s adjusting) by saying the things he is expected to, by being humble and nice.
But then, he has to for being liked universally .
I think I’m able to “share” him, even with people who have a completely different take on him than I have.
And I’m even able to cope with the thought that I will have to share him with more than a billion people, though I’m rather the “independent” type.
I like him being liked.
Strangely enough is quite the other way around with Kajol.
I cannot stand her. Not anymore, I have to add.
I started watching Hindi movies with K3G.
I liked it but never thought I would get addicted once. Only when I watched it a second time King Khan began to spell his “magic” on me. And I liked Kajol.
It seemed to be the perfect pairing.
But then all hell broke loose. Just visit a German Bollywood forum and you will get my point. There is Anjali, and then there is Anjalli and Anjali_1 and, yes, Anjali_2, shahrukhandkajolforever, shahrukh&kajol…
Posts were all of the same kind just as the writers’ names implied. There was just one actress in Bollywood, actors not to mention and there was just a single movie: K3G.
So all my hate, all my desire to be different and to stand out from the crowd which seemed to snowball that time projected onto a single person: Kajol.
I know that it’s not her fault, that she is a brilliant actress (though limited in her choice of roles, but so is Preity, for example) and perhaps even quite likeable, but I cannot help it, I simply cannot stand her.
So, I’m a Shahrukh-girl.
But I’m a Kajol-hater.
Does that make me a bad person?
January 31st, 2007 at 6:57 am
you definitly can’t hate kajol if you like shahrukh. thats constitutional law.
beeing serious you’re bringing it to the point: many extreme fans made us work that way, not liking shahrukh or kajol or anyone else. nowaday you can’t write anything without thinking about what these extreme girls n guys will react.