No Raj Or Rahul For Me; Can We Have More Of Sunil Or Dr Jahangir Khan Please?

Dear Mr. Shahrukh Khan

You receive hundreds of letters daily from your millions of fans all over the world. Among those hundreds of letters, a few could be from a tricenarian like me. You may have already guessed my age by looking at the salutation. The Twitter generation would never waste so many characters. They would always refer to the sweet and short, SRK.

But are you surprised to get a letter from someone who should be supposedly too old for writing letters to crushes? Because while a fifty-year-old romancing a 20-year-old is seen as normal, women on the wrong side of 30 drooling over a man’s dimple isn’t that simple here. Still, I write this letter. Because though society may not approve but almost every one (the tiny part of the world who knows me) knows who my hero of fantasy is. Also for me, it was never a crush but unadulterated Love.

I fell in love with the most unlikely of heroes you played…

One must be thinking I have started penning down this letter after I was besotted by your 15 minutes role in Brahmastra. While I agree I thoroughly enjoyed it, this letter is not addressed to Mohan Bhargav who possesses extraordinary Astra.

Neither I want to bare my heart to the many Rahuls, naam toh suna hi hoga.

I write this letter as I watch a certain Sunil, for the umpteenth time, who is trying to woo his lady love, and failing. The raw, original lover boy who flipped my heart forever. And what makes this film Kabhi Haan, Kabhi Naa so special? This is the only movie where you were not SRK, but Sunil. So what did Sunil take us through?

At a time when most heroes were busy beating up the bad guys, you gave this young girl the idea of a hero who was a loser, who cannot charm any girl he wants to just because he is a Hero. He had to struggle, study, fail in exams, get scolded by father, and yet remained as charming as ever. Unlike how the films of the era portrayed love, you made this girl believe you can’t force desire and coerce someone into loving you.

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And the letter-writer is ever grateful to you for that wisdom.

You can’t manipulate what someone truly feels. While his love was true when he knew it was just a compromise from the other side, he did not guilt Anna, turn into a stalker, or blame her for the heartbreak. Because it wasn’t her fault. And that is what set this lover boy apart. You may not have realized how important that lesson was for my naïve heart but know it now, it made a HUGE difference.

No, not DDLJ, unlike most fans!

I watched KHKN much after DDlJ, and I think it was this film that made me fall head over heels in love with you. Are you laughing? I know many would. While I could still kill to get a chance to run into your inviting hug as you stand with your hands spread, it was the vulnerability of Sunil that took my breath away. The guy knew the real meaning of “All is fair in love and war”. He tried everything to woo the girl of his dream, from lying, to stealing, to cheating but deep inside his heart he also knew he has done some outrageous things and no matter how strong your feelings might be, love just can’t be forced. Did he love her? Oh just looked at him staring at Anna when she is distracted!

Do you know which other film reminded me of KHKN? RHTDM, a love saga which many swear by. But, Maddy is no ‘albela’ Sunil, he will lie to get a girl, and when exposed will take her on a guilt trip with “Jhoote Hai Yaar Ke Wade Saare, Jhoothi Hai Pyaar Ki Kasmein,” and ultimately get the girl also, because why not, he is the Hero after all.

Thanks to Sunil for breaking such toxic norms years ahead.

So this is my thanks note for giving me a Sunil to fall back on my not-so-great days, and relive the innocence where love makes us do stupid things, but we still wish the best for our love, even if our feelings remain unrequited.

And while we are at it can we have more characters like Sunil or your witty self that get showcased in various interviews and public appearances?

Enough of SRK; yes they are great and this fan girl will visit the screen whenever you do a role. But can you give us more of the Shahrukh Khan, raw, unabashed, the one who can take your heart away with a look and a smile. More Jahangir Khans, who will encourage the young girls with the words “Hum itni kursiyan dekhte hai ek khareedne se pehle phir apna life partner choose karne se pehle options dekhne mein kya problem?”

As the world gets infested with Kabir Singhs please bestow us with more Sunils so that we can sing peacefully along, “Ae kaash ke hum hosh mein, Ab aane na paaye.”

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