When Shah Rukh Khan Aged Himself To Look Compatible With Sridevi In Action Film Army
when shah rukh khan aged himself to look compatible with sridevi in action film army
In action director Raam Shetty’s directorial Army, which turns 28 on June 28, Shah Rukh Khan got to co-star with Sridevi for the first and last time. It was a guest appearance and SRK had to paste a moustache on his face to look age-equal.
In the film Sridevi, playing Sanjeev Kumar's role in Sholay, hires a bunch of unruly mercenaries to take revenge for her husband's murder. It is a routine revenge saga lifted to incredible heights of dramatic velocity by the one-woman army. This is one of Sridevi's most underrated performances.
One of the many pleasures of watching Army is to see Shah Rukh Khan play her husband in their only film together. Shah Rukh was so keen to play Sridevi’s love interest in Army that he agreed to do a cameo and also agreed to sport a moustache for the first and last time in his career to look suitably matched with the Diva. “I would have stuck on a beard and five moles on my cheeks and pillow on my tummy to be cast opposite her,” SRK enthused.
I once asked Sridevi how she managed to so many potboilers like Justice Chowdhary, Tohfa, Jaani Dost, Mawaali, and Akalmand so convincingly; she rewarded me with her girlish laughter and said, “I don’t think of it as good films and films. That is for you, the audience and the critics to decide. For me, they are all equally important. I give the same level of concentration. If I am on the sets, I completely block out all thoughts of what my daughters must be doing or whether [husband] Boney [Kapoor] has eaten his lunch.”
This explains why a film like Army, reeking of retro-rancidity was so remarkable. In the feverishly fatuous film, Sridevi played Sanjeev Kumar from Sholay. A prettier version, and with hands intact (hence arm-y, get it?) Sri was stunning as she led a five-man … errrr…. army of avengers seeking to annihilate villain Danny Denzongpa for murdering Sri’s husband played by Shah Rukh Khan.
A routine revenge drama, turned into something special by Sridevi’s magnetic presence and her never-before-never-again jodi with Shah Rukh Khan.