After 25 years, ask netizens on social media to list their favourite Shah Rukh Khan films; aside from the obvious choices, Baadshah has consistently received mentions. Indeed, in the Abbas-Mustan-directed movie, fans deeply appreciate the superstar's portrayal due to his playful and uncomplicated demeanour, even though he is a private investigator struggling to make ends meet. Today marks the 25th anniversary of Baadshah, a film that likely only a handful of people have yet to watch. Despite not being available on any OTT platforms, you can watch the full movie on YouTube.

Abbas-Mustan’s 1999 action-comedy and its star-studded cast

Abbas-Mustan directed the 1999 action comedy film Baadshah. Twinkle Khanna stars as the female lead, with Amrish Puri as the main antagonist. The supporting cast also includes Rakhee Gulzar, Johnny Lever, Sharat Saxena, Sachin Khedekar, Pankaj Dheer, Deepshikha, and Saurabh Shukla, among others.

The 1995 American film Nick of Time, along with additional scenes from Mr. Nice Guy, Rush Hour, and If Looks Could Kill, heavily inspired the film's premise.

Plot summary: An amateur investigator’s perilous mission

In Baadshah, an amateur investigator (SRK), mistaking himself for a CBI official, embarks on a perilous quest to save the chief minister of Goa (Rakhee) from an assassination attempt. Suraj Singh Thaper (Amrish Puri) hires a contract killer to murder Chief Minister Gayatri Bachchan so that he can settle scores with the wealthy businessman. However, a car accident claims the life of the killer before he reaches the C.M.'s location. This disrupts the CBI's plans, prompting them to dispatch an officer, Deepak Malhotra (Dipak Tijori), codenamed Baadshah, on the "Maa" mission to conduct a thorough investigation.

One of Thapar's goons (Sharat Saxena) takes Baadshah's place after Thapar learns of this, and he also has Deepak murdered. Both Thapar and the CBI believe Raj, known as Baadshah, was sent on the operation. When Thapar kidnaps several of Raj's friends and holds them captive until he kills the C.M., disaster strikes.

Memorable Music: Anu Malik’s soundtrack and its lasting appeal

Anu Malik composed six songs for the soundtrack. In most of the songs, Abhijeet and Alka Yagnik are the featured singers. Javed Akhtar and Sameer wrote all the lyrics. Interestingly, everyone seemed to enjoy the score even now.

Main To Hoon Pagal, the film's introductory song, continues to captivate listeners as SRK showcases his exceptional rap skills. On the other hand, Dua Lipa's Levitating, blended with the Woh Ladki Jo song, is still a hot favourite among netizens.

Pop culture impact: Social media and the film’s enduring legacy

There are many reasons to love Baadshah, thanks to social media and its integration into pop culture. People have done it all, from gifs to mouthing relatable dialogues from the film, and will continue to do so.

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