US journalist calls Shah Rukh Khan India's Tom Cruise, upsets fans

Scott Mendelson shared why Pathaan, King Khan's triumphant comeback, was necessary for Indian cinema

Entertainment Desk February 04, 2023
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"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 quipped as he sat across celebrated host David Letterman during a 2019 Netflix talk show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

The audience laughed it off.

However, no chuckles were heard this time around when another US journalist labelled Khan as "India's Tom Cruise." Scott Mendelson, in an article for The Wrap, shared why Pathaan, King Khan's triumphant comeback, was necessary for Indian cinema

The parallels he drew, however, did not sit well with Khan's massive fanbase. Responding to Mendelson's tweet, the actor's fanatics called the journalist out for an 'unfair' evaluation of the former's work. "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.

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.

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*."

Mendelson concurred.

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."

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."

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'."

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."

One, while stating 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."

One asked the journalist to correct the headline and shared, "Correct the headline of your newsletter. Shah Rukh Khan is Shah Rukh Khan, no one ever will be able to come even closer to him. No one is comparable to him."

Others, too, came out in Khan's defence.

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.

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