Off the cuff – Into the heart and craft of SRK
Jitesh Pillai
He has been hit with a barrage of pulp fiction. First a woman claimed to be his mother, then the I-T raids and, most recently, headlines trumpeted that his personal revolver had been confiscated. Enough to make mere mortals shudder. But when it comes to Shah Rukh Khan, he goes over the line at everything in life and comes back with a triumphant grin.
SRK has this uncanny ability to take my breath away. His nerve-racking shooting schedules leave me gasping for air. But I persevere. Because there is something beguiling about following a wandering star. I have begun to believe that SRK represents the common man's yearning for love and adventure. Perhaps it is his accessibility - he makes dreams achievable for each and every one of us - that sets him apart from the bubble gum crowd. Even in the know-it-all style of acting off the cuff, his performances are spiced with a keen intelligence.
Involved in all the top projects (Subhash Ghai's Pardes, Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai, Rakesh Roshan's Koyla), Khan still reigns supreme. And yet I can't help but hope that he becomes a more composed and thoughtful player.
Between numerous shooting schedules, business meetings and fan encounters, we chat about a whole host of topics.
What does 1997 have in store?
Great stuff as usual. 1996 was OK too, with Army and Chahat. And of course the wonderful IT raids.
Don't be snarky.
I'm not. I can barely contain my anger. First I'm given an award for being the highest taxpayer. And the next thing I know I'm being searched. What nonsense!
The award was given to you by the Chamber of Tax Consultants, not the IT Department. So you're saying you're not guilty of hoarding wealth?
I'm 100 percent innocent. I've paid all my taxes. The IT Department went through my records. They told me that since I'm one of the top stars in the country, I must have some undeclared money.
Are you now convinced that you don't have any undeclared money?
I think they will come back. I myself have provided evidence of the whisk in my house. (Laughs) In fact, before the raids, I didn't even know that we had a whisk. These raids make me feel harassed. They say that people spend more than they can afford. I think that I earn more than I can afford.
Didn't you drive the tax guys crazy with your verbal barrage?
Absolutely, I started explaining to them what the dots and commas in my records meant. I even told them that if I really wanted to evade taxes, I could leave the country for six months, become an NRI and not pay any taxes at all. Ha!
What am I hearing? Apparently your gun was confiscated while you were attending a wild party.
That's not true at all. I went through the metal detector and the security guards let me through. I informed them about my gun but they said it was OK and I could bring it to the party. The next thing I hear is the newspaper headlines screaming themselves hoarse about my gun being confiscated. What the heck, that's the downside of fame. Even the lies about you make the front pages. At that party I was introduced to Steven Seagal. He's supposed to be one of the top people in Hollywood. (Laughs) He looked right through me and made me feel like one of those fan types. That's when I realized how important it is for me to be a big, big star. Right now I'm surviving for fame.
Now let's talk about the films.
OK, let's do that. I have interesting films coming up. (Laughs) Whether you like it or not, my films will feature in all the major Filmfare nominations next year.
Sure, sure. Rekha says it's impossible to be normal once you become a star.
I disagree. But she is entitled to her opinion. Believe me; fame has not changed my life at all.
Isn't life more stressful?
My way of relaxing is to work like a maniac. For me, acting is a wonderful outlet for my pent-up emotions. I feel tense and grumpy when I have nothing to do. Maybe I stay busy because I'm afraid of facing reality. I'm an escapist, a dreamer. And I want to stay that way.
You once told me that you didn't believe in a film like Khamoshi.
What I meant was that it is not my kind of film. That's all. Manisha Koirala's performance in Khamoshi was almost world class. It made me realise my overacting; it made me want to act better. I would love to work with her in the best film ever made in the country.
I get the feeling that while your intentions are sincere, execution seems to be a problem. You say you want to make good films. Yet you end up with a profitable Rakesh Roshan or Mahesh Bhatt.
See, you can't deny that within the commercial framework, I work only with the best. Talks are on with every interesting director - Mansoor Khan, Ram Gopal Varma, Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, Kundan Shah and Aziz Mirza. OK, I'm not working with Mani Ratnam and Sooraj Barjatya... but if they have a role for me, I'm sure they'll call.
What about Shekhar Kapur or Shyam Benegal? Will you also make banal statements that market forces are stopping you from making meaningful films?
I spent ten days with Shekhar Kapur on a script. What can I do if he is not ready to start because he is too busy making Tara Rum Pum or a film in Hollywood? But I promise I will not make any excuses about market forces not allowing me to act in better films. I will only make good films in future.
Is it true that you had a heated argument with Subhash Ghai in America while shooting for Pardes? It seems that you were outraged by his disorganized crew when they did a shot in mid-air, 100 feet above the ground, only to find later that there was no film in the camera.
Look, I don't agree with every director I've ever had. I argue and debate with Subhashji as much as I do with any other director. But there was no showdown with him in America.
Okay. Is it true that Mahesh Bhatt is never on the sets of Duplicate? The fight director shot the action scenes independently, choreographer Farah Khan shot the song sequences abroad without the director's presence.
Mahesh Bhatt is as much a part of Duplicate as I am. Who is giving you all this false information? As far as I can remember, he was absent only on one day when we were shooting a fight scene. And that too only because his flight from Pune was delayed. Period!
If you insist. Let's go back in time. Looking at your early performances, do you wonder how you ever got work?
Sorry to disappoint you but I have no apprehensions about my talent. I got films thanks to my TV serials Fauji, Circus and films like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Haan.
After five years of non-stop acting, do you continue to discover distinct differences between theater and cinema?
There are no acting or improvisation classes to help you act better in films. Drama schools only enable you to lose your inhibitions in front of the camera. And all those riding lessons turn applicants into stuntmen, not actors. In theater, there is this feeling of wholeness. For days, you rehearse the whole play. On the day of the performance, it is a complete play that you will do in one go. In film, you work out a scene, immediately after a song sequence, you do a death scene. In films, you can tell a complete story with your eyes and 600 million will clap. Try doing that in the theater and you will get an audience of just six people.
Have you analysed why the audience loves you so much? Have you ever wondered what you represent?
I have a certain unpredictability that the common man identifies with. I am just an ordinary guy in an extraordinary bunch. Maybe that's what makes me special. I don't think there is any one quality that makes an actor great or a star. Fame is a love affair between the audience and the performer. Actors allow people to dream - they tell them that life can be better. Recently, I did an exciting action scene for Koyla. I was supposed to be on fire. There was a video crew shooting the shoot. They asked me how I felt after that particularly risky stunt and I quipped, "Like the hottest actor in the business." Cool, huh?
It is said that you often use your energy as a lifeline. Often, when your performance or the film doesn't work, you put your foot down, like you did in Chaahat.
I admit that my energy is my strength and what is wrong in using it to my advantage? If Chaahat didn't work, there were many other reasons other than me. Let me say for the last time that no actor can rise above a bad film. But you cannot fault my dedication to the film. I tried my best for the film like I did for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa or Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. You don't succeed every time but at least you did your best. There is a line I read somewhere. It says "Aim for the stars, you may not always reach them but you won't come back with a bucket full of dirt either."
What ultimately connects the actor with the audience?
There is a certain yearning in the audience's heart that the actor fulfils. There can be 100 clones of Amitabh Bachchan. But what separates them from the real thing is that AB touches the audience's heart.
Everyone from Marlon Brando to Mickey Rourke says acting is a woman's job. What do you think they mean?
I don't think they were being derogatory. But yes, acting is like a beautiful woman. That's why I'm in love with it. Acting requires you to be a little bit effeminate. Maybe that's why the so-called macho heroes don't score when it comes to acting. Acting requires you to expose your feelings. It's about self-revelation. Look at actors like Mehmood and Kishore Kumar, you would think that they would behave like their on-screen characters even after the camera is off. I think there is a male and a female side in every human being. When you become an actor, you become sensitive to both sides. It's like that. Women make excellent cooks, but the best cooks and chefs in the world are men.
Have you come up with any more theories about acting?
Umm... I don't know what it is, but actors and stars are loved, feared, loathed, and some become politicians. In America, actors have even become presidents. The best actors are those who dive into the depths of their souls and resurface to reveal everything about themselves. Everyone has dreams. Actors are meant to go out there and reassure people in the darkness of the theater that anything is possible.
Tell me, what makes you different from other actors?
I am the unusual ordinary man. When I sign a film, I ask myself three things: a) What will I do that any other actor cannot do? b) What will make the audience pay money to come and see me? and c) What is my responsibility towards the role?
Finally, any famous last words about acting?
Great acting just happens and then it overwhelms you. If you ask me where my acting comes from, I would say it comes from my heart. It sparked my ambition and enthusiasm. My heart is ticking like a time bomb. Howzzat?