With the promo for Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth's next film, tentatively titled KH x RK, being out, much of the focus has been on how its director Nelson Dilipkumar has achieved the task of ensuring that both actors make fun of each other's screen personas without any ego. At least, judging by the KH x RK promo, this appears to be the case. Fans have also started to wonder why Indian filmmakers rarely do such films where big stars forgo their vanity and put in unhinged performances to entertain the audience. While rare, such films featuring some of Indian cinema's biggest stars do exist. Here are some examples:
Srinivasan in Udayananu Tharam
Srinivasan's character Superstar Saroj Kumar is one who lampoons the reluctance of many heroes in Malayalam cinema to commit 'unheroic' deeds onscreen. At one particular point, Saroj tells his producer and director (Mohanlal) in the film film that his character should not surrender himself submissively to the police. Instead, he suggests beating all the cops and going to the police station himself. "Isn't that real heroism?" he sarcastically asks. Saroj Kumar also appears as the titular character in an Udayananu Tharam spinoff, which faced much criticism for its apparent take down of Mohanlal's stardom and public image.
Mohanlal and Mammootty in Harikrishnans
Both Mohanlal and Mammootty were massive stars in Malayalam cinema even when they decided to be part of director Fazil's 1998 film. While the film is essentially a murder mystery, it also has a romance track where both Mohanlal and Mammootty's titular characters vie for the attention of Juhi Chawla's Meera. In the process, the superstars even throw humorous darts at each other's public image. In one particular scene, Mohanlal takes a jibe at Mammootty's gait and missing tooth, whereas the latter mocks the former's 'shoulder-to-one-side' style of walking. Such sequences make you wonder why if two of Indian cinema's biggest superstars can do it, why others often shy away from it? At least, with Kamal and Rajinikanth showcasing their playful selves in the KH x RK promo, hope springs anew.
Aamir Khan and Salman Khan in Andaz Apna Apna
Speaking of shedding one's vanity, every actor in Rajkumar Santoshi's 1994 film does this. The film has many scenes where actors poke fun often of each other and occasionally of their own image. Whether it be Aamir impersonating Shah Rukh Khan's stutter in Darr at the start of the film, Salman Khan and Aamir pulling each other's legs in a bus trip to Ooty, or Govinda parodying his own over-the-top acting in romance dramas, Andaz Apna Apna is a goldmine for satirical memes for today's generation.
Akshaye Khanna in Tees Maar Khan
While Farah Khan's film industry spoof is mostly a hit-and-miss when it comes to comedy and has mixed reviews, Akshaye Khanna's performance is a hoot in the film. It stars Akshaye as a superstar obsessed with his image and with winning an Academy Award, mocking his own reputation as a 'serious actor'. The actor parodies the eccentricities and ego of some of his contemporaries by behaving as a complete lunatic onscreen. At one point, when his director in the film within the film Akshay Kumar calls him 'superstar,' he gives a look of self-pride that is sure to give any veteran comedian a run for their money. This takes some doing, especially considering his ability to portray intense characters such as that of gangster Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar.
Akshay Kumar in Om Shanti Om
Who can forget Akshay Kumar's cameo in Farah Khan's film industry satire from 2007? In one scene, he lampoons his own 'Khiladi' films. Elsewhere, during an award ceremony, Akshay and Abishek Bachchan express their disappointment at losing out on an award to Shah Rukh Khan's Om Kappor. As Rishi Kapoor and Subhash Ghai announce the winner, Abishek claps in a way that he shows his disapproval, whereas Akshay accuses the jury of fraud. Then there is a sequence where the whole industry comes together for a song and dance. Such things are unimaginable in this day and age where vanity vans and Instagram followers are the only norm.
What can one say? It is not easy to do such films as easily as Farah and the others did.