Shah Rukh Khan - Cameo King of 2022: Brahmastra, Rocketry, Laal Singh Chaddha - Ranking All Cameos Of King Khan This Year From Worst to Best!

After Zero in 2018, it took four years for Shah Rukh Khan to make a return to the big screen. albeit not as a lead. Instead, Shah Rukh Khan made an impact this year with not one, but three memorable special appearances in major releases. Firstly he played himself in the Hindi version of R Madhavan's Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (Suriya played the same role in Tamil version). Then again he played himself, but with a twist, in Aamir Khan's Independence Day release, Laal Singh Chaddha. And finally, King Khan made quite the impression in a small role in what is Bollywood's biggest grosser of 2022, Brahmastra Part One - Shiva. Brahmastra: From Swades to Harry Potter, 11 Movies and Series Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt-Starrer Reminded Us Of!

So which has been his best cameo of the year? And which has been his errr... not so best cameo of 2022? In this special feature, we might have gone against the general tide of opinions on social media and gone for a controversial ranking here. You can vote for your fave cameo of SRK this year in  the poll below, if you have seen all the three films.

Also warning - some SPOILERS ahead, if you have not seen the movies. So here's ranking all three of SRK's cameos of 2022 from Worst to Best!

Brahmastra Part One - Shiva

From here, I can hear many pair of eyes rolling up their skulls, but do hear me out. Shah Rukh Khan's cameo in Brahmastra is easily one of the film's likeable highlights, having made an appearance quite early in the movie. His cameo as space scientist Mohan Bhargav (a nod to his role in Swades) is crucial to the plot, playing one of the three guardians of Brahmastra. While SRK was charming in his cameo and has an super-powered action scene, he is saddled with some very silly lines and some very questionable character decisions. Like why would he need to return to his house, after making an escape, despite knowing his enemies are around. The fact that he is beaten by a villain who is yet to be established (and who herself turns out to be sidekick of the trilogy's main villain) also felt underwhelming for someone of his superstar persona (imagine if in a Tamil film, Rajinikanth gets bumped off early on by a villain whose menace we are yet to see). After the popularity of his cameo sky-rocketed post the film's release, Ayan Mukerji has hinted that SRK could make a return - we don't see his dead body per se - and considering the character had potential, I do look forward to that. Brahmastra Movie Review: Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt's Astraverse Saga is Ayan Mukerji's Weakest Film Shrouded in Dazzling Visual Display.

Laal Singh Chaddha

Unlike Brahmastra, Shah Rukh Khan is all for a few seconds in the film. But what a memorable cameo it turns out to be! Done in a similar capacity as the presence of late 'Elvis Presley' in Forrest Gump, SRK is deaged and desized in the film - reminding many of his Gaurav role in FAN - as he plays a pre-fame himself in the movie, when a young Laal Singh Chaddha meets him in Delhi and inadvertently teaches him his famous open-arm pose. Shah Rukh Khan's cameo may not be crucial to the plot, but it celebrates the legacy of the superstar within those few seconds, that too at a time when his haters are questioning his superstardom. Laal Singh Chaddha: Shah Rukh Khan Fans Go Crazy in Theatres After Seeing King Khan's Cameo in Aamir Khan’s Film (Watch Video).

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Shah Rukh Khan's extended cameo in R Madhavan's directorial debut lacks the mysticism of his role in Brahmastra or the celebratory aspect of his cameo in LSC, but it scores highly in a very crucial aspect that matters to this writer - performance. The cameo also makes little sense - why would a Bollywood superstar interview a formerly disgraced ISRO scientist? But where the cameo lacks in logic and finesses, Shah Rukh Khan more than makes up for the same with an effectual performance. The best part of Rocketry is its emotionally impactful third act, that brings out the best from Madhavan, Simran and even Shah Rukh Khan as actors. SRK's apology to Nambi Narayanan in the last act is quite heart-rending and the superstar commits himself quite nicely to that part, leaving many teary-eyed in the process.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 20, 2022 04:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).