Who's the most popular Khan?

It's been an eventful year so far. More so, for the three reigning Khans of Bollywood.

While Aamir Khan starred in wife Kiran Rao's critically acclaimed directorial debut Dhobi Ghat, Salman Khan broke records with mega hits Ready and Bodyguard.

Now, Shah Rukh Khan is warming up for what's probably going to be the most eventful box office opening in recent history -- his film Ra.one's release on Wednesday.

Although the three superstars have consistently held on to the top three spots as bankable actors over the years, their career paths and success rates have been very different from each other.

Here, we present a statistical account of how the three Khans measure up against each other in terms of popularity and delivered hits. The results are based on  feedback from 900 respondents collated by IIM-Indore student Khyati Madaan for research purposes.

Most Awaited Films

Considering Shah Rukh Khan's promotional hysteria over Ra.One, this round understandably goes to the King Khan. While  70 percent of the respondents look forward to watching Ra.One and 60 percent for Don 2, Salman's Ek Tha Tiger got 50 percent and Aamir Khan's Dhuan got 30 percent.

Multiplexes: With his fresh themes and off-beat treatment, Aamir Khan has strenghtened his hold over the multiplex audiences. This is where his movies do the best.

Single screens: This, clearly, is Salman Khan's zone. Master of masala films, Sallubhai gains precedence over his counterparts with films like Wanted and Dabangg making a kiling at single screens.

Overseas: Now this is Shah Rukh Khan all the way. He brings in the NRIs with undertones of familial love and nationalism in his films tugging at their hearts.

Domestic: Salman is the resident star as he scores high in tis department. Churning out action-packed potboilers with high entertainment value, it's proved to be a winning combo with Indian audiences.

Where fans are concerned, the stars are pretty much on the same level. Out of 900 respondents, while Shah Rukh got 33 percent of the votes, Salman recieved 32 percent and Aamir got 35 percent.

Out of the three, Aamir Khan, who's made socially relevant and topical films like 3 Idiots and Taare Zameen Par is the popular as the most competent actor.

That brawny body and muscle-flexing has paid off for Salman as he wins in the ruggedness department with the local thug/Robin Hood sort of roles in his films.

Shah Rukh Khan is the metrosexual of the lot, winning brownie points for his sophistication.

Shah Rukh Khan is the champion of family ties and love, as the tag line of his 2003 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham propounded -- It's all about loving your parents.

Understandably, his most popular films have been family entertainers like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Salman hangs somewhere in between the two, failing to claim a distinct spot as a youth icon, social icon or as a family icon.

Shah Rukh has worked best as a romantic hero while Salman, with his repertoire of masala films, is the undisputed hero of the masses.

Aamir is percieved as an actor drawn to off-beat and serious themes with the kind of films he's made in the last couple of years, breaking away to create a unique brand image for himself.