Roshmila Bhattacharya
God reserved the 90s for me, says the 90s star Shah Rukh Khan as he gears up to conquer the year 2000
He catapulted himself onto the big screen with Deewana and in the next eight years the former television actor rose to the rank of superstar. In reality, his success has been so phenomenal that even he sometimes finds it difficult to believe he has come this far. “I guess I was just lucky,” he says, continuing to talk about the decade that made him.
For the past 4-5 years you have presented a blockbuster every year and won all awards. How does it feel to be suddenly out of the running?
I have never had too much to do with the product. For me, the manufacturing process of the product is more important, and regardless of Baadshah's financial performance, I'm pretty happy with the way the film was shot.
If we had worked on it maybe another 20 days we could have made a better movie, but we were all so tired. (Sighs) We've been shooting the film for so long. (With a dimpled smile) I would have liked it if Baadshah had hit the mark, I want all of my films to be blockbusters. But as far as the year goes, I've never realized where 1999 ended and 2000 began. Of course, with all the talk about the millennium last year, you couldn't help but realize that you were entering the 21st century, which was the difference between 1999 and 1998. If I had three more releases, I might have had my annual blockbuster too. But we canceled a schedule for Josh to work on the script and then it was impossible for four months to get all the artists back together. I am also responsible for delaying Shashi's film (K Shashilal Nair). Both Juhi and I shot 10-15 days a month for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and bechara (poor) Shashi had to pay the price of having us both in his film. If he had had another hero or heroine, at least he could have continued filming. Even KC Bokadia's film with Salman, Madhuri and me - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - didn't make it in theaters. So I only had to be content with one baadshah. No problem! I have five releases coming up this year. Maybe I'll have five blockbusters (grins). Both Juhi and I shot 10-15 days a month for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and bechara (poor) Shashi had to pay the price of having us both in his film. If he had had another hero or heroine, at least he could have continued filming. Even KC Bokadia's film with Salman, Madhuri and me - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - didn't make it in theaters. So I only had to be content with one baadshah. No problem! I have five releases coming up this year. Maybe I'll have five blockbusters (grins). Both Juhi and I shot for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani 10-15 days a month and bechara (poor) Shashi had to pay the price of having us both in his film. If he had had another hero or heroine, at least he could have continued filming. Even KC Bokadia's film with Salman, Madhuri and me - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - didn't make it in theaters. So I only had to be content with one baadshah. No problem! I have five releases coming up this year. Maybe I'll have five blockbusters (grins). at least he could have continued filming. Even KC Bokadia's film with Salman, Madhuri and me - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - didn't make it in theaters. So I only had to be content with one baadshah. No problem! I have five releases coming up this year. Maybe I'll have five blockbusters (grins). at least he could have continued filming. Even KC Bokadia's film with Salman, Madhuri and me - Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - didn't make it in theaters. So I only had to be content with one baadshah. No problem! I have five releases coming up this year. Maybe I'll have five blockbusters (grins).
But don't you risk losing interest in a project if it drags on for years?
I like to finish my films quickly. I'm naturally impatient and always in a rush to get things over with. But if for some reason my film is postponed, I don't lose interest in it. Every time I go on the sets of Josh or Shashi's film, it's like I'm just starting the film. I am excited and excited. In any case, I can't always hold my producers or directors responsible for dragging the film out. Sometimes I am responsible for the delay too. Of course, I never delay a film for personal reasons, only to make a better film.
One of your highly anticipated films this year is Hey! R.A.M. What did you learn from Kamal Haasan, the actor and producer?
When someone is as famous, talented, and supportive in their performances and star power as Kamal Haasan-san, you assume that there must be something special about them. I did that too. After working with him, I realized that it was a combination of 3-4 factors that made him special. First, he is careful and always under control. He also stands by what he believes in. Technically he is of course excellent. All of which makes him a great actor. (after a thoughtful pause) You know, as an actor I never do anything special, but I always thought that because he's such a good actor, Mr. Kamal Haasan had to do something special. It was surprising to learn that even in his case, all of these awesome displays just happen. Maybe he works a little more on the character than I do, but there is no real effort. This realization makes him seem more human, but it doesn't make him any less great. I've adored him for so long that the first time I met him, I just wanted to touch him. Sometimes I found it hard to believe that I was really working with someone like him. What I learned from Mr. Kamal Haasan the producer is that he continues to spend a lot of money on his films even though he has a brother who is always trying to get him to limit his extravagance. I also always shoot over my budget. I'm sure if I had learned more from Kamal Haasan-san in that regard, my co-producers Aziz Mirza and Juhi would give me hell (Laughs).
Isn't your role in the film very different from what you did before?
Not really. There is this element of unreality in all of my films. Today I play a policeman with four children. He's not like the Shah Rukh Khan I know. (Smiles mischievously) Shah Rukh Khan the actor has a new wife every day. Shah Rukh Khan, the real hero, has had the same wife for seven years. Of course, Hey! Ram is a more 'normal' film, even if it is set in 1947 and I play a Pathan.
The film certainly brought back memories of the division. Your father was one of the youngest freedom fighters, right?
Yes, I had heard many stories about the freedom movement from my father. I remember once he told me that the first report after Gandhiji was shot was, "It was a Hindu who killed him." At the time, no one knew the identity of Nathuram Godse. The announcement was made only to prevent any communal unrest that could have broken out if someone had spread the rumor that the man who murdered Mahatma was a Muslim or a Christian. When we were shooting for the film and I heard an Englishman make this announcement, I immediately remembered sitting next to my father and hearing him tell this story. It brought back one of the most beautiful memories from the past.
You signed for Sanjay Bhansalis Devdas.
Yes.
And how are you going to play Devdas?
I'll do exactly what Sanjay tells me to do. He's very attached to the character, while I don't know Devdas at all. All I know about him is that he was an alcoholic lover. It'll be interesting to play the role as, despite my rather unconventional beginnings, I'm recognized as a romantic hero who plays his love scenes intensely. Baazigar and Darr were the modern versions of Devdas. The characters I played in these films also believed in obsessive love. The only difference was that Vicky and Rahul killed others for love while Devdas killed himself.
In real life, are you an obsessive lover?
Well I love with all my heart. For me, love is like the words of this poem, 'To see you means to love you ... to love, but forever ...' I don't just believe in love between a man and a woman, however. I think you can feel just as intensely for an animal, just as deeply care for your sister or your child. Love is the strongest feeling a person can feel. As strong as the hatred. Love and hate go hand in hand. You can destroy a life by hating and create a life by loving. It's up to you to choose between the two. But both love and hate can cause you a lot of pain and both can make you very sad.
Sad?
I don't think I would die for love, but love can make me very sad. This is something Devdas and I have in common.
Sanjay Bhansali says that he took you for Devdas because he was captivated by the restlessness he saw in your eyes. They always seemed to be looking for something.
For real? I guess I was looking for what his face looks like behind the beard (smiles). I really have this habit of watching things carefully. I'm an actor, that's my job.
Do you enjoy making historical films?
No! I'm not going to say that I'm too modern an actor, but I'm definitely not a very smart actor. I live too much in the present to be able to resurrect a historical figure like Gandhiji, like Naseer bhai or Ben Kingsley did. Someone wanted me to play Ambedkar once, but I didn't think I was good in that kind of role ... I don't have the patience or the attention to detail of Aamir Khan or Kamal Haasan. I've got too much of a modern actor (smiles).
To get back to Devdas, it was a portrayal of Dilip Kumars that got the most talk. From the time you entered the industry, you have been constantly compared to this actor. Aren't you concerned that you will face even more comparisons by playing a role that he has already immortalized?
I didn't see Bimal Roys Devdas so I don't know how Dilip sahab played Devdas. But yeah, I'm being compared to him all the time. I remember my mom even telling me I looked like him. To me, it was just one of those things I thought he'd find cute and embarrassing, the way I feel when a doting mom comes up to me and tells me her son looks like me. It was only after my mother died that this often-drawn comparison took on a new meaning, because it was something she used to say to me all the time. Then Sairaji once sent flowers to Gauri for her birthday and when they were talking, she casually said to Gauri that I looked so much like Sahab, that "if I had a son, he would have looked like Shah Rukh". I was moved when Gauri told me about the conversation. Another evening, at the launch of the Omega, we ran into Sahab and Sairaji and as usual with her, she lovingly tousled my hair and confessed that she also ruffled Sahab's hair every now and then. When I heard this, I wanted to run to my mother and whisper, “Mom, there are a lot of mothers who think their sons look like Dilip Kumar, but in my case even his family believes that. Sairaji also says to me that I look like him! ”I don't take this as a significant achievement or compliment. It's like when someone says to a beautiful girl, “You look like a rose,” and one day the rose turns to him and says, “Remember the girl you said she looked like a rose ? Well, we also think that it looks like a rose.
So did you grow up crushing Dilip Kumar?
Actually, he was my mother's idol. I think she must have seen Devdas. My hero was Amitabh Bachchan.
And what was it like to be so close to and work with your idol in Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein?
I am completely in awe! Mr. Bachchan is certainly one of the greatest actors in the world. I know that I will gain a lot by working with him. To gain in terms of the knowledge I will gain from working with him. Both Mr. Kamal Haasan and Mr. Bachchan are so meticulous, so patient, they have so much strength. I'm very different which is why I will never be another Amitabh Bachchan or Kamal Haasan even though I am such a big star. To be like them, I'll have to be there for 25-30 years and I don't think I'll be able to hold out that long. I'll likely move on to other things after a while, which makes my time with Mr. Bachchan all the more valuable. Sometimes it seems so incredible that I work with my hero and understand that even my hero is an actor who has to learn his lines and rehearse his scenes. He's only human like me. Of course he's a good person, a hardworking one, and one who is still so committed at his age and at this stage of his career.
(pauses to sip his tea before continuing) We met at a party one evening and he looked very worried. We had filmed together until the day before. I had forgotten Mohabbatein, but not he. When I asked him what was bothering him, he confessed that he believed a scene was not entirely right. I was amazed. For me, a recording ... good, bad or ugly ... is over when it's done, forgotten. I was amazed to find that an icon like him, with nothing left to prove, could still be so meticulous. That's a quality I've noticed in all good actors, be it Mr. Bachchan, Mr. Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, or Juhi, or Madhuri. They keep thinking about their scenes. I just think twice and make the scene I never think about it again. I believe they are more experienced and smarter, which is why they know what is right and what is wrong.
You sound like a blue-eyed schoolboy.
I feel like one. I remember saying to my wife one night, "You know Gauri, seven years ago when we came to Mumbai he was the Amitabh Bachchan for both of us." I work with him today, but he's still the one Mr. Bachchan for me. I dreamed of being Babu, the Mahaan guy with the bright eyes. I dreamed of lighting dynamite with a cigarette and then strolling away coolly. I dreamed of locking the door, putting the key in my pocket and turning to a gang of villains and calmly saying, "Only one of us will get out of here unharmed". For me, Mr. Bachchan will always be the hero who filled the canvas, whom I watched from afar with wide eyes as he was filming in Delhi, someone who fascinated me, when he came to my house in Bangalore at Mehmood when he was shooting for Bombay To Goa. I don't think he knew it was my house; this is not something he remembers. But i do. And even though he's one of my movie partners today, I'm still in awe of him. Rather, I am completely intimidated by all the stars, except maybe those of my generation like Kajol. When I work with a Juhi, Sridevi, Kamal Haasan or Madhuri, I get up 10 times and offer them my chair. It irritates them, they feel uncomfortable, but how can I make them understand that my relationship with them is such that I cannot see them as my film partners. For me, they will always be big stars. that he knew it was my house; this is not something he remembers. But i do. And even though he's one of my movie partners today, I'm still in awe of him. Rather, I am completely intimidated by all the stars, except maybe those of my generation like Kajol. When I work with a Juhi, Sridevi, Kamal Haasan or Madhuri, I get up 10 times and offer them my chair. It irritates them, they feel uncomfortable, but how can I make them understand that my relationship with them is such that I cannot see them as my film partners. For me, they will always be big stars. that he knew it was my house; this is not something he remembers. But i do. And even though he's one of my movie partners today, I'm still in awe of him. Rather, I am completely intimidated by all the stars, except maybe those of my generation like Kajol. When I work with a Juhi, Sridevi, Kamal Haasan or Madhuri, I get up 10 times and offer them my chair. It irritates them, they feel uncomfortable, but how can I make them understand that my relationship with them is such that I cannot see them as my film partners. For me, they will always be big stars. Rather, I am completely intimidated by all the stars, except maybe those of my generation like Kajol. When I work with a Juhi, Sridevi, Kamal Haasan or Madhuri, I get up 10 times and offer them my chair. It irritates them, they feel uncomfortable, but how can I make them understand that my relationship with them is such that I cannot see them as my film partners. For me, they will always be big stars. Rather, I am completely intimidated by all the stars, except maybe those of my generation like Kajol. When I work with a Juhi, Sridevi, Kamal Haasan or Madhuri, I get up 10 times and offer them my chair. It irritates them, they feel uncomfortable, but how can I make them understand that my relationship with them is such that I cannot see them as my film partners. For me, they will always be big stars. that I can't see them as my movie partners. For me, they will always be big stars. that I can't see them as my movie partners. For me, they will always be big stars.
Do your young actors treat you with such awe?
(Laughs) No, I don't think Mahima, Preity or Twinkle have any particular respect for me. Rani was during Hey! Ram a little intimidated though. (Smiles) And the boys from Mohabbatein are very respectful. Uday (Chopra), Jimmy (Shergil) and even Jugal (Hansraj) to some extent. I've seen them watch me from afar when I'm filming a scene with Mr. Bachchan. They make me feel very good and very old.
What was it like working with Aditya Chopra a second time? Are you under more pressure this time?
When we did Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, we didn't even think about the fate of the film. Our only intention was to make a good movie. And the feelings are exactly the same this time.
Mohabbatein must be very different from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, given that the story spans three generations.
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was also about relationships, he talked about generational conflict. Mohabbatein is also a film about love. About how different people feel about love. It's not that different from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge that I have to do something special. For me, Mohabbatein is just a continuation of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
How true were the rumors that you almost lost Mohabbatein in claiming overseas territory as your fee?
This controversy has been raised by the media. I was in Hyderabad for filming when it broke out and when I got back it had evaporated.
Okay, how was it to bag the most talked about movie of the year?
I am the most talked about hero; I don't have to walk around bagging rolls. The roles come to me. I've worked with the chopras for the past 4-5 years. They write certain characters with me in mind and I am happy to be part of their projects. Mohabbatein gave me the opportunity to work with my 'hero' Amitabh Bachchan, a talented director like Adi and three very promising newcomers - Uday, Jimmy and Jugal.
You have been chosen to be the 'discovery' of the 1990s. Doesn't that make you feel elated?
I'm not just the '90s' discovery'; I am the 'discovery' of the century. The 'discovery' of the world (laughs). No seriously, I think I'm just a simple actor who wasn't working towards becoming a superstar. It just happened. I think I was just lucky. My timing has been fabulous. My best films came out around Diwali, just a few months before the awards, which made it easy for me to get on with them as my films Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai were still fresh in people's minds. I just entered the industry in the last decade of this century, which made it easier for me to make it onto the Millennium Lists. For me personally, the 90s wasn't just a decade, but a whole life. I lost my mother, found love and Gauri, had a child, got a name, fame, money and lots of good and luck. The 90s was my decade. I think God reserved the decade for Shah Rukh.
Yes, it turned you into an icon.
Icon? Hey, I never identified myself with such flattering terms.
Does it make you nervous?
Not really, I know people like me, maybe they even love me. And I just hope that they will continue to love me for a long time because I am now used to being loved. I'm not really scared of losing my fame, but I know that when I'm no longer famous, successful and loved, I will be devastated. However, fame is an awesome responsibility, and I hope that if people want to take an example from my life, I'm sending out the right signals. I hope that I can do justice to my 'iconization'.
Do you ever remember the boy next door with stars in his eyes who left Delhi seven years ago?
Not very often, as I told you, I don't live in the past, I don't dwell in my yesterday's days. The memories are there, in the background ... distant and faded. Every now and then they come back when I'm in Delhi and drive past the house with friends where I used to live or where my teacher Barry John lived. Yesterday we went to Mukesh Mills and did Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. After the last shot was in the can and everyone left, I suddenly felt seven years back when I was shooting for Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. It seemed incredible that the same Shah Rukh of Raju ... had completed his own film with his own camera, lights and crew. Yes, I've come a long way.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I don't look back and I don't look ahead. All I can tell you is that in a moment I'm going to have to go to turn around while wearing this weird costume (a white churidar-kurta with a glittery, scarlet jodhpuri over it and a white bandana around his head). All I can think of right now is to get my production company off to the right start, so that I can make the kind of films I want to do, work with the kind of scripts and directors that I want to work with.
At any point during the production of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, did you regret getting involved in production?
Not until now. (laughs) Maybe I'll regret the decision if the film isn't successful. No seriously, I don't think I would. I've always been involved in the production of my films and enjoyed making them. I don't even think Juhi or Aziz will.
How are you feeling on the eve of your first production being released?
Quite numb. I can't decide whether the film is good or bad, whether it will be a success or a failure. But that's how I feel before every release. I am always concerned about the producer. For his sake, I hope the film is a success. The only difference is that if earlier one of my films didn't work, the producer paid me and moved on to his next film. Since I'm the producer this time, if the film isn't successful I won't be able to pay myself but will still move on to my next film. And hope he'll do better.
According to Anil Kapoor, actors become producers so they can secure their futures. Even if they are no longer for sale, they can produce a film for themselves. Is that what you had in mind when you launched Dreamz Unlimited?
(frowns darkly) Why can't people just accept the fact that three like-minded people got together just because they wanted to make the kind of movies they wanted? Why do people have to wonder about Aziz, Shah Rukh and Juhi's 'strange' connection? Why do they insist that I make a film paisa kamane ke liye (just for the money)? Come on, none of us need the money. Juhi has a great future, Aziz is pretty happy with his skills too. As for me, as you just told me, I'm a superstar. I just have to make a phone call and I am sure any producer will be happy to sign up for some crores. I don't have to make a film for the money or to secure my future.
Is it true that you signed a three film deal with Bharatbhai Shah because he agreed to get you out of the financial misery you are in about Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani?
Ah ha, so now they're saying we overshot, over budget, never going to get our film out. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have done business with Bharatbhai. Yes, at one point when I bought my house I had the feeling that I might be short of capital and he very kindly agreed to help me out. But in the end I did it on my own. I guess the name of Bharatbhai came up because I work in four films a year and he usually does three of them. I'm not in the red. Even if Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani isn't doing well, I'll be okay. And when he does, I'll do for the industry what no actor has done before. Tell me which actor put out a movie when he was at the peak of his career? Put a year of his prime in a production he wasn't paid for? What actor hasn't slept for 40 nights because he's too busy working on the post-production of his film? And I promise, even if Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani goes wrong, I will make the same mistake again.
Are you making Subhash Ghai's next film?
Do i do that Subhashji hasn't told me anything yet. As far as I know, I only said “yes” to Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein and Karan Johar's next film with Hrithik Roshan and Mr. Bachchan.
How was it in Hey! Ram playing a pathan?
Wearing a beard was a struggle, but at least Kamal Haasan's Pathan wasn't the clichéd Pathan you see in the Hindi films, stretching out in an unrecognizable accent, "Yeh kya kartoos?" That Pathan speaks English because everyone spoke that at the time . Hey Ram is a wonderful film. My portrayal is not worth mentioning, but Naseerbhai did a great job. Mr. Kamal Haasan and Rani were also very good.
How about Raj Kumar Santoshi's film with Aamir?
This film has been temporarily discontinued as Aamir is busy with Lagaan and cannot get involved in any other project for the next 6-7 months. I can understand and appreciate his point of view because I am a producer myself. Even Ram Gopal Varma's film doesn't come out until June-July. He was supposed to tell me the script, but I think he's left for Mysore to do another film. Ramu can be pretty boisterous. Hopefully we will be able to get on with our project in April and as soon as the script gets the okay, we will start in June.
Why did you reject Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission Kashmir?
He wanted me to be 15 days in October, and at that time I couldn't leave Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and start a new film. I explained my problem to him and he explained his to me. He had to shoot his film in Kashmir at that time of year. He couldn't postpone his film; I couldn't move mine so I had to get out. I won't even be shooting for Bhansalis Devdas until January 2001. Even David Dhawan's film won't open until March.
Will it be another slapstick comedy from David?
Certainly.
You seem to have a particular liking for comedy. At a time when fellow actors like Aamir are embracing historical dramas, risk your money on a comical satire like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
I guess I'm a weird guy. I know that even in a serious and emotional scene, I can laugh. It was a scene in Baadshah where Twinkle learns that her brother is dead. I should hug her and say something like “Don't worry, I'll be with you.” But when we were shooting the recording, I said dryly “Fikar mat karo. Aaj se main tumhara bhai hoon. ”(Don't worry, I'll be your brother from today) There was a dead silence on the set for a minute and then everyone collapsed. Even my intense roles have a comic touch. Darr had a strange, ironic kind of humor. Even Baazigar had his serene moments. I also wanted to add a strange note to Dil Se, but Mani held me back. I don't believe in being moody because I'm a star. I like to make people laugh. That's why I'm an actor. Of course, I have to admit that sometimes I tend to get carried away. When we were filming Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, I suggested I pop into Amrish Puri's shop to grab a pack of condoms. I thought a guy like Rahul would sleep his way around. But Yashji and even Adi thought that would take things too far and we finally agreed on a case of beer. Although Yashji did not let me drink my beer during the song Thodasa jhoom loon mein. that a guy like Rahul would sleep around. But Yashji and even Adi thought that would take things too far and we finally agreed on a case of beer. Although Yashji did not let me drink my beer during the song Thodasa jhoom loon mein. that a guy like Rahul would sleep around. But Yashji and even Adi thought that would take things too far and we finally agreed on a case of beer. Although Yashji did not let me drink my beer during the song Thodasa jhoom loon mein.
I guess he had both the guy in London and the Ludhiana in mind while making Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It must have happened to you during the creation of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.
I think of the scene, the character and the fun, but certainly not the audience. Yes, certain people have told me that Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani will be successful overseas as it is shiny, big and fun. But as far as I'm concerned, I made my film for a Hindi audience, whether they lived in Canada or Karnataka. Aziz actually makes “city” films. Yes Boss was such a movie, as was Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. It's about ambitious, modern job seekers who want to get rich quick. Our heroine is a working girl who wears mini skirts. Our hero is a kind of Yes Boss guy who, like a Greek hero, still has a little good in him that helps him fight his weaker self. For people who like straightforward, clear stories who grew up with the hero, who fights with a villain like Mogambo and Gabbar Singh, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani will not be a film with which you will identify or even appreciate. I guess it would work on the guy in London, but I'm not sure about the guy in Ludhiana. Only the last couple of roles look like they could make their way in what is called the backcountry. As I told you before, I don't know if we got it right or wrong, turned a hit or a flop. All we can be sure of is that we made a good film. A clean, interesting, entertaining, and fun movie. but I'm not sure about the guy in Ludhiana. Only the last couple of roles look like they could make their way in what is called the backcountry. As I told you before, I don't know if we got it right or wrong, turned a hit or a flop. All we can be sure of is that we made a good film. A clean, interesting, entertaining, and fun movie. but I'm not sure about the guy in Ludhiana. Only the last couple of roles look like they could make their way in what is called the backcountry. As I told you before, I don't know if we got it right or wrong, turned a hit or a flop. All we can be sure of is that we made a good film. A clean, interesting, entertaining, and fun movie.
Let's talk villains, what's it like playing villain in Josh again?
Again, Josh isn't your usual villain through and through. This guy, Aishwarya Rai's possessive brother, is a goonda (thug). No goonda with a golden heart. He's very macho ... leather jacket, dark glasses, just like the boy from Bandra. A cool guy. It's an interesting character, but not a really negative role. I've seen Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) and Salman play such guys in their films. (Smiles) You know, I only learned goondagardi (racket demeanor) after arriving in Mumbai, after seeing movies like Rangeela and Satya. You don't see such taporis (rowdy) in Delhi.
But you must have seen a lot of cops?
Yes. My mother was a justice of the peace, so I grew up with a lot of security guards. There were always policemen in the house. I was even beaten by them sometimes.
Did they scare you?
Cops have never scared me, but I respect them very much. Cops like Rakesh Maria and Mr. Khan can be very authoritative, very impressive.
What is it like to play a cop in Shashilal Nairs One 2 Ka 4?
My cop is very Hollywood. Very stylish ... very cool. A tough bush, but not exactly the combative kind you saw in Zanjeer and Satya. This one is an emotional cop. On the other hand, Shashi's film isn't really a cop story, it's more of a family film.
We hear your son Aryan is a bigger star than you?
(Smiles lovingly) Yes, everyone loves Aryan. He has this quality of attracting people. I guess it's because he's such a good looking kid. He doesn't look like me at all.
Rumor has it that you are expecting another child?
It's not a rumor. It is true. Gauri and I are expecting another child.