For a man who has literally everything in the world—money, fame, and a slice of history as a place of residence in the most sought-after area of India’s dream city, Mumbai—what more is left to be desired but recognition of his services by the establishment itself? With the announcement of the 71st National Film Awards on Tuesday, that ‘Mannat’ of millions of his fans, and probably his own, was fulfilled when screen legend Shah Rukh Khan received his first National Award in a career spanning more than 30 years for his film Jawan, released in September 2023.
The other recipients, both first-timers, included Rani Mukherji for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway and Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and director/producer Karan Johar of the Hindi film industry were conferred with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.
Shah Rukh is no stranger to awards; he has more than 300 to his credit, including a few international ones. But the most coveted by any artiste, the National Award, eluded him till now. “If I didn’t get it, I didn’t deserve it. I don’t think any of my performances so far deserve a National Award,” he said last year at the 77th Locarno Film Festival, where he won the prestigious Pardo Alla Carriera Award for his contribution to cinema. That may be humility on the part of the actor, who is often accused of having narcissistic tendencies, but the fact remains that the National Awards are losing their sheen with each passing year.
What has baffled fans and critics alike is the pick for the award—Jawan. The film was a typical Bollywood masala movie: stylish, slick and complete with the SRK charm, on the double. The pace, the use of the latest technology, and the thrilling action sequences made the film fun to watch but not nuanced enough to garner a national award.
Certainly not when seen alongside 12th Fail, a film that carried a strong message and an equally strong performance by Massey. As to why his performance in Jawan was adjudged to be the best, the jury has presented the arguments thus: his dual performance and portrayal of two highly complex and distinct characters, the emotional depth the story provided, its mass appeal, and Khan’s overall contribution to Hindi cinema.
While the mass appeal and SRK’s contribution to cinema can’t be ignored, the arguments regarding his dual performance and portrayal of complex characters don’t really stand, for in his career trajectory of more than 33 years, SRK has given some memorable performances worthy of being considered for the national honour—My Name is Khan (2010), Chak De India (2007), and Swades (2004), to name a few.
These movies had strong storylines combined with nuanced performances by Khan, a rare feat some may feel, and some great music—much more national award material than the vigilante-style mega-entertainer Khan belted out in 2023.
Why now? And why for Jawan? Maybe the National Film Development Corporation Limited (NFDC) knows better.
