From SRK to Salman Khan: Bollywood actors de-aged digitally before Amitabh Bachchan in Kalki 2898 AD

A day ago, Kalki 2898 AD makers revealed the first look of Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama. Fans were anticipating the first look revelation but they were not prepared for the young look of Big B as Ashwatthama which the makers managed with the help of digital technology. The de-aged look of the Bollywood legend left the web users shocked and happy at the same time and since then it has been trending on all the social media platforms.

Of late, the use of CGI and VFX in movies has increased manifold, and Bollywood filmmakers and directors have used these technologies to de-age the stars digitally so that they can present the actors in a particular age-appropriate role.

Shah Rukh Khan in Dunki

Shah Rukh Khan as Hardy in Dunki ✨

A Thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/FugYiNeFMQ

— 𝐍𝐆𝐊11 𝕏 (@YoursNGK11) February 15, 2024

Just before the release of Dunki, Shah Rukh Khan had said that he was being age-honest for the first time in his life by playing a character closer to his age. However, when the movie was released it was very much evident that SRK had used digital de-aging techniques to portray the younger version of his character in Dunki.

Aamir Khan in PK and Laal Singh Chaddha

Give me a ‘Hindi’ film poster which piqued your interest in the very first look & you were absolutely sold to it.

My Pick : This first look poster from ‘pk’ on the cover of TOI. Aamir Khan & Rajkumar Hirani, ensured that I kept scratching my head & brain for days to decode it. pic.twitter.com/1UTUaHUG51

— Tushar Shekher ‎ ‎تشار شیکھر तुषार (@tusharshekher) April 4, 2023

In Laal Singh Chaddha they had to show the journey of the lead character from the age of 18 to 50 years. So the character of Aamir Khan was de-aged so that he could look both younger and older in the movie. Earlier he had thought to rope in a younger actress in place of Kareena Kapoor Khan so that only Aamir’s character would be de-aged but later on, he settled on Bebo so even the actress’s face was de-aged in Laal Singh Chaddha to look young, and fresh.

Even before LSC, Aamir Khan ’s character in PK was digitally touched up as he had to portray the role of an alien and had to look a bit different, fresh and young from the rest.

Salman Khan in Bharat

Salman khan performance in bharat movie >>> any Salman khan movie pic.twitter.com/nf6CugIDT8

— Ward jrn anderson (@Wardanderson121) February 2, 2021

The journey of Salman Khan in Bharat progresses for several decades as he dwells on the various complexities in his life that occurred simultaneously as India struggled for freedom and later on became independent. Since the journey was of a person from the age of 8 to 70 years, Bhaijaan took the help of digital technology for de-aging