The great gambler
That was just another night after shooting wrapped up in Mauritius. And the actor was escorted to the island's hottest spot, a casino packed with slot machines. Shah Rukh Khan returned to his hotel victorious, with a few extra bucks in his wallet.
"But I wouldn't go back there," he says seriously. "I could get addicted to the casinos. I didn't smoke at all once, but as soon as I started, I smoked like a chimney."
Apparently, SRK doesn't believe in half measures. There's no beating around the bush when he speaks to you today. Most stars would have turned pale at the mere thought of playing what is known in professional jargon as a "negative character" in Baazigar. But he took to the role with the gusto of a starving man devouring a decent meal. And guess what; there were taalis (praise) instead of boos.
Unlike most of his peers, he has not confined himself to an image that gives him the scope to be evil or goofy by turns. In a business where most actors market their image as either a Stallone-esque action hero or a lover boy a la Majnuish, he has played with the formula. The dice were loaded, but as in the case of the Mauritius casino, the gamble paid off. Taking a brief break from the camera and the lights, SRK spoke nonstop about his lucky streak.
Have you always been a baazigar?
Wait... why me? Everyone is a gambler; life itself is a big gamble. But in my case, the baazis (stakes) have always been made by others. The producers of Deewana took a gamble when they chose me over Armaan Kohli. The Sippys took a risk when they cast me - a mere TV star - in the lead role of Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. The Jains of Venus dared to make the Hollywood-style Baazigar with a boy with cute dimples who the know-it-alls predicted would never be accepted as a villain. Yash Chopra took the same risk when he cast me in Darr. The producer's money and the director's reputation were at stake. I have been a pretty safe bet, I have no image.
Isn't that also a risk? How can a film hero survive without an image ?
But I am not a film hero. Why should I play a character created by Rajesh Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan? OK, I dance... fight... flirt... I make people laugh. But for me there is a fifth dimension - I can be a bad guy, I can kill. That makes my character human. A normal man is God, villain, saint and sinner, all rolled into one. But in our films, all the heroes are white and the villain is blacker than night.
A guy like Ajay in Baazigar can exist. OK, I'm exaggerating a little - no, not a little, quite a lot - but men have often killed just for money. Ajay had seen his father and little sister die right in front of him; his mother had never recovered from the trauma, so there was enough motivation to commit three murders. Recently, a woman in America cut off her husband's penis and threw it on the street. Life is stranger than fiction.
Was all the bloodshed at the end necessary or was it done at the insistence of the distributors?
Sorry to disappoint you, but it was my idea. The film had a climax before the interval when I throw Shilpa Shetty off the terrace. The climax at the end had to be more dramatic, bloodier than the fall of Shilpa, if the audience was to go home satisfied.
Look, I don't want to be an action hero. I didn't beat up half a dozen men single-handedly at the climax to prove that I could fight. It was just that the boy I played lived for revenge. He offers no apologies, no explanations. Just when he is about to achieve his goal, things come back on him like a boomerang. He is backed into a corner; if he has to die, it has to be with some satisfaction. There are no karate chops, no bullets, just simple desperation. That's why the climax works.
It works so well that now you are in danger of going from being a hero to a villain.
There is no danger of that. Baazigar was a film made from the point of view of a murderer, that's all. And the audience has responded positively to it. Only the trade sages had said that I would never be accepted as a villain, now they are trying to save face by saying that I will never be able to come back as a hero. Can't they complement their mindset? Why classify an actor as a total devil or a total righteous?
Baazigar received fantastic crowds when it released. You must be the distributors' darling now...
There are three good reasons for the fantastic 'opening'. The first reason: Music director Anu Malik is a hungry man, hungry for success. He composed some really good songs. And music is the biggest advertisement for a film today. Someone even told me that he bought tickets for Rs 80 on the black market and has already seen the film three times, just because of Kali kali aanhken. Paisa wasool ho gaya.
The second reason: Venus did a great job of promotion - banners, hoardings, posters and worldwide premieres. I have been out of Bombay a lot recently, but a friend told me that if anyone went from Bandra to Juhu in the last month, they would only remember Baazigar when they came home.
And the third reason: Before this, Venus produced a very interesting film. Despite being made on a low budget and without a star cast, Khiladi was a success even in the Delhi area. This raised expectations for their next release. Plus, people have a kind of sixth sense, they can smell a good film. A lot of money and effort was invested in the two Anil Kapoor and Sridevi films, Heer Ranjha and Aankhen, but it was the little-known Govinda-Chunky-Monkey film that hit the mark.
I am not modest, but I think I did not have much to do with the success of Baazigar; I was just an extra asset. I am the kind of actor that the girls find cute, the mothers and aunties seem to like me because I am decent, sharif, you know. I know that the masses will not throng the theatres for a Shah Rukh Khan film. They will wait for a Tuesday or Wednesday before joining the queues. Just because my film is playing to full houses right now doesn't make me another Amitabh Bachchan. Even today, if you sign Mr Bachchan, he will guarantee you full houses for five weeks.
Yet parallels are drawn between you and Amitabh Bachchan - the unconventional looks and the conviction that comes out during improbable fight scenes.
(Explodes!) Are you kidding? How can you compare a film hero with three hits to a superhero? It takes years to attain that status. If anyone is a superstar today, it is Sanju (Sanjay Dutt). He has been here for 15 years; I have not even made it to 15 months.
Put Aamir Khan on a pedestal if you must. Or even Salman Khan, as he is an enormously good-looking guy, his freshness and charm have not faded even though Maine Pyar Kiya released nearly four years ago. But the press hamstrung him by making him an instant superstar. If he had been treated like any other guy, he would have been a frontrunner by now. So have a heart, don't crucify me. Even to say that I am close to superstardom would be an insult to the achievements of the real greats like Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. I can't even dream of becoming one of the greatest, I just want to be remembered as an above-average actor after I retire. OK?
Yes.
When I shed some tears in Deewana, it was said that I was copying Dilip Kumar. Now it is said that I fight like Amitabh Bachchan. Or that I can do a death scene the way he did in Deewar. Why can't people just say that I am a capable actor? Why force me into a mould? Yes, I am unsteady on my feet, my breath is gasping and I can cry without using glycerine if it is emotional, I am intense. And I fight convincingly. If I hit a guy, he falls. My teacher, Barry John, once told me that if I thought with my heart instead of my head, I would be a convincing actor. That is what I do. But I am not another Amitabh Bachchan, thank you very much. He can talk to a cockroach for hours, or even to the mirror, and get away with it. I can't do that... yet.
Why did you tend to overact during the comic scenes in Baazigar?
Because a typical Indian comedian usually exaggerates to the limit. He tugs at his hair, snorts loudly. I did an imitation. Comedy comes easily to me. I think the bubbly village idiot in Chamatkar came quite easily to me, but in Baazigar I couldn't afford to be too subtle, whether I was doing comic scenes or committing murder.
Incidentally, we had originally planned a different climax. I was supposed to move menacingly towards Kajol and in desperation she stabs me. I fall against the wall and one of my contact lenses falls out. I get up and limp towards Kajol on the roof, one eye green and eerily shimmering and the other shiny brown. It would have sent shivers down many a spine.
And then?
I would have fallen down. But we finally decided on a typical Bachchan-style ending. I actually felt a little sad when I died in Raakheeji's arms. I've never had an on-screen mother before and Raakheeji reminds me so much of my own mother. She was so beautiful. I wish I could have held on to my mother... and my father. I would have happily died for both of them.
Does the thought of death frighten you?
Death no longer frightens me. I have seen it happen, so I am ready for it. There is no fear, no dread of dying in me, when it comes I will embrace it. I am relaxed; death will not see me begging for another breath, it will be no big deal.
Could you ever be as desperate in real life as the guys you portrayed?
Sure, why not? If Gauri had loved someone else, it could have driven me mad, I wouldn't have been a mute Saajan, I would have done anything to get Gauri. I could have turned vicious, I would have been...who knows...capable of murder. Or I could have acted sweet and silly and then ultimately willingly sacrificed my love like I do in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. That's more likely, as I hope I'm a little more controlled today and less of a psychopath.
Was falling in love a gamble?
Even when I gambled, I gambled with all my might. I loved Gauri, I wanted her, I married her, and if anyone was going to take a deeper plunge, it was Gauri. I no longer had my parents with me, they had passed away. I had a job where every Friday poor people become millionaires and vice versa. There was no job security. Also, I am quite bindaas, I sleep at odd hours, I have quite a temper, though I have never shouted at Gauri… she is the one who does all the shouting… and I can be quite stupid at times. Honestly, I can be a pain in the ass. Although we are opposites, Gauri has been able to handle me since we got married two years ago. She is sweet, sensible, pretty, practical, good, great…
What does Gauri like about you? Those dimples?
No, no. I think she likes my sense of humor. She tells me I'm the only guy who can make her laugh. I've done crazy things for her.
How to sing in the rain?
(Without pausing) I danced for her in the streets. Yes, I really did. After one of our rare quarrels, Gauri had threatened that she would not see me for a year. I was heartbroken, I asked her to give me at least a week, to meet me by the 20th of the month. She refused; I spent the whole night writing the 20 in big, clear letters on sheets of paper and pasting them on the walls all the way to her house, which was a few kilometers away. I asked her to drive down in my Gypsy the next morning, I pointed out the efforts of my love. But she did not even smile. In desperation, I jumped off, at a crossroads, I started dancing. I told her that I would not stop until she gave in. Cars, scooters, trucks, everything stopped. It was a very movie-like situation. Finally, I got my way, as Gauri could not afford to make a scene. She shouldn't even be seen by me.
Did you ever dance in the streets after that?
There is no need for that anymore. But I love walking in the rain with Gauri by my side. But she is very handy. She refuses to get wet because we might catch a cold, maybe get pneumonia. So there are no rain songs for me in real life. Sometimes I just drag her into the shower.
I also have this wild fantasy of sitting in a room with a 40" screen in front of me. I imagine munching popcorn and playing video games all day. Of course Gauri should be in the room, but she shouldn't try to stop me from living my dream.
How did Gauri react when you got down on your knees and whispered, "Will you marry me?"
(Laughs loudly) It wasn't that dramatic. In fact, Gauri didn't say a word when I proposed. She wasn't even visibly excited. When I asked her why she was so cool, she said there was nothing to get excited about. She had been friends with me for nine years, we had to get married. She is so simple. Not once has she suspected that I might just have a fling with her or a fleeting affair. She has complete faith in me. That's why she doesn't need to keep saying, "I love you." In all these years, she has said those three words about nine times. And yet I know that she adores me and I adore her.
Did Gauri appreciate your performance in Baazigar as the critics did?
(Cautiously) She liked it. She likes me in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa too. But Sanju and Aamir are still her favourites. (Smiles wryly) I know I have a long way to go. Even I like myself only 40-60 per cent in a film. I want to give at least one performance that is 100 per cent perfect! I want to look at myself and say 'Yes, this is it!' I am young, full of energy.
It seems there is not much competition. Sanjay Dutt is not allowed to sign new projects by the FMC. Aamir Khan has become choosy. And Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan have had a losing streak at times.
Other actors don't bother me. I just have to be better than my last performance. Maybe their films haven't done too well recently, but Ajay or Salman are far from finished. People say Bedardi didn't work because Ajay took supari (betel nut) to kill a guy to marry his sister. How can a hero do that! When a film goes wrong, people come up with 85,000 excuses - from the colour of the hero's socks to the crack in the Great Wall of China. It's like a tennis tournament. On a good day, any of us can win. Or lose.
Is that why producers give you a big welcome now?
No, nothing has changed. Where is the red carpet? I do films with some of the leading producers today - Mahesh Bhatt, Mukul Anand, Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra, Venus... on the other hand, I have had the best banners right from the start. These days, a lot of people come to me and say, 'We have a great role that only you can do - a Shah Rukh Khan role, in a way.' I don't understand. Can you write a role for Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise or Dustin Hoffman? If that is really a kamaal ka (excellent) role, any good actor can do it. I have had nine releases so far and I have tried to be different in each of them. So how can there be a Shah Rukh Khan role?
I still do five films a year, though I am able to be more selective now. I have a lot of fun. I am a pretty decent guy, friendly and relaxed on the sets. My directors tell me that they find it difficult to adapt to another actor after working with me. That's a huge compliment.
Why are you being stubborn when it comes to your price? Haven't you increased it to Rs 40 lakhs?
Govinda wants to be the highest paid actor in the country. Fine. But my priorities are different. I just want to be one of the highly respected actors in the country. I like to see myself on 35mm, I like the feeling that when I am dead and buried, people will still watch my films, talk about me, comment on my hairstyle.
I want to buy my wife a house with my own hard-earned money. I owe her so much. So it was a toss-up between a film extra or an ad. I chose the Brahmaputra tea ad - Assam ka amrit. It was quite a crazy concept and the character had to have a mischievous gleam in his eyes, which I found very appealing. I recently did another ad for Cinthol and some concerts abroad. I earned enough money to buy the apartment I wanted without increasing my price. I believe if an actor increases his price by Rs 2 lakhs after a hit, he should reduce it by 4 lakhs after a failure.
Any thoughts on which films to make?
Films with simpler plots. Even if they follow the girl meets boy formula, they can be handled differently, like Maine Pyar Kiya and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. And actors should think outside the box. I won't play a Shah Rukh Khan in every film. I'd rather play a character who is there for 18 roles than a hero who has five songs, four fights and three confrontation scenes. I don't even mind getting beaten up. If the other guy looks stronger, it's perfectly fine. That's why Sunny beat me up in Darr.
But there was talk that Sunny felt he was shortchanged.
(Surprised) Did he? Why? He is so good in the film. On the other hand, I myself lie awake at night wondering if I managed to make an impression. Insecurity is inevitable in a project with two heroes.
I may not have a buddy relationship with Sunny but he has always been friendly. In Khandala he lent Gauri and me his car, in Switzerland he took Gauri sightseeing when I was busy shooting.
He must have had some arguments with Yashji when I was away and when two Punjabis speak they look like they are arguing. I know I almost got physical with Kundan (Shah) over Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. Sunny approached me a few times, telling me to do a particular shot his way. I asked him for the same. That is filmmaking.
Do you ever wish you were as macho as Sonny, Sanjay Dutt or Jackie Shroff?
My father was a very handsome Pathan, my mother a beauty and my sister looks amazing. But look at me! At least Gauri thinks I am handsome. But honestly, looks have never been important to me. I don't even dress up for a party. The other day, Deven Verma told me that I am the unkemptest film hero in the industry. But that doesn't bother me.
I may not be six feet tall. But only Anu Agarwal, Shilpa Shetty and Goga Kapoor are taller than me. It wouldn't bother me if my wife towered over me by a few inches. I am not a chauvinist. I refuse to wear heels.
Rajesh Khanna, Om Puri, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar... none of them have great bodies but they are all excellent actors. I am safe. I have been a national level athlete, I can do my own stunts. If I play a boxer in a film tomorrow, I will have the best physique in the business. I have two left feet, but if need be, I can outdo anyone in a disco. All you need is conviction and confidence.
Then why do you have such a phobia about posing with girls?
The minute I pose with a girl for a film magazine, they will print a nasty caption underneath. Magazines need sensationalism to sell one more but I refuse to contribute to the trash.
Just because Baazigar is a hit, I hear people saying that I am having a wild affair with Kajol. That was said about Deepa (Sahi) and me during Maya too. And there was this story about Juhi and me. I think that is disgusting. Kajol and me? Come on, she is just a child, Tanuja aunty's daughter, my little sister. Even Gauri likes her.
I work with Juhi, Madhuri, Manisha, Shilpa, Sonali, Nagma, Suchrita Krisnamurthy, Urmila... I did not sleep with them; I did not sleep with Kajol. I respect my costars. Somehow girls don't turn me on. I'm not gay but I'm not smitten by a beautiful face. It should be more to do with the character of the woman, intelligence, sheer physical attraction. Gauri has all of that, so why should I chase after other girls?
If... just if... I really have an affair with anyone, no one will know, I'm far too smart, too good an actor to let the world know what's happening. Enough of this nonsense though! I stopped signing films with Juhi when that story about us came out, I will stop accepting films with Kajol if these rumours continue. That would be a shame because she is such a fabulous actress. I don't mind if I have to ruin one of my Sundays but this time I will take the journalist who reports about our 'affair' to the terrace and throw him over the parapet. A touch of Baazigar.
I hate being hurt. Of course I will pose with my heroines for advertising photos, but not for magazines.
If you were to direct a film, what would be the ideal story, the perfect casting?
I have an idea for a story about three guys who come to Bombay with dreams of becoming Hindi film heroes. There is another story which revolves around a guy called Trimvayaknath Vidyavachaspati. One of my old school friends gave me the name. The character is a little clumsy than James Bond and a little less awkward than Peter Sellers in Pink Panther. He mixes the macho style of Bond and the stupidity of Sellers. I have always been impressed by the way Bond introduces himself, "My name is Bond, James Bond." So bombastic, so suave. That is how Vidyavachaspati introduces himself too. Maybe we will use him in Venus Kohinoor's next film. I can only see myself in the role.
I guess I am biased. If I am less critical of myself as an actor and less critical of others, I will be able to think of the perfect casting. Sholay had the perfect cast, as did Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Padosan and yes, even Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.
Is it true that you are distributing Kabhi Haan... yourself? Isn't it yet another baazi?
Of course it is. But I like the film so much that I just had to own it. I didn't buy the film to make money. If we break even, it will be good, if it is a hit, it will be even better. But if I lose money, I won't cry.
Its directors say…
Abbas-Mastaan
We had heard a lot of rude things about Shah Rukh before we met him. He is arrogant, discusses karta hai etc etc but he has only one weakness - work. You won't hear him discussing things on the sets like which other actor is on top or what another director is planning.
Our producer Ratan Jain suggested that we adapt A Kiss Before Dying. It was an interesting story but our writers Robin Bhatt, Akash Khurana and Javed Siddiqui thought it was a risky proposition. We were not sure if any actor would agree to play a murderer. We approached Shah Rukh and he loved the subject but told us we would have to wait six months for his dates. We agreed. In the original film, the character is pitch black till the last shot. We felt our audience would not accept that, we told Shah Rukh that we are making him more positive. He was not worried. He was full of confidence. When he commits the three murders, you really see the front benches clapping. We heard that Deepak Tijori said that we stole his story and cheated him out of the role. Maybe he suggested the film, but the tape was there for everyone to see. The cast too. Only a Shah Rukh Khan can play a villain and get away with murder.
Rakesh Roshan
I saw him on television. When I came across Shah Rukh in China Garden, I asked him if he was interested in doing a Hindi film. Two days later, I signed him for King Uncle.
His aim is to be perfect. He rehearses until I have to tell him to stop. I had imagined Karan Arjun with Ajay Devgan as Karan and Shah Rukh as Arjun. But they wanted to swap roles, they said if they had no problems, I should not worry. But I knew they would not fit into the swapped roles. Shah Rukh accepted my point of view, but Ajay left. The night before we were due to shoot, I told Shah Rukh that Salman should play Karan. He threw a tantrum. He felt I should have consulted him about the casting, he needed time to think. I told him that Salman would do his job, I would do mine and he should do his. This time he did not argue.
But he is not someone you can keep down for long. He respects me a lot, so I always get 'Okay Rakeshji, fine' but then I get a message that Shah Rukh is not too happy about a scene.
He is a fantastic actor, punctual, but sometimes he speaks without thinking. This got him into a controversy when he allegedly called Salman a 'bodybuilder'. If he continues to be selective, there is no reason why he cannot become a superstar tomorrow.
Mukul Anand
Trimurti was written with Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Shah Rukh Khan in mind, all of whom were signed up a year and a half ago. Shah Rukh is an enthusiastic actor, a hard worker. Right now he has had a hit, a lot of media attention is focused on him, which is a little unfortunate. I want Shah Rukh to remain the way he is. Thankfully his wife is very sensible, she will make sure he stays normal.
Kundan Shah
When I was planning Kabhi Haan…, Shah Rukh was the obvious choice. It would have been difficult to make the film without him.
It is the best performance he has given so far and probably ever will. He is an instinctive actor, his first take is his best but give him a scene and he will play it for you three different ways. There is no greater pleasure for a director than to see an actor going through his lines when you set up the lights. He was very involved with the film - right from designing his cap to arguing with me about the scenes. We had some really heated arguments which at times affected my work and his too. But he is still very respectful. I guess that is because he is really a very polite and cultured guy.
Raj Kanwar
When I was signed to direct Deewana, Divya Bharti and Armaan Kohli had already been cast. But I felt that Armaan did not fit the role. I told the producers to take a look at Shah Rukh Khan, whom I had seen in the TV series, Dil Dariya. When I met him in Delhi, he had already been signed by Vivek Vaswani and Hema Malini. He informed me that he could shoot for me only if Vivek's dates were cancelled. We agreed.
In one scene, he insisted on competing against half a dozen goondas and doing the stunts himself. No doubles, he said. Every time he did a somersault, our hearts sank.
He often told me that he wanted to do a remake of an English film in which he kills the heroine. He was not worried about playing a negative role. He is here to be an actor, not a star.