New Delhi: He is a star whose fan following is as large as that of Tom Cruise across the world. No wonder, he has no interest in moving to Hollywood and is happy doing movies right here in Mumbai. We are talking about the most popular actor in Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan.
Rajeev Masand: While shooting for Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in New York, apparently there had been this incident when the shooting at the ‘Grand Central’, one of the busiest places in Manhattan had to be called off because of the massive crowd.
We heard that there were thousands of Asians who had assembled just to get a glimpse of you. They disrupted the shoot and Karan Johar said that you had to shoot elsewhere. Do incidents like these make you feel proud or is it just a hindrance?
Shah Rukh Khan: To be honest, they were all there to see Karan Johar and not any of the actors. Karan is a more popular figure in America and London than all of us put together.
As a hindrance, we could not shoot in Grand Central, which was to be an important part of the film. Grand Central was to play an important part in the film as its climax and lot of other portions were to be shot there. But unfortunately, the 'love of the Asians', did not allow that to happen.
We were told by the authorities that a lot of Hollywood films have been shot at the Grand Central. They said, "It's an Indian film, so we don’t expect much crowd. Hollywood biggies like Robert de niro, Falleni and Martin Scorsese have shot their films here."
But they were completely taken aback when they saw that shooting an Indian film had actually become an impossible task. They have higher security in America these days; they are little paranoid about these things.
In a certain sense it is a hindrance and we wished that we could have shot in Grand Central. But also, it's a happy feeling that you were in New York where the authorities did not even expect anyone to come and see an Indian film, and they were made to find out how popular Karan Johar and Indian cinema is, by the massive crowd.
Rajeev Masand: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, your new film is about marriage and infidelity.
Shah Rukh Khan: Which is one and the same thing.
Rajeev Masand: That’s an interesting thing to hear from you. Karan Johar- the director of the film says that he has seen even the happiest of marriages crumbling down with time.
He perhaps felt that long-lasting romance is vanishing from this world. He took this approach while scripting and making this film. What was your approach while performing your role in this film?
Shah Rukh Khan: I am completely uneducated in the matters of infidelity. I know nothing about infidelity. All the education I got about it was from Karan.
He has seen lot of relationships crumbling around him. He is someone that lot of people trust and talk with. His understanding of relationships is much higher than mine. So, I didn’t in fact prepare anything. I just went by what Karan told me.
Karan is an expert in matters of sex as well. So, I thought things should better be left to the hands of our ‘Dr Sablok’ Karan Johar.
I just asked him what to do and followed exactly what he said. People have different point of views about love. One can look at it as spiritual; someone might see it as an eternal thing, while another may find it just a waste of time.
Karan has made cinema based on different aspects of love. He began with a situation of 'eternal love' in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
He made Kal Ho Na Ho which has the sacrificial aspect of love, where one of protagonist dies and the other one takes on from there. I think there are many different takes on love. One of it can also be the institution of marriage, which people follow hastily. Sometimes you marry for all the wrong reasons.
I did a film called Dil To Pagal Hai which had a line that said, ‘having a loving friend is better than getting married to someone that you perhaps don’t even know completely’. So, the point of view that says ‘all that you need is someone you dementedly love’ is indeed very true.
The film KANK is all about that. It’s not about ‘love being a waste of time’ or ‘marriage is not good’. The essence of the film is one should not marry out of any other reason except love.
Rajeev Masand: One of your co-stars in the film is Amitabh Bachchan, with whom you have done a few films prior to this. Of course you must have heard of stories of a 'cold war' between the two of you. Besides there have been stories of you not being a part of Yash Raj films anymore because of Mr Bachchan. What is your take on that?
Shah Rukh Khan: We hate each other. Right now we are planning to hire assassins to kill each other. I have even decided to take on Yash Chopra by destroying the negatives of all his films. That is how bad it is.
My assassins are all over Mumbai and even outside Mr Bachchan’s house attempting to take over.
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Rajeev Masand: So, do we assume that you are amused by all these stories?
Shah Rukh Khan: I was amused earlier, but I was never irritated or disturbed by it. Now, it’s not even amusing. These stories have become quite old and boring now.
I think newspapers and channels should just freshen up. They should try to bring up some fresh scandal stories, like me having an affair with Abhishek Bachchan. That would be more interesting.
Rajeev Masand: Since you have mentioned that, tell us what really irritates you? Were you amused or irritated when Anil Kapoor joked at an award function when asked, “Whom would you like to see in an Indian version of ‘Broke Back Mountain’ and he replied, "Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar".
Shah Rukh Khan: Anil always has had an impeccable sense of humour. He is known for his sense of humour. So, I think it’s just an extension of that humour. He is a funny guy. I think he should start a stand-up comic act.
Rajeev Masand: As an actor and now a co-producer, do things like piracy and declining box office concerns you? What is it that relentlessly inspires you to make films?
Shah Rukh Khan: To be honest, none of this concerns me. There are certain things that are beyond your control, like the rains in Mumbai. Either you can keep on being concerned about them or you can do try doing something about them. I can do neither.
I can’t really stop the rains from happening; neither can I worry myself to death that it’s going to rain again. I will say again and again please do not support piracy, do not buy pirated CDs etc. But it keeps going on, that is the truth. Perhaps it is something that you cannot escape.
There will be dwindling box office results whenever the films are not good. There will be times during festivals, holidays etc when there will be a boom, like this year has been very good for the films.
Sometimes they say that the year has been bad, and then it catches up again. So, it is a business. It will go through its ups and downs.
Unfortunately or fortunately this business is written about a lot. So, you get to hear a lot about it. I’m sure that other businesses like steel and bamboo industry too goes through the same cycle.
I’m not really a financial analyst of some kind but I’m a creative producer. I’ve wanted to make films, sometimes on subjects that nobody else wants to make. My track record in the last five films illustrates that.
Rajeev Masand: What do you think about the movies that are being made in this country today? Especially with the multiplexes coming in and the different kind of films that are being allowed today perhaps could not have been made years ago?
Does plagiarism upsets you? Do you even realise how much are we relying upon borrowed stuff? Does that concerns you?
Shah Rukh Khan: No.
Rajeev Masand: So you just choose to distance yourself from that kind of material then?
Shah Rukh Khan: Not really. I too get inspired by a lot of Hollywood films and the action sequences that I see in foreign films.
I think I have done a few films, which might have been direct lift or take offs from climax of some foreign films. Like in Badshah there were some sequences inspired from a Jackie Chan film.
And it was my suggestion. So, I won’t deny that I haven’t stolen ideas. Though I would like to be a part of an original film, the bottom line is that you want a film to tell a story which people understand. There are only limited subjects. So, there are going to be overlap of story ideas.
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Do I get really disturbed and have sleepless nights over people stealing ideas from other films? The answer is no. Would I prefer it were not so? As an actor I would say yes, as a viewer I would see whatever pleases me.
Let me be honest also, there is no courage in making a different film. When the stakes are so high, you are talking about crores and millions, you really do wish on that Friday everyone turns around and says that your film has been a super-hit.
Rajeev Masand: Making a film that becomes a super hit is the most important thing isn’t it ?
Shah Rukh Khan: It is a very important thing. It may not be the most important aspect, but it is indeed very important for a film to click at the box office.
I can assure you that even the most artistic of producers, directors and actors want to hear on a Friday release that the film is a hit, rather than someone telling them they did brilliant acting, but the film sank at the box office. I think that balances what everyone wants.
Rajeev Masand: What was the attraction for Don? Remaking a film that was a part of your childhood, the one that you grew up watching.
Shah Rukh Khan: The only reason for the remake of the yesteryear’s hit Don is that it has been a part of my childhood. You can ask anyone of my age walking on the road, someone in this office, someone at CNN-IBN may be, wouldn’t they love to say the dialogue of this 27-year old film, ‘Don ko pakadna mushkil hin nahin, namumkin hai.
The remake of Donhas no comparison with the original hit. It will not be that great, but it is indeed a dream come true for me to play that legendary role.
I started off my film career with this film called Deewana in which my role comes only in the second half. And here I am, 15-16 years later saying the same dialogues that were mouthed by the actor that I saw on screen and wanted to be like. I am Amitabh Bachchan!
Rajeev Masand: Do you get overwhelmed with the journey that you have covered in the Hindi film industry so far?
Shah Rukh Khan: I enjoy it without being overwhelmed. I had said this about Devdaas as well. If you are going to run with Carl Lewis, you feel relaxed because you know you are not going to win. So, just enjoy the fact that you are getting the chance to run with Carl Lewis.
So, here I am been given a chance as an established actor, with 15-years of work and great films behind me. People love me, my children are beautiful, god has been kind, I am fantastically sexy and I am getting to do roles that Dilip Kumar and Mr Bachchan have done. What else could I have asked for? I just can’t stop smiling.
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Rajeev Masand: What was your immediate reaction when you heard about the blast that tore apart Mumbai few weeks ago?
Shah Rukh Khan: I had just come back from London when I heard about the blasts. It is immensely sad. It is an understatement to say that it was a bad thing to happen. I feel really sad. People who were absolutely innocent and had not done any harm to anyone, had to die in a heinous act by some cowardly terrorists.
It’s not going to serve any purpose. I don’t know what kind of nonsensical ideology they are following. These people are psychopaths I think. They are wrong kind of people who think they have a right to do mass murder. It is really sad.
Rajeev Masand: On a completely different note, when big Hollywood films release they have action figures made out of their main characters. Like superman, batman etc. In London there is a toy company that has made dolls of the major characters played by you. What do you feel about it?
Shah Rukh Khan: That is indeed very sweet. There is this lady called Shamim Jivraj with a company called ‘Bollywood legends’ that makes Bollywood characters’ dolls.
It has manufactured Hrithik Roshan’s doll, Priyanka Chopra’s, Kajol’s and mine. I have one of them at home. I think it’s worth paying those odd £ 25 that they are priced at. I would be buying a lot of them.
It is a good beginning. I think merchandising that has started with films like Krish is a good concept.
Rajeev Masand: Do you like your own doll?
Shah Rukh Khan: Yes, I like playing with dolls. My daughter likes them more than me. It is always going to be special. Merchandising is one step that should be taken after the media coverage.
With films like Krish this concept has found its meaning. I like the doll that is based on my characters in Karan Johar films. The one in orange pants, based on the character in Kal Ho Na Ho, another one that looks like the way I looked in that shava shava song are my favourite ones.
Today there are these dolls in the market, who knows tomorrow I might just be in Madame Tussaud’s museum.
Rajeev Masand: What about the much talked autobiography of yours? That is something that you have been working on for sometime now.
Shah Rukh Khan: I didn’t get the time to write it. Anupama Chopra, a wonderful and much more accomplished writer than I can ever be has written a book which is likely to come up in the year 2007.
It is really much more intellectual than my book and has been written in an intelligent manner. So, I have taken a back seat. She has finished her work on this book.
She spent hours with me and gave two years of her life to write this book which is not just about me, but is about the kind of structure and changes that took place in India in 90’s. She has equated those changes with my films and my work tenure as an actor.
Also, Mushtaq has written a book, which is more like a pictorial. It is quite an interesting piece of work. It is called Still Reading SRK.
Rajeev Masand: So, there are a lot of these books coming up with you as the central theme.
Shah Rukh Khan: I don’t like competition. So, when I saw such intellectually higher-end people writing books about me, I decided I would stick to acting. But I have a deal with my publishers, that I will write a book on myself some time.
I have already written major portions of it. As soon I get the time, I will finish it. I have just few bits and pieces to finish now.
Rajeev Masand: We will be looking forward to reading your autobiography besides watching your latest films. Thank you so much for talking to us.
Shah Rukh Khan: Thank you.
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