Why the Fawad Khan fever refuses to die down

It has been more than three weeks since Khoobsurat released (September 19) and the romantic comedy is still running in theatres. At least here in Mumbai. It is an impressive feat given that Bang Bang and Haider released on October 2 and took a chunk of box office share.

How did a film, made on a budget of Rs 12 crore with an opening in 850 plus screens in India, collect Rs 25 plus crore in two weeks, outscoring Daawat-e-Ishq in process? Or the question on everyone’s mind is what one Jose Mourinho infamously asked – while complaining about referee/UEFA bias towards FC Barcelona – “Por que?”

Why?

Sonam Kapoor and the film’s producer Rhea Kapoor have one person to thank – Fawad Khan. And so full of gratitude they are to their leading man that he has been signed for another film to be produced by Rhea, starring her older sister, Sonam – Battle for Bittora, an adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s book.

The mere mention of Fawad Khan’s name elicits a range of reactions among women. Wide eyes, rosy cheeks, toothy smiles, heavy sighing, the list goes on. Girlfriends unabashedly admit that the sole reason why they are running to theatres twice, sometimes thrice, to see what is a fluffy, feel-good film is to drool at the sight of Fawad Khan. The scene in which Khan’s shirt is off for a tiny second and his bare, slightly hairy chest is seen has reportedly drawn "awws" and "ooohs" in the theatre. We are not making this up.

Once again. Why? What is it about Fawad Khan that has made the Indian female population across all age groups (Confession: My 50-something mother is a fan) gush about him.

There are various factors to note:

1) Handsome men on Indian small screen have been a rarity. When Khan was first seen in Zindagi Gulzar Hai on Zindagi, the housewives, long fed on unending saas-bahu shows featuring ordinary looking men, suddenly found themselves wondering not where can I buy that jhumka or sari from but where can I find a man/husband as hot as Fawad Khan? Answer: Across the border.

2) Offer "Fawad fever" in small doses. Unlike Hindi TV shows, which are dragged endlessly, Zindagi Gulzar Hai ran for only 25 episodes, making TV audiences, ahem mostly women, hungry for more of the dishy actor. (Husbands and boyfriends now know that they will be ignored when a Fawad show is on.) After the show ended, Zindagi aired the promo of telefilm Behadd on loop, in process teasing and testing the patience of the audience. As soon as Khoobsurat neared its release date, the channel began airing the promo of one of his most popular shows, Humsafar. The strategy of always having Fawad on air is clever. It keeps audience sated.

3) There’s no one quite like him in Bollywood. The truth is that there is a dearth of irresistible heroes (Think: Ryan Gosling) who can act well and are happy to star in a chick-flick. Actors here have not been game for being swooned over for their good looks. The guidelines to pass off as an attractive hero in the Hindi film industry include bronzed bodies, ten-pack abs and bulging biceps. What makes Fawad Khan appealing is that he is strikingly real and beautifully normal. It helps that he looks dapper in both Western and Indian wear. For a change, it’s nice to have a hero who doesn’t look capable of beating up ten men at a go. It’s an entirely different matter that girls most probably don’t want Fawad Khan getting into fights and ruin his face. Khan’s lanky self is enough to want him.

4) It’s all in the eyes. Few actors can say a lot with their eyes alone. Khan is one of the few who knows how to kill with the way he looks. Zindagi milks this asset of his. For instance, the Humsafar trailer features wordless shots in which Khan simply looks: to admire a woman secretly from the corner of his eye, in anger, to suggest a hint of a smile (you have to earn a Fawad smile as Khoobsurat proves), and intensely enough to make you go weak in the knees.