“A US publication mentioned that I am the Tom Cruise equivalent of India. So whenever I come to America and people ask what kind of actor you are, I say I’m ‘Tom Cruise’. So when they ask about the number of people following me, I say 3.5 billion,” Shah Rukh Khan answered as he sat across celebrated host David Letterman during a 2019 Netflix show titled ‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction‘.
People in the audience laughed it off.
This time, though, when a different US journalist referred to Khan as “India’s Tom Cruise,” there was no laughter to be heard. In a piece for The Wrap, Scott Mendelson explained why King Khan’s victorious comeback in Pathaan was crucial for Indian cinema.
US journalist calls SRK India’s Tom Cruise which upsets fans. But Khan’s devoted following did not agree with the comparisons he made. In response to Mendelson’s tweet, the actor’s supporters criticised the writer for giving the former’s work an “unfair” rating.
“India’s Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan, may have just saved Bollywood with his blockbuster, Pathaan,” Mendelson shared. His opinion ruffled some feathers; and rightly so.
India's Tom Cruise, #ShahRukhKhan, May Have Just Saved Bollywood With His Blockbuster #Pathaan via @TheWrap by @ScottMendelson https://t.co/kqEAsaWf7s
(much thanks to @SiddhantAdlakha and @meJat32)— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) February 3, 2023
Shah Rukh Khan is Shah Rukh Khan. He is not Tom Cruise, though I am a fan of both let’s not draw comparisons,” a writer for India’s leading newspaper, The Hindu, replied.
Srk is Srk he is not Tom Cruise,though am a fan of both lets not draw comparisons.
— Puja Talwar (@talwar_puja) February 3, 2023
Mendelson then shared, “There are similarities in how Pathaan boosted Bollywood and marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback just as Top Gun 2 helped save American theaters and reassert Cruise’s stardom. SRK is still where Cruise was in the 1990s, where he doesn’t just have to make action movies to draw crowds.”
Another user quipped, “Tom Cruise is America’s Shah Rukh Khan*.”
Tom cruise is America's Shah Rukh Khan*
— karate panda | fan account (@TheFluffyyGuy) February 3, 2023
One tweep shared, “You made an emotional mistake in your statement. Shah Rukh Khan is an emotion. He is the greatest among the Best, the best among the greatest. Period!! Though I like Tom, I would not mind at all if you address him as American’s Shah Rukh Khan.”
You made an emotional mistake in your statement. Shah Rukh Khan is Emotion. He is the greatest among the Best, the best among the greatest. Period!! Though I like Tom, I would not mind at all if you address him as American’s Shah Rukh Khan.
— Mamun Uddin (@UDDIN021) February 3, 2023
One user shared, “On a positive note, both exhibit extreme dedication and commitment to their roles. But each should be recognised with their unique traits! Totally against this comparison.”
On a positive note, both exhibit extreme dedication and commitment to their roles . But each should be recognized with their unique traits !
Totally against this comparison ❌
# SRK# diehard fan 😍
— Dionysious (@d_4_dany) February 3, 2023
Another commented, “If you can’t write an article without reducing Indian actors to white actors, then don’t write the article. It’s as simple as that. Shah Rukh Khan is known as Shah Rukh Khan all over the globe. Not ‘India’s Tom Cruise’.”
https://twitter.com/pramitheus/status/1621484853102546947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1621484853102546947%7Ctwgr%5Efdb4f2222c054d044a896412fdada38848052b2e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2399356%2Fus-journalist-calls-shah-rukh-khan-indias-tom-cruise-upsets-fans
One tweep remarked, “Pathetic headline- ‘India’s Tom Cruise!’ Bollywood or Hollywood is not being saved by one particular hero! Think hard. Your Tom or any other Hollywood stardom, commerce or commodity were the result of a “market takeover” by America, during World War II. Tom is Commodity, Shahrukh is Vision.”
A user shared, “People from the west do realise other countries do exist right? Or do they just think of themselves as the most superior? Try to watch some stuff from other regions too world doesn’t revolve around the west.
https://twitter.com/TheWitchGurlll/status/1621468485779099648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1621468485779099648%7Ctwgr%5Efdb4f2222c054d044a896412fdada38848052b2e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2399356%2Fus-journalist-calls-shah-rukh-khan-indias-tom-cruise-upsets-fans
US journalist calls SRK India’s Tom Cruise which upset fans that’s why one stated facts, tweeted, “Shah Rukh Khan is not only more popular but also richer than Tom. I highly suggest doing your research next time and not compare two great actors, who are legendary in their own way.”
https://twitter.com/movieartfan/status/1621463130327990274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1621463130327990274%7Ctwgr%5E7c472028699c4f126830e857044ff795ba445ab8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2399356%2Fus-journalist-calls-shah-rukh-khan-indias-tom-cruise-upsets-fans
In a recent finding, Khan has emerged as the fourth richest actor in the world after Jerry Seinfeld, Tyler Perry and ‘The Rock’ Dwayne Johnson. According to the ‘Richest Actors in the World’ list released by World of Statistics on Twitter on Sunday, SRK was featured as the only Indian actor on the list with a $770 million or INR6, 306 crores net worth.
The list was topped by American comedian and actor Jerry who has a net worth of $1 billion. Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan, George Clooney and Robert De Niro rounded off the top eight.
