You see, back in the day, programmers saved precious computer memory by using two digits to represent the year (e.g., ‘99’ for 1999). Little did they know that when the year turned to ‘00,’ computers might think it was 1900. Banks could crash, planes might drop from the sky, and toasters – well, who knows what havoc they’d wreak?
But while the globe worried about this apocalyptic bug, Bollywood had its own bugbear to wrestle with, one hilariously dubbed “Y3K.” What’s that, you ask? Was Bollywood building its own millennium problem? Not quite. Y3K stood for “Why 3 Khans?”- a witty dig at the industry’s total obsession with Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan.
By the late 1990s, these three actors weren’t just stars – they were practically a Bollywood Holy Trinity. Aamir was the “Perfectionist” who wouldn’t touch a script unless it was soaked in originality. Salman was the “Mass King” who could make even a shirtless song seem like fine art (remember O O Jaane Jaana?). And Shah Rukh? Well, he wasn’t called the “King of Romance” for nothing – this man made spreading arms a national sport.
Together, the Khans had the Midas touch. Anything their names were attached to turned into box office gold, and the music industry followed suit. An anonymous producer summed it up with a mix of frustration and wit: “The world is panicking about Y2K, but here in Bollywood, we’ve got Y3K. Today, if you announce a film with any of the Khans, music companies will fight like cats over a fish to grab the rights, and distributors will offer you their kidneys for a deal. But if your film doesn’t have one of them? Nobody even cares who your music director is!”
The Khans were, as this producer put it, Bollywood’s “sone ki khaan” (goldmine). But there’s a catch:
“All that glitters is not gold! We’ve become so blinded by their stardom that we’re ignoring fresh talent and innovative scripts. It’s like Bollywood’s GPS is permanently stuck on three destinations: Aamir Nagar, Salman Chowk, and Shah Rukh Lane.”
This Khan fever was especially evident in the music industry. A Khan-starrer’s soundtrack would sell out even before the first note was composed. But for a non-Khan film? No matter how brilliant the tunes, music companies would think twice before touching it with a ten-foot pole.
“Why 3 Khans?” wasn’t just a question; it was a punchline that highlighted Bollywood’s over-reliance on its star power. The producer quipped,
“It’s like the film industry is stuck on a diet of dal-chawal. Sure, it’s comforting, but what about trying some spicy biryani or tangy chaat for a change?”
While the trio deserved credit for their consistency and charm, this monopoly raised a larger issue: Was Bollywood stifling creativity by putting all its eggs in the Khan basket?
The Khans didn’t just survive the so-called Y3K – they flourished. As the new millennium unfolded, they continued to dominate, adapt, and redefine stardom. But the concerns raised in December 1999 remain relevant even today. The star-driven dynamics of Bollywood still dictate much of its decision-making.
As for the world, Y2K turned out to be a damp squib, thanks to diligent programmers. But Bollywood’s Y3K? That’s something the industry hasn’t entirely debugged. And who’s complaining, really? After all, the Khans are still making audiences swoon, laugh, and dance like it’s 1999.
