The King Khans

July 8, 2016 in Daily Bulletin

The Economist wrote about India’s film industry:

  • India’s top three male actors all share the last name Khan – but are unrelated.
  • Each has staked out his own date on India’s movie release calendar. The brawny fighter, Salman Khan (right), gets Eid (sure enough his latest film, Sultan, premiered two days ago).
  • The intellectual one, Aamir Khan (center), gets Christmas.
  • And the biggest of them all, the romancer Shahrukh Khan (left), gets Diwali.
  • Their dominance of these dates continue because these are the festivals when Indians are most likely to splurge on a movie. And getting the most bankable stars helps ensure success.
  • The Indian film industry can also be superstitions. Stars that are thought to be lucky frequently make cameo appearances.
  • Some particularly superstitious heroes go as far as changing the way their name is spelled – Ajay Devgan may spell his name in the credits as Ajay Devgn because the alternate spelling is thought to bring better luck.

Read more here.

Source: The Economist