“Kaun Shah Rukh Khan?”: Vivek Oberoi Says King Khan May Be Forgotten By 2050
Vivek Oberoi said that Shah Rukh Khan may be “forgotten” by 2050, drawing parallels with how today’s youngsters barely know Raj Kapoor.
Vivek Oberoi believes even the biggest superstars fade with time, and he thinks that includes Shah Rukh Khan. In a new interview, the actor-entrepreneur said that no matter how iconic a celebrity may be today, history eventually reduces everyone to “a footnote,” adding that even a legend like Raj Kapoor is unfamiliar to many young people today. His remarks, especially the suggestion that future generations might one day ask “Who is Shah Rukh Khan?”, have left us scratching our heads.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Vivek Oberoi said that fame is fleeting. “Which film, starring who worked in the 1960s, you ask anyone about that today, nobody cares. You will anyway be relegated to history,” he said, before adding, “2050 mein log bolenge kaun Shah Rukh Khan, shayad.”
Vivek Oberoi expanded on his point using Raj Kapoor as an example. “Like people today might ask, ‘Who is Raj Kapoor?’ You and I call him the god of cinema, but if you ask any youngster who is a fan of Ranbir Kapoor, they might not even know who Raj Kapoor was. So maybe history relegates you into nothingness,” he said.
While Vivek’s film career has been quieter in recent years, he continues to headline as one of the industry’s most successful actor-entrepreneurs. The ‘Mastiii 4’ actor addressed reports about his net worth, often cited as Rs 1200 crore, and opened up about his longstanding business acumen.
He revealed that he earned his first Rs 1 crore at the age of 16 or 17 through trading. While it wasn’t cash, he said, it was solid “stock value.” He also shared that he had been financially independent since age 15. Reflecting on his family’s history – once owners of mansions and palaces before Partition forced them to rebuild from scratch – Vivek said this motivated him to earn his own wealth rather than rely on legacy.
By 19, Vivek had raised Rs 12 crore for his first business, with only Rs 20–25 lakh of his own investment. He explained, “Everyone made profit because I always thought of investors first.”
He went on to build a diverse portfolio – a FinTech company, EdTech venture, roadside safety assistance firm, lab-grown diamond jewellery brand, and infrastructure consultancy – all while maintaining an intense 16-hour workday. During film shoots, he dedicates all off-days and post-pack-up hours back to his businesses.
On claims about his massive net worth, he said, “How does it matter? At the end of the day, you have the car and house you like… God has given me enough that many generations of mine can be taken care of.”
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan, whose superstardom Vivek believes could one day fade from public memory, continues to sit atop Bollywood’s throne. In 2023, SRK delivered an unprecedented hat-trick with ‘Pathaan’, ‘Jawan’, and ‘Dunki’, together earning over Rs 2,600 crore worldwide.
His next film ‘King’, directed by Siddharth Anand, features Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Raghav Juyal. The teaser was unveiled on his 60th birthday.
SRK was also recently seen playing a fictional version of himself in his son Aryan Khan’s Netflix debut series ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, which he also produced. The show featured cameos by industry giants including SS Rajamouli, Karan Johar, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Ranveer Singh.
P.S.: By Vivek Oberoi’s logic, Shah Rukh Khan, who is 60 today and will be 85 in the next 25 years, should be forgotten by then. Yet the irony writes itself: SRK will likely still be alive at 85, still a global icon, and still the kind of living legend history refuses to erase.
