October 2000. Film City, London (Set Construction).
The air on the set of Mohabbatein was frigid, and not just because of the artificial London winter. It was the presence of Amitabh Bachchan.
The Big B had returned. After a few years of financial trouble and the failure of his company (ABCL), he was hungry. He wasn't playing the hero; he was playing the mountain the hero had to climb. Narayan Shankar.
Aarav stood opposite him.
He was wearing a beige sweater draped over his shoulders, rimless glasses, and holding a violin. He looked soft, intellectual, harmless.
Amitabh stood in a black bandhgala, his beard grey, his eyes like burning coal.
"Action!" Aditya Chopra whispered, terrified to speak too loud.
Amitabh took a step forward. He didn't just walk; he occupied the space.
"Pratishtha. Parampara. Anushasan." (Honor. Tradition. Discipline.)
His voice was a deep, resonant rumble that seemed to vibrate in the floorboards. "Ye is Gurukul ke teen stambh hain." (These are the three pillars of this Gurukul.)
He looked down at Aarav with withering scorn.
"Aur tum... tum yahan badlaav lane aye ho?" (And you... you have come here to bring change?)
Aarav felt the pressure. This wasn't acting against Jackie or Rishi Kapoor. This was the Shahenshah. The System screamed a warning.
[Alert: Intimidation Aura Detected][Source: Amitabh Bachchan][Effect: Reduces confidence by 40%. Causes stumbling over lines.][Counter-Strategy: Do not compete with Power. Compete with Stillness.]
Aarav took a breath. He didn't puff his chest out. He didn't try to match the baritone. He went quieter.
He smiled. A small, sad, knowing smile.
"Badlaav main nahi laata, Sir," Aarav said, his voice soft but crystal clear, cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a laser. "Badlaav toh mohobbat laati hai." (I don't bring change, Sir. Love brings change.)
He raised his eyes to meet Amitabh's. He didn't blink. He projected a wave of empathy, treating the intimidating figure not as a monster, but as a broken old man.
Amitabh's eyes flickered. He saw the defiance. He saw the respect.
The scene held for five agonizing seconds.
"Cut!" Adi yelled. "Fantastic!"
Amitabh broke the stance. He adjusted his shawl. He looked at Aarav.
"You hold your ground well, beta," Amitabh rumbled. "Most newcomers shake when I look at them like that."
"I was shaking, Sir," Aarav confessed honestly. "I just hid it in my knees."
Amitabh chuckled. It was a rare, genuine sound. "Good. Fear is good. It keeps the arrogance away."
Diwali 2000. The Dual Release.
The battle lines were drawn.
In the Red Corner:Mohabbatein. Starring: Aarav Pathak, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai. Genre: Romantic Drama / Multi-starrer. Budget: Massive.
In the Blue Corner:Mission Kashmir. Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Preity Zinta. Genre: Action Thriller / Terrorism Drama. Budget: High.
Aarav sat in Villa Vienna, watching the news channels.
"DIWALI DHAMAKA! Pathak vs. Roshan!"
The morning shows opened.
Mohabbatein had 100% occupancy. The crowds came for the Aarav-Amitabh face-off. They came for the romance. It was safe. It was lush. It was Yash Raj.
Mission Kashmir had 90% occupancy. The crowds came for the curiosity. They came to see the "New Boy" who was angry.
By the evening, the verdict was clear.
Box Office Report:
Mohabbatein:BLOCKBUSTER. (The sheer star power was too much to fail).
Mission Kashmir:HIT. (It made money, but didn't crush the competition).
Aarav had won the numbers game. Again.
But the reviews told a different story.
The Times of India:"Aarav Pathak is charming as Raj Aryan, but haven't we seen this before? The sweaters, the violin, the teary eyes. It is a 'Greatest Hits' album of his career. It works, but it lacks surprise."
The Hindu:"Hrithik Roshan in Mission Kashmir is raw, unpolished, and electrifying. While Pathak plays it safe in the Swiss Alps (or London), Roshan is dirtying his hands in the dust of Srinagar. The future might belong to the brave."
Aarav read the reviews. He threw the paper onto his glass coffee table.
"Safe," he muttered. "They call me safe."
He was the victim of his own success. He had perfected the "Commercial Hero" so well that people were getting bored of perfection.
He looked at his System stats.
[Fame: Emperor (Stagnant)][Creativity: Low][Public Perception: The Establishment]
He needed a pivot. He needed something gritty. Sangharsh had been a start, but he needed a mainstream revolution.
January 2001. The Wilderness.
While Aarav was counting his crores, a wounded tiger was pacing in a small office in Bandra.
Shah Rukh Khan.
He had lost DDLJ. He had lost Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He had lost Mohabbatein. His last few films—Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, One 2 Ka 4—had flopped miserably. The media had written his obituary: "The End of the Khan Era?"
SRK sat with his partner, Juhi Chawla, and a young director named Ashutosh Gowariker.
Ashutosh had been rejected by everyone. Aamir Khan had rejected his script twice. Aarav Pathak's secretary hadn't even let him in the door, dismissing the idea as "rural suicide."
The script was Lagaan.
A period film. Villagers playing cricket against the British. Villagers wearing dhotis. No romance in Switzerland. No cars. Running time: 3 hours 45 minutes.
"It's madness, Ashutosh," SRK said, his eyes dark with sleeplessness. He lit a cigarette. "Everyone says it's a disaster."
"It's a gamble, Shah Rukh," Ashutosh said softly. "But you have nothing to lose. They have taken your throne. Pathak is the King of Romance. You can't beat him at Romance anymore. He is younger, fresher, and richer. You have to beat him at Cinema."
SRK looked at the script. The character of Bhuvan.
A simple villager. A leader. A man who fights an impossible war against an Empire.
It mirrored his own life. He was fighting the Empire of Aarav Pathak.
SRK slammed his hand on the table.
"I'll produce it," SRK said, his voice raspy. "Dreamz Unlimited will put everything we have into this. If I sink, I sink. But if I swim..."
He grinned. It was the feral grin of Baazigar.
"...I will cross the ocean."
February 2001. The Earthquake.
The Gujarat earthquake shook the nation.
Aarav Pathak wrote a cheque for ₹10 Crores to the relief fund. It was the largest individual donation in Bollywood history.
The media praised him. "Saint Aarav."
But in the shadows, the industry was whispering about something else.
"Have you heard? Shah Rukh is in Bhuj.""Doing relief work?""No. Shooting. In the middle of the dust. He is making a cricket movie.""Is he mad? Who watches cricket movies? Dev Anand's Awwal Number flopped!"
Aarav heard the rumors.
[System Alert][Rival Action Detected][Project: Lagaan][Lead Actor/Producer: Shah Rukh Khan][Threat Analysis: Critical]
Aarav sat up. Lagaan. In his original timeline, Aamir Khan made it. It went to the Oscars. It became a legend. But SRK? SRK doing Lagaan?
SRK had the energy. He had the passion. But did he have the restraint? Bhuvan was a subtle character.
"If he pulls this off," Aarav whispered, "He changes the narrative. He becomes the 'Serious Actor' and I remain the 'Popcorn Star'."
Aarav couldn't let that happen. He needed a counter-nuke.
He picked up the phone. He called Farhan Akhtar.
"Farhan," Aarav said. "Is your script ready?"
"Yes, Aarav," Farhan sounded surprised. "But... it's urban. It's niche. You said you wanted mass films."
"I changed my mind," Aarav said. "I want the goatee. I want the Goa trip. I want Dil Chahta Hai."
He had to capture the urban youth completely before SRK could capture the global critics.
April 2001. The Look Test for Dil Chahta Hai.
Aarav sat in the salon. Adhuna Bhabani (Farhan's wife and stylist) was holding a razor.
"Short?" she asked.
"Spikes," Aarav said. "And a soul patch. Under the lip."
He was playing Akash. The cynical, modern, commitment-phobic boy. It was the antithesis of the "Raj" character he had played for five years.
He looked in the mirror. The chocolate boy was gone. The cool, edgy millennium man was here.
Cast of Dil Chahta Hai (Altered Timeline):
Akash: Aarav Pathak.
Sameer: Saif Ali Khan (Kept him, perfect casting).
Sid: Akshaye Khanna (Kept him, perfect casting).
Aarav was taking Aamir Khan's role.
"This film," Aarav told Farhan, "will change how Indians talk. It will change how they travel. It will make 'Cool' a lifestyle."
June 15, 2001. The Clash of the Century.
History repeated itself, but with different players. In reality, Lagaan clashed with Gadar. In this timeline, Lagaan (SRK) clashed with Dil Chahta Hai (Aarav).
(Note: Aarav used his producer clout to push Gadar's release date by two weeks, clearing the battlefield).
The premiere night.
The Single Screens: Queues for Lagaan. The masses wanted to see the cricket match. The Multiplexes: Queues for Dil Chahta Hai. The youth wanted to see Goa.
Aarav sat in the premiere of Dil Chahta Hai. The audience was laughing at the "Cake" scene. They were vibing to Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe.
When the movie ended, the applause was sophisticated, loud, and appreciative.
But then, the reports from Lagaan started coming in.
People were clapping when SRK hit the six. People were crying when the rain fell. Critics were calling it a "Masterpiece."
The Verdict:
Dil Chahta Hai:SUPER HIT (Urban Blockbuster). It achieved cult status instantly. Aarav was praised for finally breaking his mold. "Pathak is cool, cynical, and brilliant."
Lagaan:BLOCKBUSTER (Pan-India).
But the real blow came three months later.
February 2002. The Nominations.
Aarav woke up to his phone ringing.
"Sir," his manager said. "Did you see the news?"
"What?"
"The Oscar nominations."
"Did Lagaan get in?"
"Yes, Sir. Best Foreign Language Film. Shah Rukh Khan is going to Los Angeles."
Aarav dropped the phone.
He had the money. He had the fame. He had the hits. But Shah Rukh Khan had the Prestige.
SRK had played the long game. He had gone to the village to conquer the globe.
Aarav walked to his trophy cabinet. The Filmfare awards looked shiny but small.
[System Goal Updated][New Objective: Global Domination][Current Status: Local Emperor][Rival Status: International Contender]
Aarav clenched his fist.
"He wants the West?" Aarav hissed. "I'll give him the West. But I won't go as a villager. I'll go as a King."
He opened his laptop. He searched for a specific name. A director who was planning a massive, tragic, opulent film.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
The film was Devdas.
In the original timeline, SRK played Devdas. But SRK was busy with Lagaan's Oscar campaign. He was exhausted.
Aarav smiled.
"Bhansali needs a Devdas. And I need to drink myself to death on screen."
It was time to steal the tragedy.
[End of Chapter 13]