Because these first dates are chronological, most of them are from Shah Rukh Khan's early, pre-DDLJ, negative period. Anjaam is the darkest so far; he plays a character (spoiled brat Vijay) with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Zip. Nada. (Okay, his "I am so besotted" antics in "Badi Mushkil Hai Khoya Mera Dil Hai" are pretty adorable.)

And who can blame him? Madhuri Dixit is captivating, as always. (She is my very, very favorite SRK costar; sorry, Kajol.) Loved them in Dil To Pagal Hai; adored them in Koyla and Devdas. In this scene, watch as Vijay's infatuation turns to smoldering jealousy while he watches her dance, having just met her actual beloved, Ashok (Deepak Tijori -- the happy dude playing the drum).

You might think that a dark story filled with violence and revenge wouldn't offer much in the way of sexy, romantic moments, but you would be WRONG! After seeing this scene, you can almost believe that Madhuri's dancing can work medical miracles. (Not to mention the emotion SRK conveys with only his face and hands; for more of this, see Koyla, where his character is mute for most of the film.)

So, now the questions:

What is your first impression of Vijay? What an entitled child! 
What is Shivani's first impression of Vijay? As an airline hostess, you get the feeling she deals with his ilk all. day. long. Just another jerk, but she has to be pleasant because that's her job.
How would you describe their chemistry over the course of the film? Despite the fact that she does not return his affection, Shivani and Vijay are intimately connected as closely as lovers. It is the chemistry between SRK and Madhuri as actors that makes this so compelling and believable.
If you had a first date with Vijay, would you go on a second? Hell no. This is Shah Rukh Khan's most unappealing character so far. I might not push him off a cliff, but he'd never get a foot in the door.

Side note: the music (songs and background score) is fabulous!

I had a pressing deadline in my professor life last week, so it took me longer than I'd planned to watch and react to "Baazigar". If you haven't seen it, you should. it is available on Amazon Prime; if anyone knows another source, please let me know in the comments. Margaret Redlich, Hindi film blogger extraordinaire, has an excellent eight-part re-cap, with dance videos, if you just want the high points and don't mind spoilers. Shah Rukh Khan woos two girls in this film, each in a different character, which is why I consider this a double date. (This will happen again. and again.) Each character has his own song/dance video, and you can see their differences pretty well in them.)
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It's hard to summarize the plot without completely spoiling the film for anyone who wants to experience it as a complete newbie, but let's say that Seema comes to a tragic end, and Vicky and Priya's relationship blossoms into romance and engagement. 

The audience knows everything Priya doesn't -- that Vicky is not to be trusted. But this stupendous dance scene foreshadows her discovery that he is not what -- or  who -- she thought he was. He is sexy and seductive, irresistible to her...and to the audience, even though we know the truth about Vicky! Margaret Redlich notes that Shah Rukh is "a little bit dark and scary.  And Kajol is enjoying it a lot, but also has some gut feeling that something is wrong, which she has to keep ignoring in order to enjoy herself."

For me, the contrast between Shah Rukh Khan's chemistry with Juhi Chawla in "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman", Shilpa Shetty and Kajol in "Baazigar" is striking. I know it is all acting, but it feels more like acting with Shilpa (maybe because Ajay is acting with her?). With Juhi, SRK moved from acquaintance to friendship and beyond in a nicely-paced arc. With Kajol, it was an instant click, and they are so at ease together that their connection is totally believable. 

So, to the questions (I am answering only for the Priya/Vicky pairing, since we don't see Ajay and Seema's introduction):

What is your first impression of Vicky? Charming and smooth like a panther, only sweaty and with dimples.
What is Priya's first impression of Vicky? From a normal heart rate to thumpa-thumpa-thumpa in about 20 seconds.
How would you describe their chemistry over the course of the film? A steadily growing flame from the first flicker. No wonder audiences wanted to see more of them!
If you had a first date with Vicky, would you go on a second? Mmmm. Yes. Charming and smooth, with dimples and -- one hopes -- showered and squeaky clean.

Question for you: Does anyone out there want to date Ajay?

Next up: Anjaam (SRK's first date with Madhuri Dixit, 1994) Full schedule here. So far I have only been able to find it on YouTube, and the subtitles are out of sync. If you have another source, please let me know!!

It's a long time until Shah Rukh Khan's next release, so I am filling the void by watching as many of his films as I can between now and then. My Twitter friend Ashley suggested a themed series exploring the chemistry between SRK and his leading ladies, and so First Dates with SRK was born! For those who want to play along, here is the schedule for my reaction posts. Get these films in your queue now!

June 3: Juhi Chawla - Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992)
June 10: Kajol - Baazigar (1993)
June 17: Madhuri Dixit - Anjaam (1994)
June 24: Sonale Bendre - English Babu Desi Mem (1996 -videos only) and Duplicate (1998)
July 1: Karisma Kapoor - Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
July 8: Preity Zinta - Dil Se (1998)
July 15: Rani Mukerji - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
July 22: Aishwarya Rai - Mohabbatein (2000)
July 29: Karina Kapoor - Asoka (2001)
August 5: Priyanka Chopra - Don (2006)
August 12: Deepika Padukone - Om Shanti Om (2007)
August 19: Anushka Sharma - Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)

As you can tell, these are not all of the actresses he has wooed; just the ones who appeared in more than one film as his love interest. I was uncertain about including Karisma Kapoor, but decided that at the very least it's a good excuse to watch Dil To Pagal Hai.

As promised, here is my reaction to Juhi Chawla's "first date" with Shah Rukh Khan in the 1992 film "Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman". It is a coming-of-age story at its heart, as the ambitious but naive Raj (Shar Rukh) comes to Bombay to seek his fortune as civil engineer. He finds success and falls in love, but nearly sabotages both in his urgency to "become a gentleman" by climbing the corporate ladder. 

Because I am focusing on the relationship between Raj and Renu, I will not recap the whole film, but on their romance. Frankly, even after Loveria Hua, it hard to see the chemistry between them as anything more than friendship or puppy love. They clearly like each other, but everything about their body language tells me that their affection is creating cozy warmth, not heat.

Then this happens. Raj buys Renu a sexy new dress and insists she put it on. The wind!!! Thanks to Margaret Redlich's wonderful new book, I know this symbolizes the emotional rush of true love. Enjoy.

So to answer my own questions:

What is your first impression of Raj? Manic Pixie Dream Boy; fun to watch, but potentially exhausting to keep up with.
What is Renu's first impression of Raj? Kind of cute, but rude and arrogant. Needs to be taken down a peg. She is right, of course!
How would you describe their chemistry over the course of the film? Annoyance, friendship, that cute couple, BURSTING INTO FLAMES, disappointment, separation, redemption, (finally) grown-up love.
If you had a first date with Raj, would you go on a second? When I was 17, in a heartbeat. At 67, I couldn't take my eyes off Jai (Nana Patekar).

I will post the rest of my reaction within a day or so, to give fellow-watchers a chance to see the film (available on Einsthusan for free, and ad-free for a very reasonable one-time payment). Questions to ponder: What is your first impression of Raj? What is Renu's first impression? How would you describe their chemistry over the course of the film? If you had a first date with Raj, would you go on a second? Feel free to add your own questions, of course!