‘s career has never been limited to one kind of character. Although he is widely recognised for playing romantic heroes, the actor has spent more than three decades moving between thrillers, sports dramas, emotional stories and large-scale action films. As he prepares for his next release, , his filmography offers a look at how he has repeatedly changed his screen image while retaining the qualities that audiences associate with him.
From the unsettling lover in Darr (1993) to the determined hockey coach in (2007), Khan has taken on characters that are very different from the romantic roles that made him a household name. His later performances in Swades (2004), Pathaan (2023) and Jawan (2023) further demonstrate how he has adapted to changing audience expectations.
With King, directed by , Khan is returning to the action genre. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on 24 December, 2026, and is expected to present him in another intense role. Here’s a look at some of the films that shaped his screen identity.
In Darr, Khan played Rahul Mehra, a young man obsessed with Kiran, played by Juhi Chawla. At a time when Hindi cinema largely presented its leading men as romantic heroes, Khan took a risk by playing a character whose love turns into and violence. His performance, particularly his nervous mannerisms and stammer, made Rahul memorable (K-K-K-K-Kiran, remember much?).
The film was important because it showed that Khan was willing to play characters who were not necessarily designed to win the audience’s approval. He followed this with other unconventional roles, including the -driven protagonist of and the troubled lover in Anjaam.
A decade later, Chak De! India offered a very different version of the actor. As Kabir Khan, a former hockey captain who takes charge of the Indian women’s national team, he played a man trying to rebuild his reputation while helping a group of players overcome their differences.
Unlike his earlier performances, the character relied on rather than dramatic romantic gestures. Kabir was strict, often distant and deeply focused on the team’s performance. The film also allowed Khan to portray through sport, teamwork and personal sacrifice rather than conventional action or speeches.
In Swades, Khan played Mohan Bhargava, a scientist who returns to India and gradually becomes involved in the lives of people in a rural village. The film did not depend on the actor’s usual star image. Instead, it presented him as an ordinary man confronting questions about home, responsibility and development.
Mohan’s journey was driven by small changes in his thinking rather than dramatic heroics. His performance remains one of the most discussed examples of Khan choosing a quieter, more grounded character.
His screen image changed again with Pathaan in 2023. After a break from leading roles following the underperformance of films such as Zero, Khan returned as a physically imposing intelligence agent. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the action thriller presented him with a rugged appearance, elaborate stunts and a larger-than-life personality.
The film became a major box-office success and marked an important part of his comeback. Later that year, Jawan, directed by , gave him another action-led role, this time playing a double role with different appearances and motivations. The film combined commercial entertainment with themes involving , public services and accountability.
Both films showed that Khan could lead large-scale action spectacles even after spending much of his earlier career being identified with romance and drama.
King marks another collaboration between Khan and Siddharth Anand after Pathaan. Produced by and Marflix Pictures, the film also features Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and several other actors.
The film’s promotional material has presented Khan in a darker, more intense avatar, with a distinctive silver-haired look. It is another departure from the clean-cut hero audiences first came to associate with him.
However, Khan’s career suggests that reinvention has never meant abandoning his established screen presence. Whether playing a troubled lover, a scientist, a hockey coach or an intelligence officer, he has often relied on his ability to combine emotional expression with a strong sense of performance.
