Paper Details

The Hindi film industry, also referred to as Bollywood, is one of the leading film industries in India, bringing in thousands of crores in revenue each year and shaping the minds of millions of individuals through their messages, both within the country and abroad. Its stars become the biggest entertainers in the country, acting as trendsetters, actively influencing relevant discourses and setting the standards for ideal behaviour through their actions on and off screen. In such a context, Shah Rukh Khan, a popular actor in the industry boasting a career that has lasted over three decades, stands out as someone who has chosen to adhere to particular messages and principles in his films. Despite changing times, writers, directors and societal notions of love, sexuality, and gender dynamics, Shah Rukh Khan has chosen to portray his characters’ masculinity and their treatment of women in a very curated manner, one that stands out from his contemporaries. This paper aims to explore how Khan has used non-normative masculinity in order to give life to characters who treat the women, particularly romantic counterparts, with dignity and respect.

Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood, cinema, romance.