The three biggest names in Bollywood, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, have long been considered the last of the true superstars. While they share a warm camaraderie off-screen, debates around who among them holds the title of the “biggest star” have never stopped among fans. Interestingly, Aamir Khan himself once admitted that he sees Salman and Shah Rukh as bigger stars than him.
When Aamir Khan admitted Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are bigger stars than him
During the promotions of his 2016 film Dangal, Aamir was asked whether he believed Salman was a bigger star than him. He told the press, “He’s always been a bigger star than me. There’s nothing new. I always considered Shah Rukh, Salman, and Amitabh Bachchan bigger stars. There are a host of stars whom I consider big, and this includes Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. There are so many stars who are hugely popular. I don’t get into comparisons.”
He further added, “When I see Salman walking into a room, it feels like a star has arrived. When I enter, it looks as if a waiter has entered. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t say that because waiters are great people. I shouldn’t say that, but when Salman enters or Shah Rukh enters, it feels like a star has come… they are bigger stars than me.”
Both Dangal and Salman’s Sultan were released in 2016, five months apart, and turned out to be massive blockbusters. Sultan earned ₹607.84 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹80 crore, while Dangal collected an astonishing ₹2,070 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹70 crore.
More recently, before the release of Aamir’s film Sitaare Zameen Par, Salman and Shah Rukh paid him and the cast a visit, spending time with specially-abled children. Now, Salman and Aamir are set to make cameos in Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, Ba***ds of Bollywood, which is set to release on Netflix on September 18.
Upcoming films of the three Khans
Aamir is awaiting the release of his next production, Lahore 1947, starring Sunny Deol in the lead role. Salman is currently shooting for Battle of Galwan, directed by Apoorva Lakhia, and Shah Rukh will be next seen in Siddharth Anand’s King, which also stars Suhana Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Abhishek Bachchan in key roles.
