Has Shah Rukh lost his footing while Salman and Aamir continue to race ahead?

Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan

“I am sure that a lot of people do not think that Jab Harry Met Sejal is an intellectual masterpiece, but I did not intend it to be one,” said Imtiaz Ali after the film faced flak for its story line. Well, going by the money it raked in, the film certainly did not exactly entertain either.

Was it just a poor script or was there something bigger behind the romantic flick's poor performance at the Box Office?

For starters, while Shah Rukh Khan's performance was not overly criticized, it certainly wasn't good enough to save Jab Harry met Sejal from one of the most lacklustre opening weekends a movie has ever seen despite starring the veteran actor.

The film grossed a paltry Rs 15 crore on the day it was released and went on to add another Rs 29 crore to its kitty over the weekend that followed. With the story boasting of a lost ring as its centerpiece, the movie is expected to garner even less as we move into its second week, with expectations pegging Monday's collection at Rs 6-7 crore.

This is a far cry from the times of yore, when we saw seemingly ridiculous movies like Karan Arjun and Main Hoon Na do very well at the Box Office because they starred King Khan. In fact, Shah Rukh seemed to have had that effect even on his more recent movies like Ra One and Happy New Year.

But alas, the weight Shah Rukh Khan's name carried seems to have finally eased. Not only did Jab Harry Met Sejal tank immediately after its release, it followed a number of Shah Rukh-starring movies that did not so much as take off, let alone do well.

Which brings us to our big question -- where does the Baadshah of Bollywood currently stand in comparison with the other two equally-well known Khans when it comes to their movies' performance? The answer -- leagues behind them.

The Indian film industry saw two major releases in 2016 -- Salman Khan-starrer Sultan and Aamir Khan’s Dangal, both showcasing wrestling as their central themes. While the two films performed very well at the box office, Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan and Dear Zindagi, both of which were released in the same year, could not even meet expectations.

Dangal’s overseas collections came as a welcome surprise and the movie competed very well with the highly-anticipated Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which hit the theatres in April 2017.

The Amir Khan-starrer grossed as much as Rs 2,000 crore globally, thanks to a lot of ticket sales in China. Back home, the film grossed Rs 495.25 crore. In India, the success story of Sultan was similar to Dangal’s, with the film raking in Rs 418 crore.

On the other hand, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan, budgeted at Rs 85 crore, could only earn Rs 79.25 crore. The Devdas star might have heaved a sigh of relief when Dear Zindagi, a feel-good movie starring Alia Bhat along with Khan, did reasonably well at the box office. But both his films together did not make as much money as either Sultan or Dangal.

It’s not just 2016 that wasn’t strong for Shah Rukh Khan. A look back at other years shows a similar trend. In 2015, when actor-director duo Salman Khan and Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan made Rs 422 crore in India, multi-starrer Dilwale starring the popular on-screen couple Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol could add only Rs 194.81 crore to its wallet.

That year Salman Khan had another release as well---- Prem Rattan Dhan Payo that fared better than Dilwale at the box office, with collections worth Rs 267.54 crore.

With just one release in 2014, King Khan’s Happy New Year grossed Rs 240.83 crore while Salman Khan’s Kick and Jai Ho garnered Rs 283.52 crore and 148.64 crore, respectively. But it was Aamir Khan’s PK that took the limelight that year by raking in Rs 448.74.

In 2013, the Dhoom series came up with its third installment and this time it was Aamir Khan who played the bad guy. But, that did not stop him to bring audience to the cinema halls and the film earned Rs 348.73 crore. Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express also released the same year and while the film had a successful run at the box office, it could not beat the earnings of Aamir Khan-starrer Dhoom 3.

Director Yash Chopra’s last work Jab Tak Hai Jaan, which hit the theatres in 2012, could only get Rs 137.83 crore for its immortal love story. Meanwhile, Salman Khan gave had a successful year with two films -- Dabangg 2 and Ek Tha Tiger. While the Dabangg sequel earned Rs 202.65 crore, Ek Tha Tiger made Rs 251.15 crore.