The fifties conundrum

Why Hindi cinema superstars flounder in their fifties

Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero, released late in December 2018, hasn’t done well. The story of a vertically challenged man in love with a scientist with cerebral palsy is about imperfect people and how they find completeness. It is Khan’s third film after Fan and Jab Harry Met Sejal to meet with a tepid response. The 53-year-old is India’s biggest star. His body of work spans more than 100 films with over 60 as a leading man. Many of these — Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai — are among the biggest grossers in Indian cinema; so a couple