Looking at the rise of Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh Khan as they turn 50 this year

None of them show any sign of slowing down.They are still delivering hits. They are still adored. They still love what they do. And they still manage to get away with portraying the romantic twenty-something hero.

From left, Arbaaz, Salman and Sohail Khan. Rafiq Maqbool / AP Photo

Salman Khan

Born: December 27, 1965

Salman was born into one of Bollywood’s blue-blooded families – his ­father is the renowned ­scriptwriter ­Salim Khan, his stepmother is the veteran dancer and actress Helen, and his brothers Arbaaz and Sohail are both actors and film producers.

Bollywood breakthrough: Maine Pyar Kiya, 1989 – a soppy romantic drama about a couple of young lovers whose families don't want them to get together – but they do in the end, with the help of an extremely clever pigeon and much singing and dancing.

Best films: Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Maine Pyar Kiya, Saajan, Dabangg, Biwi No 1, Tere Naam, Ek Tha ­Tiger, Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Wanted.

Stand-out box-office dud: There are several contenders jostling for this slot, ranging from Veer and Hello Brother to God Tussi Great Ho and Phir Milenge, but the Big Turkey Award goes to Lucky: No Time for Love, a love story-cum-terrorist drama set in Russia and featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-lookalike Sneha Ullal as the female lead (Salman and Aishwarya dated for a short while until she broke up with him amid claims of abuse).

Controversies: Controversy is Salman Khan's middle name, thanks to his "bad boy" image. The worst incident was the infamous hit-and-run case of 2003. A man sleeping on a Mumbai street died after being run over by a car allegedly driven by ­Salman, a charge he denies. He is also on trial for shooting a blackbuck – a kind of antelope that has been classified as an ­endangered species in India. Both ­trials are still under way – years later – and keep his name permanently in the news.

Fan following: Fans line up outside his Bandra residence in Mumbai every day. Tuk-tuk drivers stick his pictures on the back of vehicles and if customers say they are fans, give them a free ride. People make pilgrimages to Mumbai from far-flung ­villages just for a glimpse of him. And when posters of a new film are released, fans garland them with fresh flowers. Indian companies, including Amul, weave his name and the titles of his films into their advertising slogans. At the last count, he had more than 24 million fans – Salmaniacs – on Facebook and 11 million ­followers on Twitter.

Current projects: Salman is shooting Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan, about a young Pakistani girl who loses her way somewhere along the Indo-Pakistan border and finds herself in India. Here, she runs into a man (Salman, of course) who takes it upon himself to take her back home to her family. Meanwhile, he becomes very attached to the little girl. The movie is being filmed in India-controlled ­Kashmir, marking the first time the actor has filmed in the state. The film also stars Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and will be released in July. His other film, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Received a Treasure of Love), in which the female lead is Sonam Kapoor, is scheduled for release in November. The family drama, ­directed by Sooraj Barjatya, may be off schedule – Kapoor was hospitalised for a couple of weeks after being diagnosed with swine flu this month.

Popularity: Salman is a self-­confessed "non-actor" – he has never been known for his acting talent and relies more on his looks. He has become an icon for young men in northern and ­western India.

Aamir Khan

Born: March 14, 1965

Aamir comes from a line of Bollywood greats. His uncle, the producer Nasir ­Hussain, is best-known for his 1973 family drama Yaadon Ki Baarat, in which Aamir made his debut as a child actor.

Bollywood breakthrough: ­Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, 1988. Millions of women all over the country instantly fell for Aamir's young, vulnerable character Raj in this tragedy about star-crossed lovers who elope after their ­feuding families forbid their union.

Best films: 3 Idiots, Rang de ­Basanti, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini and, most recently, PK.

Stand-out box-office dud: Mela (2000) – Aamir starred alongside his brother Faisal Khan in this outlandish melodrama involving several subplots – a love triangle, terrorists, murder, revenge and deceit – all peppered with dance sequences. The film also starred Twinkle Khanna, Akshay Kumar's wife. Aamir later said he regretted doing the film.

Controversies: Aamir courted trouble after he named his dog Shah Rukh, which enraged SRK's fans. Other scandals include a rumour about his alleged live-in relationship and subsequent love child with British journalist Jessica Hines; when he lost custody of his ­mentally-ill brother Faisal to his father; the divorce from his wife Reena; and most ­recently when Hindu right- ­wingers criticised his latest film PK, a comedy about an alien lost on Earth and a social ­commentary on organised ­religion.

Fan following: His fans tend to belong to the educated classes. One of them, Kishore Kumar, cycled 1,600 kilometres from his home in Ranchi to Mumbai to meet the actor. He also brought with him handwritten letters from the people he met on the way and handed them to the actor.

Current project: Known as the smartest, most creative and original of the triumvirate, Aamir has no film lined up for release this year, but he has started work on his new project, the sports biopic Dangal, in which he plays an ageing ­wrestler and a father of grown-up daughters who are also wrestlers. The film, directed by Nitesh ­Tiwari, shows Aamir's character from the age of 19 to his mid-50s. Known as a perfectionist in getting the look and details of every role just right, the actor has been training hard. The film is based on the life of former wrestler ­Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trained his ­daughter for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Popularity: Aamir has emerged as the celebrity who cares about India's troubles and seems comfortable in the role of the country's conscience-keeper. He produces and anchors the award-winning television series Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails), which was launched in 2012 to target social problems in India. Aamir is also PR-­savvy – in 2009, he travelled to small Indian towns to promote his comedy 3 Idiots in a bid to better understand life and the social structure there. He also does not shy away from expressing his political opinions – whether over ­controversial government ­projects or anti-corruption movements.

Shah Rukh Khan

Born: November 2, 1965

Unlike Aamir and Salman, SRK was born to a ­middle-class family in New ­Delhi and is 100 per cent self-made, demonstrating that talent, perseverance, hard work, a sense of humour and keen business acumen can take you to the top. He now ranks among the industry’s top stars and makes billions of rupees each year in product ­endorsements.

Bollywood breakthrough: Baazigar, 1993 – SRK played the baddy with aplomb, and the thriller went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year.

Best films: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, My Name Is Khan, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Darr, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Chak De! India and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Stand-out box-office dud: The list is long (he has been in the business for 23 years) but the Golden Kela goes to the 1993 film Maya Memsahib, a raunchy take on Gustave Falubert's Madame Bovary.

Controversies: Not many scandals have engulfed the genial actor, but he did get into hot water when he and his wife Gauri Khan had their third child by surrogacy. Reports surfaced that the couple had allegedly carried out a gender-­determination test on the foetus, ­reports that later turned out to be false. His alleged ­liaison with Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra also made brief news but died down quickly. A few years ago, SRK got into a dust-up with ­security officials at ­Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai – where the cricket team he co-owns – the Kolkata Knight Riders, were playing, and was temporarily banned from entering the stadium.

Fan following: One of his fans has 22,000 pictures of the star pasted onto every inch of every surface of his house, car and shop. Other die- hard SRK worshippers have his face ­tattooed on their bodies. On Twitter, he has 11 million followers and counting.

Current project: In his next film Fan, directed by Maneesh Sharma, Shah Rukh plays a double role of both superstar and fan. The film, due out later this year, will be light-hearted, with a series of mistaken identities providing the laughs. The opening shot is apparently of the superstar celebrating his birthday outside his actual residence in Mumbai, while a fan watches the superstar in awe. SRK has said the film is one of the most challenging he has undertaken in 20 years. Next up is Rahul Dholakia's Raees (Rich), which is due out next year. SRK, who plays a bootlegger to Nawazuddin Siddiqui's cop, ­describes it as a "populist, happy film, but original".

Popularity: Aamir's and Salman's stats pale in comparison: according to the BBC, CNN, Time and Newsweek, Shah Rukh Khan is one of the biggest movie stars in the world.