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3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 7, 2026 11:17 AM IST
Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aamir Khan turned 60 this year.
For over three decades, actors have come and gone, but the Khans—Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir—have remained a constant in Hindi cinema. There was a time when audiences watched their films almost unquestioningly, driven purely by star association. That equation, however, has changed. Today, viewers are far more blunt in their rejection if a film fails to resonate, regardless of the star power attached to it. Actor Imran Khan, nephew of Aamir Khan, believes it is high time actors of that generation acknowledge their age and transition into roles that align with where they are in life. “You cannot be playing the lead after a certain age,” he said.
Speaking to SHOWSHA, when he was asked about the Khans, Imran shared, “As a leading man, actors also start to age out. There are certain years where you can work as a leading man, and then there comes an age where you are not able to play those roles. All three Khans are well into their 60s now. They have had 30 years of stardom—the likes of which are hard to conceive or parallel. I think a part of it is simply organic, an inevitable part of any actor’s journey, that as you age, you start to transition the kind of roles you play.”
He further explained how stardom itself evolves over time. “Your stardom also starts to transition because there is an audience that knows you and grows with you, and then there is a whole new younger generation that begins to attach itself to people closer to them in age and experience. When we watch films or shows, first and foremost, we are trying to see ourselves in those stories and characters. That’s what resonates with you. Instinctively, you connect with someone who is closer to your age and life experience. The younger generation might not want to watch the story of a 70 year old man.”
The discussion gains context in light of recent box-office trends. After Zero, Shah Rukh Khan took a four-year break before returning with two massive blockbusters—Pathaan and Jawan. However, his third release of the same year, Dunki, failed to live up to expectations at the box office.
Similarly, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha was a commercial failure, while Sitaare Zameen Par found appreciation largely due to the focus on the supporting cast in the film rather than projecting Aamir as a conventional star-driven hero.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan’s post-2018 run has largely struggled, with most of his releases underperforming at the box office, Tiger 3 being a rare exception.
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