Mercury Rising
Jitesh Pillai
Rumours in the industry are that Duplicate is a flop.
Sorry, Duplicate did well. It sold too cheaply to be a disaster. Maybe it's not as big a hit as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Dil To Pagal Hai. But no need to complain. It did extremely well overseas, in Delhi and UP territories. Does that answer your question?
Why did your director Mahesh Bhatt sleepwalk through the film?
Arre baba, don't drag me into any controversies. The kids loved my dual role in Duplicate and surprise, surprise, so did the critics. I think they actually understood the nuances in the boys I played. Unlike in films like Ram Aur Shyam or Chaalbaaz, the audience identified with the weakling instead of the cockier character. In Duplicate, both Manu and Babloo were freaks. Their pathetic attempts to be like each other were particularly endearing in the interchange scenes. I mean, the two just hated each other.
So much for dubious films like Duplicate. What was it like working with Mani Ratnam for Dil Se?
Mani doesn't know, but he is a god. I really mean that. Actually, anything I will say about Mani will sound like gushing. Karan Johar too has done a good job with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. He believes in the mindset of Yash Chopra, Sooraj Barjatya and Aditya Chopra. I even joke with Karan that I have worked with Yashji, the original, and now I am working with all the copies. Ha, ha, ha.
Joking aside, I think the industry is going through a phase where everyone wants to make the main-aur-meri type of pure family film. Yuck, to tell you the truth, I don't even enjoy making them.
Okay, okay. Tell me, why are you so excited about Mani Ratnam?
Because he is so simple and humble. He is not a show-off. I mean, he doesn't go in with his actors and show them how to act. He doesn't mess with them or act like he's making the biggest film in the world. He doesn't insist on 145 retakes. And yet he has a gift for getting the best out of his actors. So does Yash Chopra. He never gets carried away with anything. And the statistics show that most of the actors who work with him win awards. Makes it all look so easy.
Go on, I'm listening.
After working on Dil Se, I learnt a new way of acting. Subtlety. Mani made me realise the subtlety that is generally taken for granted. I was doing a scene with Zohra Sehgal, who plays my grandmother. I was cautious and overprotective of her. Mani reminded me that in real life, we are not so sensitive or polite with our mamas and grandmas. In fact, we always bully them, "Mera khaana kyon nahin lagayi ab tak? Mere joote kahan hai?" (why is my food not ready? Where are my shoes???)
Would you say the era of techno geeks is over?
Whoever claimed to be a techno geek was just a lot of hot air. So much lousy stuff was made and it made it clear that you cannot survive on technique alone. Technique has to be backed by thought. That's where Mani Ratnam comes in. And let me give my opinion on Titanic. I feel it's an anglicised Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
Excuse me?
Of course. The plot of the story was just like any other boy meets girl flick. But the emotions and editing made it a cut above the rest.
If you say that. Now tell me, have you come to terms with your fame?
Yes and no. No, because now every film of mine is eagerly awaited. And people here are not so generous. They always want to bring me down. I am a victim of the 'but' syndrome. They say 'Shah Rukh is good, but...' No one is ready to give me credit for what I have done. Even before my release had made it to the first week, the industry was hell-bent on calling it a failure.
Why? Have you made an effort to find out?
Ask me if I care. Look, I don't mean to be pompous. But since I entered the industry, my career has been on the upswing. Don't get me wrong. If you look at history, the average superstar's success story lasted 10 years. By that yardstick, I've been at the top for seven years already. That's not bad at all.
Obviously, the predictable reactions of the trade worry you.
I would be lying if I said they didn't. Recently, a music baron told me that his film did well after an initial slow start just because he changed the promotional posters from 'A love story' to 'A family entertainment film'. Can you believe that? In one stroke, he overturned the contribution of his director, stars and technicians. Then he said, 'Sir aap to family hero hain. Aap hamari film karte to hamari film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayengi ho jaati.'Excuse me, imagine me as a family film hero! I thought I was the bad guy who turned good.
Please explain in more detail.
I don't mean to hurt anyone. I never started with a Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya or a Phool Aur Kaante. But I can confidently say that no hero from a film family would have done what I did in Baazigar and Darr. I have taken risks galore. That's why I hate when people oversimplify things. When I did my first batch of films, everyone said that I could only do negative roles. Then when I did Zamana Deewana, Guddu etc., they said that I would not be accepted as a romantic hero. And now after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Dil To Pagal Hai, they say, 'Aap family hero hai.' Ab main kya karoon? (What should I do?) It's like I have climbed Mount Everest and everyone begrudges me. Please don't envy me.
Don't get upset.
I wish I could. Don't take away my seven years of hard work by writing me off as a family film hero. Oversimplification annoys me to no end. Everyone talks about my energy level, my intensity and how I should be reined in. For what? Set me free. Allow me to do my own thing. No one is singling out Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala or Urmila Matondkar and harping on about how they always do the same thing. How come I'm always the scapegoat? Whatever, who cares? I'll do what excites me. I'd rather have regrets than regrets.
What do your directors have to say about you?
I pamper my directors terribly. I am sure Mani Ratnam, Subhash Ghai and Karan Johar would love to work with me again and again. Because I am damn good at my job. I bust my ass to create magic on screen. And also, I am never in a bad mood. Believe me; I am the most ego-free film hero here. My directors love me so much that if they do a wide shot of me, they want a close-up too. Why? Because my directors love my close-ups. They don't want to lose any of my facial expressions.
I don't ask for grand 'introduction' scenes. There doesn't have to be meaningful music playing in the background and the camera panning from my shoes to my face. If I need an 'introduction' scene to establish my presence, then I am not a star at all. And yet, somewhere I am unhappy with what I have created. Okay, I am loved for it. A contingent of police officers has to control the crowds when I'm shooting outside. I get countless film offers every day. But the downside is that I'm being targeted by anti-social elements, my life is in danger, my wife is constantly annoyed with me. Sometimes I worry whether I've created a Frankenstein monster with my success.
And?
All I want to say is this, please let me play. In my own way. Don't turn me into an entrepreneur. I think with my heart. Please, leave it at that.
Aren't you planning to start a film company?
Yes, with Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza. We will call it Dreams Unlimited. We will make good, great films. Our motto will be: We cannot fulfill your dreams. But at least we will give you a lot of pleasure.
How different will your chemistry be with Kajol (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) and Manisha Koirala (Dil Se), this time after DDLJ and Guddu?
Kajol and I are very good in romantic scenes. I think our eyes are made for each other. And I spent more time with Manisha than I did while shooting for Guddu. She is a pleasant person. I think her vulnerability makes her an easy target.
Would you go out of your way to do something for your heroines?
Why just the heroines? I would do it for my heroes too. Today, if Sridevi wants me to act in a film with her, she would just have to call my secretary and I would be happy to work with her. No question. I would do anything for Amitabh Bachchan too, and so would Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla. Because in a way, they helped make my dreams come true. I mean, I saw them in Ek do teen (Tezaab) and Ghazab ka hai din (Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak) when I was a nobody. Then they actually became my leading ladies. What more could I ask for?
What's the dumbest thing about acting?
When a fan comes up to me and asks me to laugh so hard that they can check if my dimples are real. Grrrr. After all my hard work, all they want to see is my dimples. After thinking about it, maybe I should just worry about my dimples. (Grins) Family film hero jo hoon.
And what is the most tragic thing about acting?
Just when you are ailing as an actor, the industry decides it is time for you to pack up. I see this happening with so many actors. Just when they are giving their best, the audience criticises them in interviews on TV channels outside the theatre. They say, "Budhi ho gayi hai." or "Bahut jaadiya hero hai." It really kills me. The audience can be so ruthless.
Do you have a definition of acting?
I think that filmmaking and making love are similar. My wife will kill me for this, but acting gives me... an orgasm.
Do you think you act better during a rehearsal or do you act better in the final shot? Can you improve your acting while dubbing?
Rehearsals are like a prelude. The finale is the real act. I find both equally enjoyable. (Laughs) Neither works without the other. As far as my dubbing is concerned, I remember the Aur paas... scene with Madhuri in Dil To Pagal Hai and the scene in Yes Boss where Juhi blows in my eyes. I think the scenes came out better during the actual shooting. I thought my dubbing left a lot to be desired.
Is acting voyeuristic?
You say so. And I'm like the proverbial peeping Tom. I notice so many things about the people I interact with. In fact, if they knew everything I know about them, they would die of embarrassment.
What frustrates you about acting?
That nobody understands me. I go all out to give a good shot and nobody even notices. For Dil Se, I did a song on a train. Mani had warned me that I might dance all over the coaches except the steam engine because that was too hot. But I didn't listen. When the film releases, everyone will probably think I'm a double. Sad, eh? Nobody cares about the hard work I do. As always, they will say, "Shah Rukh, you are good but..."
And then I see disinterested costars coming on the sets and sleepwalking through their shot. And you know what? Everyone praises them to the skies. Sometimes they even win awards.
They say the good guys win in the end. Is that true?
Wrong. To be a good guy, you have to be a bad guy first. If you can't see the dark side of the moon, you might as well stay home and read a joke magazine.