I am shocked that I am a star
Poetry Awasthi
Just when he's at the top, Shah Rukh decides to overdo it. With Dil Se and Duplicate, Shah Rukh signals that he won't play it safe after becoming famous - but will continue to push the envelope.
MOVIE meets the star who works hard for his money. Just as he gives his all in his films, Shah Rukh gave his all in the interview too, including turning off his intrusive phone.
There are two kinds of successful people - those who enjoy the moment and those who worry about how long it will last. Where do you stand?
I don't fall into either category. I'm not success-oriented. I don't know what success is. I haven't realized yet whether I'm successful or not. People around me don't even point out the fact that I'm successful. I can't explain it. Everyone asks me, but I guess from the outside, things look a little different. When you're right there, you don't have time to realize where you came from and where you're going. I don't know what else I've done or what makes me successful.
My logic is that if you can imagine it and believe in it, you can achieve it. I imagined the idea that I have to act and that's the way I would approach it. I'm not going to change any personal attitude; I'm just going to play a certain kind of roles. I believe in it and so far I've achieved it. Moreover, will I become No. 1? Will I topple X, Y, Z? Will I be remembered as a legend? Please, I don't work for posterity. I think too many people work for posterity. It's high time posterity started working for them. At the end of my career, I should have films that I can be proud of and show to my children.
How do you react to all the love that is showered on you?
Personally, I believe that we are just acting and I don't understand why actors are chosen and have to be in need of love. I believed that I was doing a job and as long as I did it well, I hope that people liked the product. We should think economically because love is a very deep feeling. I think that the audience likes to see me, they are entertained by me. I am happy that I can entertain them well - they pay me for it. They like some gestures and they pay us to do them. I owe it to them and there is nothing more than that.
I have never considered myself more than that. I am more shocked than anyone else that I am a star.
You had stated, 'I am afraid of losing my stardom'. Does that fear still exist?
Yes, everyone is afraid of losing their stardom. Honestly, you get so used to being a star, being famous, having people clap, that when it goes away one day, it is bound to hurt. And that scares me. Shammi Kapoor, Motilal, Balraj Sahni - every actor had to lose their stardom after some time. And I would be lying if I said, 'No, it doesn't hurt me'. It will make me sad, but I don't know how I will react at that moment and how far it will go. Certainly I will not throw a party that I lost my stardom.
After attaining the coveted No. 1 position, have you accomplished everything or are you hungry for more?
I have not waited to be called No. 1. I am just doing my job. I have been telling everyone for the last seven years that I am not working for the No. 1 position. Magazines keep writing and calling me the unofficial, uncrowned king, even MOVIE's poll did. But that is not the be all and end all of my profession. This may be the beginning. No, actually I don't see it that way.
Five days ago, when the schedule of Paglaa began, Aziz Mirza had come to meet Juhi. Subhash, now my boy, was deployed as a production assistant on Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Anwar, my secretary, was the production manager for RBGG, Ravi dada was and still is my make-up artist. They were all there. I remember during the shooting of RBGG in Mukesh Mills, I came from the shoot, took a bucket of water and took a bath on the road. Yesterday, when I came from the shoot of Josh, I suddenly realised that I was working with the same people then as I am seven years later. I shoot with the same people, do the same films. As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed. I still work as hard, maybe harder at times. As a person, I have not changed much, nor has my weight. I saw Baazigar on TV recently, I look more or less the same. Yes, I have two cars and a house, that is the only change.
Did you notice any change in the reactions of people around you?
To be honest, people in the industry have been very nice to me. I have worked with Aziz, Yash Chopra, Rajiv Mehra etc, some have treated me like a younger brother, some like a son and some like a very good friend. I remember Gauri and I had once come to Juhi's house for dinner when aunty was still alive. We had such a good time. I never came back except when she died. The place is still the same and people still react to us in the same way. I have no reason to assume that they are nice just because I am a star. Sometimes they actually hold back from being too nice to me in case I start assuming that they are behaving nicely because I am a star.
After playing so many characters, have you ever come across a role that taught you something about life?
No, I don't learn anything from my roles. I teach my roles. I create them. Like in Duplicate, I create Rahul or Vicky, and I'm not arrogant. The characters are completely under my control. I never learn anything from them. I don't become more sensitive to the roles; I just become more sensitive to the directors.
Talking of Duplicate, it is a completely irreverent, bonkers attempt but not really a hit. Do you think you have achieved your stated aim of "making a film that may not be as big as a Ram Aur Shyam but somewhere close to it"?
We did not try to make Duplicate as big as famous double-role films like Ram Aur Shyam or Seeta Aur Geeta. We are not big enough to do that. We wanted to make an entertainment film for children and adults. We set out with the aim of bringing out the child in everyone who acts in the film, produces it, directs it and watches it. Duplicate is a film with no pretensions. There is no message. It is an illogical, funny film with situational comedy and makes no pretensions to be a great film.
Does playing a double role require any special preparation?
Firstly, I have not seen a film with a double role. I watch the films for the characters; I don't watch the films for the films. If you try to avoid doing something that someone has already done, sometimes you end up doing exactly the same thing. I have taken Manu, the bad boy, from the snake in The Jungle Book. I am telling you this but it will not look like that in the film. But when I played him, I considered him a snake. I did whatever a human being who is a snake would do. Babloo is the mixture of a clerk named Babloo, whom I knew from Delhi, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey. He is all three of them in one. He is a goofball, a fool, very good at heart, a cook. Whenever I meet Babloo, I pick up some of his mannerisms. We removed a few scenes of Manu from the film as we felt we were giving too much importance to the villain. He would have been really overpowered since it's played by the same hero. Does that count as preparation?
If the director of a film, Mahesh Bhatt, is not doing well, does your contribution as an actor increase?
My contribution has always been the same. From Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman to Duplicate, I have worked with every director at an individual level. I respect him and believe he will make me do things that I cannot do alone. My dependence is very real. It is rubbish when people say that I direct a film. If I could direct, why would I act? I would direct. I am an actor and I am guided by great directors. I find it demeaning and wrong to say such a thing about Mahesh Bhatt, who was in films even before my parents conceived me. We are talking about a person who made Arth, Naam Janam, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, Aashiqui, some of the biggest films made in India. Maybe he is not commercially successful now but that doesn't mean he changed during Duplicate. The biggest contribution in that film has come from Bhattsaab.
Certain aspects like the special effects were new to him as he belongs to a school where all these new techniques were not taught. We introduced him there and because I did it, I became the facilitator. Manish Malhotra introduced us to new types of clothes, Shiamak Davar new dance steps... but that doesn't mean he took over the direction of Dil To Pagal Hai. So my contribution remains the same. And actually very few directors have been successful when they signed me.
Do you think that like Babloo and Manu, there are good and bad sides in everyone's personality?
Babloo and Manu are there in everyone. But both are exaggerated. Whereas when they are both in one person, they are cancelled out. Some of the bad are tempered by the good or vice versa, but when it comes out, the bad is too bad and the good is too good. I have played evil characters and my understanding of the villain is good because I have a lot of badness in me. Somehow I feel that everyone should aim for a balance of 51:49, 51 good, 49 bad.
What is bad about you?
I have a short temper, a bad habit like smoking. At times I am not as honest as I would like to be. I never lie, but I am aware that sometimes I end up hurting people. Although I don't set out to hurt people, sometimes I end up hurting them. I have some strong standards of work ethics that may be wrong, but I expect everyone to follow them. There are times when I push people to the limit because my workaholism and energy allow me to work more.
Could you elaborate on this strict work ethic?
There are times when I feel that a particular scene should be done in one go, even if it takes from seven in the morning to seven the next morning, I believe it is a work ethic to complete the work in as little time as possible. I would love to work that way but I have found that you cannot push your co-stars and the staff. Sometimes I shoot from seven in the morning until two in the morning, go home and sleep. I never realised that the lighting technician has to come back too. He will probably come home at five in the morning - so when will he come back the next day? He doesn't have the same comforts as me - he's not sitting in a car and buzzing off. So there is this thoughtlessness in certain areas.
It's interesting that you want to feel so much. And what stops you from being honest when you want to be?
If you have to get the job done, you have to praise some and scold others. All of that is work-related because that's what I do all day. (Laughs) On a personal level, I don't think I'm too bad. Professionally, you talk to people a certain way even though you hate them because they might do a job for you. It might be a songwriter you don't like for certain reasons and rightly so, but you still have to be nice and that's dishonest. Maybe that's called business ethics or diplomacy, but I don't like that.
But it is believed that you are quite prone to making fun of people, if not to their faces, then as soon as they leave your room .
Yes, I make fun of everyone. In the sense that I joke about everyone. I joke in front of them. If they can't understand my jokes, too bad. But I don't run over anyone. I have no reason to do that. How many people are higher than me that I should run over them and make them feel small? I am far too busy with my work most of the time, but I make fun of everyone, including myself. I make fun of my wife, my dog, and I say such strange things. Sometimes even my wife doesn't like my humor. She tells me that half of the people don't understand my harebrained sense of humor and they take it as an insult. But it is not meant that way. If someone takes it negatively, I don't regret it.
Speaking of harebrained, have you noticed how much you've been fidgeting on screen recently?
Please acknowledge my acting ability, don't say I wiggle my... and that's why I'm a star. You're the first to say I show it on screen, although many people say I have an attractive butt. It will stand out on its own.
You came with a promise to deliver variety and you did. Do you feel stuck in the romantic category recently with Yes Boss, Pardes, Dil To Pagal Hai? A
year and a half ago, people said I was a negative hero. I just kill and that's why I'm successful. When I did Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, everyone said it won't work. I did Ram Jaane and now a duplicate. I don't feel trapped in any image at all. I know I'm not a romantic hero. To say that would be oversimplifying things. People who don't know anything about cinema simplify it into categories - romance, violence, love, hate, action. That's silly. I'm an actor who plays different roles. Sometimes the films in which I play a romantic hero do better than the ones in which I'm not a romantic guy. That doesn't make me a romantic hero. I think I'm damn good at comedy. Why am I not called a comedian? Just because four of my love songs have been successful and because I look good in fashionable clothes and the Swiss locations.
Is image a hurdle for the actor?
I'm sure it must be. I wouldn't know because I don't have an image.
Amitabh Bachchan said, "Actors are damaged people." Do you agree?
I can't comment on someone else's statement. I believe actors are sensitive people and sensitivity can cause more damage to people than a person who is less sensitive. It's a question of sensitivity.
Do you feel a lack of imagination in most of our filmmakers, apart from a few like Mani Ratnam, Shekhar Kapur and Raj Kumar Santoshi?
I have worked with Aziz Mirza. I think he has a vision, I have worked with Abbas-Mustan, Aditya Chopra, Yash Chopra, Mansoor Khan, Vinod Chopra, Karan Johar, Rakesh Roshan, Mahesh Bhatt - all these guys have a vision. Making films is a difficult job. We make 100-150 films and 40 of them have a vision. There is no dearth of visionary filmmakers here.
Would you really classify so many of our masala films as visionary?
We are moving forward. It is not just masala films that we are making. Look at the films of the last year. An army film like Border has been successful. Judaai with such a novel idea like a woman selling her husband and sharing him with another woman has done Rs 2 crores. Don't compare them with Titanic but in the Indian scenario they did well. Yes Boss where the hero is called a matchmaker worked. DTPH where everything is so long winded, clean and straightforward and glamorous worked. Virasat which people thought was boring worked, even a different kind of film like Chachi 420 worked. Do these films lack vision? Mediocre films have not worked. There are people who want to see a different kind of cinema and in fact only these different films have been successful. The fact that I am successful shows that people like different kinds of cinema because I am not at all like a hero.
Now that you have signed a film with David Dhawan, should we look out for another 'Samose mein aloo'?
You will have to wait and see how different David and I can do it. Like the audience, you will have to see whether there will be a 'Samose mein aloo' or a guy throwing a woman off the terrace.
At the Zee Cine Awards, you interrupted Mahima saying, 'Forget Aamir, Shah Rukh is here'...
Oh God! That was a joke. Please don't look for deep-rooted meaning in what I am saying in public. I get very irritated when people ask, 'You said this and did you mean that?' I think it is high time that Indian audiences, writers and film magazines start looking at themselves and laughing at themselves instead of looking for meaning in everything. Have a good time. Don't take things so seriously. Don't think he is jealous of them. Be able to laugh at each other and at yourself.
OK, let me ask you something crazy. What is your opinion about two wives?
I have no opinion about that. If someone has two wives, that's wonderful. I can't judge what others do. If they have two, four, eight, or even 25 wives, that's great. If someone has one, that's just as beautiful. To each their own. I can't base my opinion on what other people think about the people I know. If someone thinks badly about someone, that's their opinion. I don't mock anyone's religion, values, criticism, or judgments, or think it has less value than my own.
Who would you marry other than Gauri if you had the chance?
I have never thought about it. Maybe I wouldn't get married at all. I think I wouldn't get married at all.
Shah Rukh on his five favourite women
Madhuri
She is the most wonderful co-star I have worked with. She is easy to get along with, she has a great sense of humour. I got on very well with her since the days of Anjaam. Later we did Koyla and Dil To Pagal Hai and now a film with KC Bokadia is in the pipeline. She is a friend, a professional and of course a very big star. Whenever we see each other, we smile. We are quite close.
Talent-wise, I think Madhuri could go a little crazier. She has done a lot of serious films; she should do some comedies now. She is very spontaneous and if she is asked to do a scene a little differently, she does it without asking. Her minus points, I would say, are the same as all heroines - I keep telling them to try different roles. They always say, 'Yes yes' but never listen to me.'
Juhi
She gave me my first chance with Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and that always means a lot to me. Being with her and working with her is very easy. The comic timing that she has, no other actress has. She is best in comedies. I am not belittling anyone's comic talent but since Juhi has a funny face, it suits her well. And I have mostly done comedies with her- Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss, Duplicate... apart from Darr. Our comic timing in the scenes is fantastic. It is similar to what I have with Anupam Kher and Johny Lever.
On the negative side, I think she should not be afraid to experiment and do louder roles as she is always worried about her sweet, girl next door image. She should try something totally different. She is a female Aamir Khan; she should just go out and do something wild.
Karisma
She is very energetic, determined, career-oriented, has all her wits about her, works hard, is enthusiastic and has taken care of her figure. She looks good, dances very well and has a lot of energy. I have not seen many of her films (not even Raja Hindustani) but everyone thinks she has become a good actress. I am sure if people like her so much, she must be doing something right.
She is actually senior to me as she entered the industry before me. I have a great rapport with her and Babita aunty. I have done only half a film (DTPH) with her but after David's film, I will know what makes her what she is today.
Manisha
She has a sensitive and beautiful face and when she concentrates on something, like she did in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se, she is really good. She is a very powerful performer when she wants to be. Her negative point is that she should concentrate a little more and choose the right kind of films. I think she has tremendous talent. She has delivered Bombay and Khamoshi. Dil Se is my second film with her. She is fun to work with as she jokes around on the sets. She loves to learn and that is why she reads a lot of books.
Kajol
Kajol has a sensitive face; she is good in emotional scenes. Also, she is lively and that effervescent temperament looks good on screen. Her biggest asset is, she is a natural actress and has one of the greatest potentials as an actress. I should know - I have done three films with her: Baazigar, Karan Arjun and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, besides Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which is currently in production.
The only weakness is, she should develop a technique or she will play the same role of the lively young girl. And she is learning the technique; she is working hard on it.
She is one of the most genuine people I have met. She is a wonderful girl. I like her very much.