Who’s Trying to Take Down Shah Rukh Khan?

You know him as the king, badshah, superstar. And if you didn’t know him before (were you living under a rock?), you should know he’s had an incredible year. A debut at the Met Gala. A National Award win for Jawan (2023). The declaration that he’s the richest Indian actor, now a billionaire. A directorial debut for his son, which audiences seemed to eat up. The unveiling of him and Kajol from DDLJ as bronze statues in London. What could possibly go wrong?

And yet, in early December, the universe seemed a bit askew. Videos of Shah Rukh Khan dancing at an alleged billionaire’s wedding started going viral. So did older interviews, in which he used the word “pregnant” or joked at talent shows. But all these posts featured cropped footage or similar verbiage: “I love Shah Rukh Khan, but….” They claim to be tell-alls. The king wasn’t so mighty after all, they posited. But astute (and obsessed) fans couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all a coordinated attack.