After delivering a spate of blockbuster action entertainers during the last decade, Salman Khan is on the verge of further cementing his action-superstar onscreen image with the release of his upcoming action film ‘Radhe’.
However, it’s a hard-earned title that the versatile performer has acquired through the vicissitudes of his three decades old cinematic journey. Salman Khan initially made a mark as a romantic hero in the superhit film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’.
While we saw glimpses of his on-screen angry young man demeanor in the 1990 film ‘Baaghi’, the audience perception of his romantic-action star persona was supplemented a year later in ‘Patthar Ke Phool’.
Despite his earnest performances in similarly themed films, the Filmfare Award-winning actor was more appreciated by the viewers in rom-coms of the 90s era including ‘Saajan’, ‘Love’, and ‘Hum Aapke Hein Koun’, until the release of Rakesh Roshan’s ‘Karan Arjun’ in the year 1995.
For ‘Karan Arjun’, Salman Khan had teamed up with another popular superstar Shah Rukh Khan for the first time. The film was a reincarnation revenge action-drama that went on to become a box office blockbuster. And Salman Khan’s restrained and smooth tough-guy act in the film had a spellbinding effect amongst his fans.
A couple of years later, he was cast in his brother Sohail Khan’s directorial debut ‘Auzaar’. Although the film didn’t click with the audience but once again Salman Khan ruled their hearts with his suave cop act.
Thereafter, he took a break from action genre and showcased his acting finesse in critically acclaimed films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ (co-starring Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai), Satish Kaushik’s ‘Tere Naam’, Ravi Chopra’s ‘Bhaghban’ (featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini), and Revathi’s ‘Phir Milenge’ (co-starring Shilpa Shetty and Abhishek Bachchan), to name a few.
By this time, Salman Khan had rightfully earned the reputation of a nuanced, versatile actor besides being a bankable performer.
Then in the year 2009, Salman Khan made an explosive comeback to the action genre in Prabhu Deva’s Bollywood directorial venture ‘Wanted’.
The film and Salman Khan’s screen presence were immensely praised by several Indian critics and applauded by the audience. While an eminent film critic termed Salman Khan’s act as his deadliest performance to date.
The same year, Salman Khan effectively portrayed the role of an adorable villager in the musical drama ‘London Dreams’. The following year, the superstar was offered the role of a lifetime in Abhinav Kashyap’s action-comedy film ‘Dabangg’.
The success of ‘Dabangg’ further catapulted Salman Khan’s fan following by leaps and bounds. And the character played by him – ‘Inspector Chulbul Pandey’ eventually attained iconic status.
Diehard fans of the actor were in for yet another pleasant surprise when he was cast as a RAW agent in Kabir Khan’s spy thriller ‘Ek Tha Tiger’.
Critics and audiences praised Salman Khan’s dazzling performance in the film, which grossed about $45 million worldwide in its theatrical run. The film’s sequel ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ was released in the year 2017.
And now, more than thirty years later, after the release of his first action film, Salman Khan has reunited with ‘Wanted’ director Prabhu Deva and is back as the lovable action hero, in and as ‘Radhe’.
The highly anticipated film ‘Radhe’ is slated to release tomorrow in select theatres alongside streaming on ZeePlex and DTH platforms.
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