Shah Rukh Khan: Star Stuck
by Anupama Chopra
Shah Rukh Khan is steel. Literally. A plate the size of a 25 paise coin has been implanted in his spine. It is made of titanium and is almost indestructible.
So is Shah Rukh's drive. Which may be because Shah Rukh is shopping just seven days after neurosurgeon Professor Alan Crockardt slit his throat, held it open with special clamps, reached the spine, opened vertebrae six and seven, removed a herniated disc and put in a new one.
Late one afternoon in London, he strolls down Oxford Street, leafing through books, clothes and music. Heads describe a spinal twist of recognition. Only the collar around Shah Rukh's neck suggests that the picture is not perfect. His face gives nothing away. "I want to run down the street, but my doctors have told me to go slowly," he says. "It only hurts when I laugh."
Shah Rukh's hyper-kinetic energy levels have taken a few notches. He cannot travel until April or start shooting until June. Post-operative rest is critical, the body has to heal and accept the shot. The risk of infection is high. But Shah Rukh's mind, as always, is working overtime. His plans for the next few months are to read a lot, write a script for a film, finish his biopic, do dubbing for his home production Chalte Chalte and start another production company. "Shah Rukh's pain threshold is superhuman," says director Karan Johar, who along with friends like Aditya Chopra, Jai Mehta, Juhi Chawla and Kaajal Anand were with the actor when he underwent surgery at 11 pm (Indian Standard Time) on February 24.
Shah Rukh, as Johar notes, is "even a better patient than he is an actor". Most people recover from major back surgery and need at least four or five days to recover. Shah Rukh was discharged from London's Wellington Hospital after two days. An hour and a half after the operation, he was still groggy, making conversation. On day two, he played video games, cracked jokes and showed parts of the extracted bones to visitors.
"He has great willpower," says Devdas director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was also in London for the BAFTA awards. "He's just too much of a fighter."
In fact, he has no choice. Shah Rukh is the undisputed No. 1 in the Indian film industry. His last film, Devdas, grossed about $35 million (Rs 168 crore) worldwide. The Indian hinterland may belong to Sunny Deol, but urban India, locally and overseas, prefers Shah Rukh's yuppie appeal. So much so that his name on hoardings is at least Rs 7 crore above the retail value of a film. Currently, Shah Rukh has literally over Rs 90 crore under his belt. Three films are in production and three have been greenlit. All six projects have been squeezed into different time frames.
For example, Ashutosh Gowarikar's Swades, a contemporary film set in a village and tackling social issues, has been pushed ahead by three months. Farah Khan's action musical Main Hoon Naa, originally scheduled to wrap up in July, will release early next year. The film, in which Shah Rukh plays an army commander, has four important action sequences and the star is unlikely to be able to do any strenuous scene till August. Nikhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho, a love story set in Manhattan, will also see its release date pushed forward by two or three months. The team was scheduled to do a crucial shoot in Toronto in March-April and Advani is trying to make up for lost time by shooting with fellow stars Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan.
Shah Rukh did his best to minimise his losses, shooting for Advani right up until the day he left for London. "He rocked," says Zinta. "In fact, he was so normal that I wondered if he was fooling us and actually going on a month-long holiday."
Sanjay Bhattarcharjii, head of UTV Motion Pictures, co-producer of Chalte Chalte, recalls Shah Rukh shooting while his doctors waited in the make-up van. "I have never seen this level of commitment before," he says. Despite their own complications and consequent financial importance, none of Shah Rukh's producers are complaining. "His health is more important," says Ratan Jain of Venus, co-producer of Main Hoon Na.
The operation came as no surprise to anyone. Shah Rukh's back problems began in December 2001. An action scene for Shakti - The Power, in which he made a guest appearance, left him with a stiff neck. A few weeks later, his condition worsened during a stage show in Lucknow. By the time he flew back to Mumbai, the pain had become unbearable and doctors diagnosed a prolapsed disc. Hoping to avoid surgery, Shah Rukh went through a gamut of alternative therapies, ranging from homeopathy to Reiki to gurus, but nothing offered him a permanent improvement. The problem kept returning - he did a lot in Devdas in acute pain.
After the surgery, Shah Rukh says he feels like an overhauled car. "I am fresh and looking forward to my third round of games." The industry is waiting for his return. "He will be back with a bang," says Sunil Bhansal, distributor of Jaipur. Last year, Bollywood's worst year, he marched through and delivered a hit. Films are still in crisis at an alarming rate and Bollywood is hoping Shah Rukh will revive his magic in Chalte Chalte, which releases around June. Because Shah Rukh has broken the rules and won the game for the past 11 years. Chances are he will do it again.
with Ishara Bhasi
Patient waiting: a recovering Shah Rukh may not start work before June.
Shah Rukh Khan spoke to special correspondent Anupama Chopra shortly after his back surgery in London. Excerpts:
How are you feeling?
I feel completely normal. I'm very happy that I had this operation. My doctors were very worried about my voice, but when they saw that it was OK, they were relieved. I was groggy for a day, but after that I was OK. I wear a neck brace, but other than that, I'm fine.
An operation like this carries some risks. What were your last thoughts after you were given the anesthesia?
Actually, I was looking at the room. It was really hi-tech and I thought if I ever have a hospital room in one of my films, this is what I want it to look like.
Weren't you afraid that things might go wrong?
No, I wasn't afraid at all. I knew nothing could go wrong. My kids are too young for anything to happen to me. You know, they say you win something, you lose something. This is the losing something part. God has given me the best in every way. This is the payment I had to make. This is perhaps the only way I feel less guilty about my success.
Are you still in some pain?
My spine feels a little stiff and I have pain where they made the incision. But it's nothing major. I've been in plenty of pain and suffering. This is nothing to worry about.
Your children are so young. How did you explain this to them?
I told Aryan I was going for a repair so that I could do all the stunts he does. Suhana is too young.
Are they here with you?
No, they are with Gauri's parents in India.
They will probably be frightened by the neck brace.
No, I am not worried about them. Aryan would come and hang on the neck brace and maybe break my neck. But they tell me that Suhana is praying for me, she says she is asking Allah to fix me. That's how daughters are.
Has this experience changed you in any way?
Yes, I will potentially be a better dancer now. I follow the Michael Jackson scandal here and am inspired to dance better. Satish Shah sent me a message that a punch that doesn't break the neck strengthens it. That's true for me. No, I'm not going to hold back in any way. I'm going to test all my other vertebrae now. I hate the feeling of not getting anywhere. That really plagued me when I did a stunt. 10 people would ask me if I felt OK.
What now?
I can't travel for a month, if the landing is bumpy it will hurt my neck. I'm also a little afraid of my own nature. I'm restless and impatient. I have to make sure I get enough rest. That's all.