There Is Only One ‘Superstar’: Prabhas vs SRK Fans Face Off
It took just one phrase — “India’s Biggest Superstar” — from ‘Spirit’ to spark chaos online
Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit has sparked a fresh fan-war even before cameras roll. A single frame in the concept video that introduced Prabhas as “India’s Biggest Superstar” triggered anger among Shah Rukh Khan loyalists, who flooded social media defending their icon’s supremacy.
Filmmaker Hemanth Madhukar calls the backlash predictable. “Fans are protective. Everyone knows Shah Rukh Khan is the most celebrated Indian star globally. He has held his superstardom for over three decades. Pathaan and Jawan entering the `1,000 crore club only reaffirm that,” he says, citing SRK’s legacy from DDLJ and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Chennai Express and beyond.
Prabhas supporters counter with recent dominance. Baahubali, Salaar, and Kalki have redefined box office scale, turning the Telugu actor into a pan-India force. Madhukar agrees that Prabhas’ meteoric rise is remarkable. “Being compared to Bollywood’s Badshah itself is huge. He has taken Telugu cinema worldwide,” he notes. “SRK built stardom without premium ticket pricing or nationwide release strategies. Prabhas expanded aggressively into the Hindi market and overseas. Both journeys are different.”
On the contentious Salaar vs Dunki clash, he says the comparison was always unfair. “Salaar was a mass action entertainer. Dunki was content driven. Their box office trajectories were bound to differ.”
Both actors have packed slates. SRK readies King. Prabhas lines up The Raja Saab, Fauzi, Spirit, Kalki 2, and Salaar 2. The fan rivalry shows no signs of ending.
It is interesting how fans take offence on their idol’s behalf. We have Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth’s fans ready to kill for their favourite. As for who is the bigger star between SRK and Prabhas, it depends on where you are coming from.” — RGV
One can’t compare the success of one with the other. In the past, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor coexisted amicably. Even now the three Khans are happy to share the space. So why not Prabhas and Allu Arjun along with the Khans?” — Mahesh Bhatt
