4.11.2011

SRK: The Man, The Myth, The Hair (Part II)

So many experts have weighed in about the SRK phenomenon:  Lea (playing devil's advocate), Shab and Andrea (for so much more than the SRK t-shirt, although the SRK t-shirt rocks), Nina (for pointing out some of the many virtues of "Dar De Disco"), Susan and Judy (for sending their SRK favorites), Jared ("it must be the hair"),  Jane ("Mo Hobbits must be the worst movie ever made"), and pretty much everyone I've ever discussed Shahrukh Kahn with, which is a surprisingly large number of people.

As promised, here is Part II of SRK:  The Man, The Myth, The Hair.  Today we are exploring the SRK phenomenon through music.  What better way is there to get a true taste of a Bollywood hero except through a sampling of his dancing?

Best Song:  "Maarjani" from Billu Barber
All I can say is that this is my all time favorite Bollywood song.
Best Road Trip with a Sadhu:  "Yun Hi Chala Chal" from Swades
What is cooler than SRK tooling around India in an RV singing with a sadhu?  You can't possibly top that.
Best Bollywood Adaptation:  "Pretty Woman" from Kal Ho Na Ho
Classically Bollywood version of the quintessential American song... fascinating to watch.  This is New York from a Bollywood perspective.  Sikhs guys dancing on taxi cabs, gospel choirs, punk white dudes bothering everyone, you name it and it's here.
Best Hair:  "Chhaiyya Chhaiyya" from Dil Se
For the full story on "Chhaiyya Chhaiyya" check out my previous post.  SRK's hair is famous.  Really famous.  And this is his hair at its best.
Best Fake Man Candy:  "Dar De Disco" from Om Shanti Om
I have on very good authority (okay, so I bought the two disk documentary Inner/Outer World of Shahrukh Khan while I was in Jaipur.  Jared made me do it!  And in the name of research I watched most of it.  The outer world was much less interesting than the inner world.) that SRK's 6 pack in this video is fake.  He puts on a fake torso (I watched him do so in the documentary while he was performing).  Scandalous!
Worst Song Chemistry:  "Tum Bhi Ho, Main Bhi Hoon" from Main Hoon Na
Actually this is the worst movie chemistry as well.  Nothing was going on between Sushmita Sen and Shahrukh in this movie, even though she was supposed to be a chemistry teacher!  But you have to love them dancing around in a flooded classroom with a post-apocalyptic backdrop.  I mean, really?