What’s it about Shah Rukh Khan that makes even bad seem good? In Raees, which releases tomorrow, he plays a liquor baron with questionable ethics, but do we really care about that? We see a surma-eyed SRK in a sexy pathani suit and we cry, “Hell, ya”. Clearly, the man is positively irresistible when he brings his bad on. Here is a list of his most-celebrated “bad” roles.  

1) Darr: A Violent Love Story (1993)

If you are a 90’s kid then you probably know about Shah Rukh Khan and his association with a certain ‘K..K..K..Kiran’.  Darr, which many consider to be his breakthrough film, revolves around Rahul – a stalker who is obsessed with Kiran Ahwasti, portrayed by Juhi Chawla. Sunny Deol plays Juhi’s fiance, a naval officer. Everyone from Aamir Khan to Ajay Devgn refused the role that finally went to SRK because they didn’t want to play second fiddle to Sunny Deol. After the film’s release Sunny Deol himself swore to never work with Yashraj films again because he felt he ended up playing second fiddle to a relative newcomer. SRK as Rahul was a delectable mix of menace and vulnerability. 

2) Baazigar (1993) 

Shah Rukh Khan plays a vengeful young man who in order to seek justice for his father’s suicide charms a businessman’s elder daughter, Shilpa Shetty, and then kills her in a way that would make it seem like a case of suicide. He then plots to destroy the rest of the family.

3) Anjaam (1994)

SRK is the ultimate creep here.  As a brat obsessed with a flight purser (Madhuri Dixit), SRK sends shivers down your spine. As he systematically destroys her life, for having rejected his overtures, you gasp in horror. The over-the-top climax scene has Madhuri slashing him with a trishul. You hate him so much by then that you almost applaud his demise. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w43zKqSebI

4) Duplicate (1998)

This one has SRK in a double role. One good, one bad. We know, you are wondering what’s so new with that. Here is the thing, in an otherwise mediocre film, SRK makes both Bablu (good guy) and Manu (bad guy) a study in contrast.  That is not a mean feat. 

5 ) Don 

A remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic Don (1978), this one was considered by many to be a tepid ermake. However, SRK had some good lines in this one. Remember ‘mujhe jungli biliyaan bohot pasand hai’?