Picture abhi baki hai: '60 going on 16' Aamir, SRK, Salman may only be at midpoint of careers

In 2025, Bollywood's most beloved lover boys hit the big 6-0. Yes, the same year your local theatre – looking at their abs & teenage demeanour – might have to decide whether to give them student discounts or senior citizen ones.
As all three Khans turn 60 in 2025, fans have only one wish: to see Rancho, Rahul and Prem in one film.
As all three Khans turn 60 in 2025, fans have only one wish: to see Rancho, Rahul and Prem in one film.(Photo | AFP)
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Let us get filmi and indulge in some imagination. The three Khans walk into a bar. What could follow? The bouncer takes one look at their IDs claiming they're 60 and laughs. "Nice try!" he says, "Aamir's still perfecting his teenager roles, Shah Rukh's dimples haven't aged since DDLJ, and Salman's biceps look like they're from 1989", and throws them out after taking their car keys.

No one knows why or when exactly Aamir Khan began to be lovingly called Uncle Aamir in China. He may not like it, considering how Mr Perfectionist always wants to look the part, not his actual age. But come 2025, and none of the Khan trifecta of Aamir, Shah Rukh or Salman can complain about the ugh 'U' word as on March 14, November 2, and December 27, respectively, they become senior citizens. However, if you ask Salman, in his timeline, birthdays are measured in bicep curls and emotional growth is perfectly balanced between 'Bhai mode' and 'Being Human'.

They are teenagers not just onscreen but also for every Indian with a child at that age now who grew up in the cinematic reign of the Khan Troika. And guess what? That reign is far from over. The intense onscreen energy of Sh..sh..sh.. Shah Rukh, the perfectionism of Mr Perfect Aamir, or the chulbulapan of the patron saint of perennial bachelors – Salman, refuses to wane.

Even without trying to carve words into some exciting new meaning in your head, I could just recount basic facts, and you'd go 'whaa.. whaaa.. whaaaaaaaaaaat' throughout.

Here are just a few from my favourite Khan, because I have had the fortune to work with and learn from, Aamir – who's about to become the first golden bachelor on March 14, though he's been perfecting his golden touch since QSQT.

Aamir Khan's first film was 52 years ago in the last millennium, 1973's Yaadon Ki Baarat where he debuted as an eight-year-old kid (yes, he was method acting even then, probably researching the role since he was six). His first adult role was in 1984, as a rebellious teenager in the college drama Holi (where he potentially practised throwing colours for three months). His first hit came in 1988, in a film that redefined Indian cinema, telling us that love stories don't necessarily need happy endings in Qayamat se Qayamat Tak (QSQT). Thirty seven years since having first 'seen' and heard QSQT's songs on Chitrahaar, they're still my go-to melodies to get out of my blues of shattering my papa's dream of 'bada naam' to a million pieces.

He is the wisecrack of Dil Chahta Hai (who proved that even commitment-phobes can give excellent relationship advice), the evolving father of Dangal (who made losing and gaining weight a competitive sport), the inspirer of Lagaan (who made films last longer than T20 matches), the chocolate loverboy of QSQT (who probably studied cocoa farming for authenticity), the nefarious villain of Dhoom 3 (where he played twins so convincingly that one of them got his own fan mail), and the emotional host of Satyameva Jayate via which – not many know – he got the central government to change policies by highlighting social ills.

Aamir is the behrupiya - the one actor with many faces; versatile, dedicated and charismatic; visionary, transformative and perfectionist; innovative, adaptive and groundbreaking.

The facts are equally astounding for Shah Rukh and Salman. I have a VCD of a UGC program somewhere with me where Shah Rukh Khan appears for less than a minute in the half-hour production but easily stands out for his high-octane energy – probably because he was practising his signature open-arms pose and slides even then. Considering how young, lanky, and taut he looks, the program has to be from the mid-80s, before his entry into people's consciousness through two Doordarshan serials: Circus (where he learned to juggle hearts) and Fauji (where he invented the art of making uniforms look naughty).

Graceful, chivalrous, and articulate to a fault in real life, you won't believe that this is the same cartwheeling, arms-spreading, somersaulting man with boundless energy who with trembling lips Kh..kh..kh.. Kiran-ed his way into the hearts of his female leads. Though legend does not have it that the real reason for his trademark stutter was trying to pronounce "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in one take.

Indeed, it is the third Khan – Salman – who represents the vacuousness in real-life relationships that Shah Rukh shows in his onscreen projections. But that is precisely why he is the perennial bachelor, the refuge of any man who wants to defy his parents' marriage dreams. He is the real-life chichora, the enfant terrible, who though he has been forced to mend his ways after more mistakes than the other Khans have been allowed, has refused to grow up. He is not just the youngest of the three Khans but, in spirit, remains a teenager, albeit lately with more than a touch of gravitas – though his abs continue to age backwards, sometimes with a little help from VFX friends, of course.

The son of a Hindu mother and Muslim father, Salman was brought up in the best traditions of both faiths. I haven't been to one myself, but friends in the industry who have say his Ganesh Chaturthi festivities and pandals are to die for.

They might each turn 60 in 2025 and collectively have given over 100 years to Bollywood, but it could be that they might just be at the midpoint of their reign and could have another 100 years to give. And that's not just because after setbacks, Shah Rukh reinvented himself again to give two of India's biggest hits post-pandemic in Pathan and Jawan (proving that even his comebacks have comebacks), or that Aamir is in the middle of such a transformation himself.

Advancements in understanding the human body and its mechanisms have reached a stage where the first human who crosses 150 has not only been born but might already have become a parent. AlphaFold deciphering 200 million proteins is one of the biggest of those movements. Then there are people like Bryan Johnson, who at 47 is biologically as young as his children thanks to making himself a guinea pig for experiments to extend his life beyond what is possible so far (though Salman's been doing that with his shirtless scenes for decades). We are close to deciphering the minutest secrets of mitochondria that power every cell in almost every living creature on this planet. Hence, if the three Khans can live another decade without deteriorating their health further (quitting smoking would be a great start), chances are advancements would help them not only live longer than any of their ancestors but live healthier and younger than perhaps they feel right now at 60.

Then there's Artificial Intelligence. The three Khans can keep appearing in cinema, with their own voice and face, for as long as civilisation lasts, thanks to the advancements in video creation and recreation using AI. Though, with Aamir's perfectionism, he'd probably want to meet the AI for a script reading first.

But, beyond all that, the Khan phenomenon is more about the fans than the actors themselves. So, what is that one wish every fan of the Khan triumvirate has? Salman Khan has worked with both the other Khans. But Aamir and Shah Rukh have never acted together, and no film has all three together. Fans naturally wish for one with Prem, Rahul and Rancho not in an 'expendable' fashion but in a film for the ages – though coordinating their distinct styles might require a director with the patience of a saint and the diplomatic skills of the UN Secretary-General.

On behalf of fans worldwide, here's a wish for them. Dil Chahta Hai that Maine Pyaar Kiya Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak so that eventually Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge without giving Lagaan in Swades and that Taare Zameen Par can Dil Se raise Dangal. May Dabaang continue Tere Naam ka Raja Hindustani, Don and Bajrangi Bhaijaan so neither Rangeela nor Tiger need ask Hum Aap Ke Hai Kaun and Saajan can truly claim Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. I wish that the 3 Idiots maintain Andaz Apna Apna so that Bharat can go Fan, Fanaa and Sarfarosh on their craft, not just Jab Tak Hai Jaan but be Ready to Kick, Race and Dhoom every morning on Chak De! India because who knows, Kal Ho Na HoPhir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and while eventually Satyameva Jayate, it is also true that fans are the Bigg Boss, the real Raees whose Dil Toh Pagal Hai and through their own  Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and the Circus called life that makes their hearts go 10 Ka Dum like a Fauji, the true Chamatkar is their Mohabbatein because they know Karan Arjun aayenge to Rang De Basanti.

It is Shah Rukh Khan who acted in the film of the name, and though Yusuf hiding behind a Kumar might have been Bollywood's first 'Khan', these three Indians, sexagenarian and perennial superstars of our hearts can truly say with pride: My Name is Khan. And we fans will realise that that's not just a statement; it's an entire genre.

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