Strike three. He’s out.
Nilufer Qureshi
That was the clear verdict of the industry's intellectuals when Zamana Deewana failed. Shah Rukh Khan was dismissed on the same argument that his predecessors, Salman and Ajay, had been dismissed. This annoying mannerism, machine-gun-like speech and off-kilter performances just don't have any longevity, it was said. Hindi cinema audiences had a fetish for novelty that Shah Rukh just couldn't satisfy with his annoying theatrics. Another "flash in the pan" has gone to the dogs. Rest in peace, Amen.
But the specialist forgot a few things. For one thing, talent never goes out of fashion. Moreover, even the most blessed of actors cannot save the most god-awful projects from box office ruin. And most importantly, as Shah Rukh himself will attest, a good person remains a capable actor through thick and thin, forever and ever. God forbid.
Currently, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Shah Rukh's last film and his transformation into a lovable lover boy, has fed the ravenous imaginations of moviegoers across the country and then some. The film is a smash hit to the triple, to say the least. It's once again topping the box office (I'm not referring to a failed deodorant here) and the pundits are singing the praises of a man they once turned up their noses at.
Right now, in a literal application of the first line of a particularly captivating tune from DDLJ, Khanbhai is running his fingers through his henna-drenched hair - his own (the doli saja ke rakhna part will have to wait for another life). A bottle of nasal drops is on its way to his nostrils ("I suffer from sinusitis, but I think these drops will get me high"). He holds me spellbound as he speaks, running the gamut of topics, some of which are elevated from their mundanity by his sheer wit.
In fact, for this precocious individual who commands our admiration like no other contemporary actor, the time of his harvest has never been too far away. He is also an interesting study in aerodynamics, verbal and physical. That in itself is reason enough to have a chat with him. Of course, it is a bonus that he is also the most successful actor in our country today (Ketan Mehta and the long queues of producers outside his house will attest to that). During the interview, I realise that the best description of him, although actually a contradiction in terms of film stars, is that of a 'human icon'.
My first question - what makes him so nervous, almost like a caged rhinoceros in heat or a stray time bomb? "I have always been very restless. My sister called me Mr. Nervous, my friends called me mail gaddi. And my wife calls me a dog, among other things. I suffer from verbal diarrhea. But there are times when I can sit in one place and become lethargic. I don't move at all. On Sundays I don't bathe, I don't brush my teeth. I can be extremely quiet, in a state of lifelessness, or I can be extremely active, I can do many things at once, physically and mentally. But I really have to control my restlessness."
Yet this great restlessness seems to enable him to channel his energy into unforgettable performances; is he not jaded with what he has achieved? "At this point in time, I am really very happy because I have everything. Even Gauri is very happy for me because my film is a hit. She was scared for me after three of my films failed in a row as she knows how much I hate failure. Thankfully, I got over that phase sooner than I thought. Well, I don't want to be forgotten. I want to be known."
Isn't he already 'famous'? How does he rate the extent of his popularity? "How famous am I? Very (Laughs). Seriously, I don't know the answer to that question. I'm not as famous as I want to be. I want to be very famous. I don't want to be forgotten 50 years after I leave. I'm used to being famous, I like the feeling. I like being famous a lot. I will be a devastated man if I'm not famous. Of course, luck has played a very important role in my life. I am blessed - and Gauri says I shouldn't say something like that. But I'm not afraid, because I'm blessed, no one can take that away from me. I'm blessed with a fantastic wife and sister, a beautiful house and success. I have no reason to complain."
Especially since it smacks of this attitude that comes from pure immodesty, I agree. "Yes, I think I'm the best and I have to compete with myself. I don't believe in the rat race because I'm not a rat; and that certainly doesn't mean that the other actors are rats. I'm ambitious; I want to be the best in my life. At night before I go to sleep, I tell myself that I'm not going to let the sun go down on me! Whether that happens or not, I don't know, but it's a positive thought to go to sleep with. Yes, I like competition and I like to compete with myself because very often I think I'm the best. Other times I feel like someone else is better and then I have to compete with that person, but not in a sneaky way."
But Khan, according to some people, is not the Mr Clean he would like to portray. He is quick to nod his head in agreement. "People think and say that I am manipulative, that is the response I sometimes get from some quarters. I would not manipulate to advance my career. I am too good an actor to resort to these things. I am clever, yes, but not cunning. I am aware of what is happening. Since I do not trust people easily, I am always prepared for the worst. I am intelligent, but not very clever - so I am quite naive. Even this element of luck in my life is seen as a tool of manipulation. People think that I do not have the looks or physique of an actor, and that I have limited talent, as well as attitude. And since I am successful, it must be due to manipulation. Thankfully, DDLJ is a hit; otherwise they would have killed me. I am not sly or cunning. I don't say or do things out of great calculations, nor do I go to anyone's party because I worked with them. These are unimportant things."
Not so unimportant, claim the sceptics, he has been accused of groveling before Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai for the sake of his burgeoning career, I point out. "You know that a film music launch is not the biggest event on a Saturday night, but you have to go. However, I really tend to find my own circle and enjoy myself. I wouldn't go to anyone's party just to further my career. And I don't think Subhash Ghai or Yash Chopra invite me to make me happy or because they think I'm a chamcha (flatterer) of theirs." Isn't he contradicting himself with what he had said a few minutes ago? "Everyone keeps telling me that I contradict myself. It's true, what I say is paradoxical. For me, the biggest paradox is when people say that they only behave in a certain way. I think that's the biggest lie. I am a human being and people contradict each other.”
Is this honest guess a sign of change in him, I ask. "As we evolve, we are bound to change. Change is more visible in us because we are actors. I have a small family; my wife and sister, and friends. I have not sacrificed them yet. The only change I know of is that I can come to a party with more confidence than I used to. I am not as nervous as I used to be."
His enemies also claim that he has a greedy instinct for money and that he has raised his price considerably despite a humiliating hat-trick of failures. "Yes, I want to make a lot of money. I would call it greed and I am not ashamed of it because it is part of human nature. I like it and I enjoy it because I am flawed. If I had known it was negative, I would not do it. Today I find it positive. For the record, there will be no increase in my price until 1997.
Also, there is no comparison between the money I take and what my costars take. I have worked in films where the heroine was paid more than me. At one point, I was really surprised that certain actors were paid so much. I started to think that maybe I wasn't a star after all. However, even now I think I don't charge excessively. My rate is much lower than some of the other stars and also some newbies who have just had a hit."
Greed aside, isn't unprofessionalism the moot point when talking about his irresponsible behaviour towards Kalpana Lajmi? "I don't want to give weight to Darmiyan. I didn't leave the film; it was the producer who decided not to take me. I gave him the dates of August '96 but the producer didn't want to wait that long. I'm not diplomatic but it was sadder for me because I'm not doing the film. I'm the loser. It would have been fantastic if I had done the film. Maybe that wouldn't have been so good for Kalpana Lajmi and that's why she let me out of the film. So there's no way I'll go back and do the film if I'm offered it again. I believe in the instinctive way of working, without any bad feelings. There's animosity somewhere now; maybe because the ego is hurt because the producer couldn't wait for me. I don't think I have mistreated Kalpana Lajmi in any way. But I am sorry if I have upset her in any way."
And that's that, I reply. And what about this sudden, principle-breaking decision to be photographed with his female costars, first Anjali Jathar and then Sridevi, has Gauri given him the okay after all these years? 'I didn't start doing photo sessions for magazines with my film heroines. When I started my career, I promised two freelance photographers that if I ever worked with Sridevi, I would pose with her for them. I value and respect Sri a lot. She has contributed wonderfully to the art form of acting. When I was shooting for Army with Sri, I kept my word and posed for those two guys. As for Anjali, I was doing an ad campaign with her for Trimurti and not an exclusive session for any magazine. Strangely, the same pictures came out in another magazine at about the same time. So much for exclusivity. I am not at all happy with what happened. It was too sobering for me.
And this problem has nothing to do with Gauri. I don't know why people think this. I do worse things in films and I do this with the heroines for the promotional photos of the films. Gauri doesn't patronise me or ask me not to do this. It's just that I feel very uncomfortable in front of the camera, it's a big personal torture for me. Secondly, I feel that the films can be misused, I am camera shy - but I know nobody will believe that."
But he certainly doesn't seem to shy away from despising people and showing it to them. Although Anil Kapoor is now somehow bringing out the diplomat in him, there was a time when the two of them seemed ready to fight at the slightest provocation. Anil still feels that Khan didn't do Deewana Mastana because he, Anil, was the other film hero. "Look, I can't be in love with everyone. There are 100 people in a crew and I can't possibly like everyone. I prefer to work with producers or directors who I feel comfortable with. In the beginning, I didn't work with people I didn't like. Now I have realised that some people are not as bad as their reputation. I didn't drop Deewana Mastana because of Anil, I really had scheduling issues. I can't help him thinking I dropped out because of him. And to be honest, I have no dislike for Anil Kapoor at all."
Why success turns so many actors into pathetic excuses for humanity, I muse sarcastically. 'I think actors should try to analyse why people like them are at the forefront and try to maintain that. Because that goes away with time - the newness, freshness, passion. So try to hold on to that for as long as possible. Don't believe it when the producers or distributors say, 'You are my god.' You have to look at it from the point of view of the producer/distributor who has invested Rs. 2-3 crores in you. He will certainly not say, 'You are a total loser and you are ripping me off. Right now I am doing you a favour by taking you.' Bhatt saab told me something very nice. 'If you start believing that you are the end, you will never be successful. You have to remember that you are a means to an end. And the means will keep changing but it will never end. Be it Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna or ABSDXYZ. 'When a person signs me, he is not doing it because of the good qualities of Shah Rukh Khan - in fact, he is doing it because he loves his wife and family or because he is a professional. I am just a means to success for that person. If you understand this fact that you are just a part in a bigger system, it will help. That is why a constant connection to reality is vital.'
Is it true that his once high level of accuracy has turned into a haphazard, indiscriminate screening process and a loss of quality control? This is what his consecutive troika of pals seem to indicate. "I am quite choosy about my films. Even if my films have failed, nobody can say that I was bad in those films. Ramesh Sippy thought of a film with Dilip Kumar and me but because we could not get his dates, we decided to make a quickie film - Zamana Deewana. But the quickie took three years to complete and that delay is what went wrong with the film. On the dates allotted to Zamana Deewana, I completed Baazigar, Darr and Anjaam. Oh Darling Yeh Hai India had an offbeat story. I liked it, I found it funny. It went wrong because it was irrelevant. This film was also delayed: it was supposed to be over in 33 nights, but it ended up taking 155 nights.
I signed for Guddu on someone else's faith. The director Prem Lalwani cried while narrating the script to me. The story was his personal experience and his faith surprised me. The bottom line is that he paid me a lot of money due to which I was able to buy my house. I have not seen the film, only the parts for which I dubbed. I wish I had more faith in the film. This is one film where I cheated as an actor. I am always admonished for it. I owe Mr. Lalwani an apology for that.
Honestly, I never put my faith in just one film. You will never hear me say, 'I'm looking forward to this particular film' or 'This is a film that will make me', no. I look forward to all my films. I never put my faith in just one film because I don't want that faith to be broken."
It is certainly easier to put trust in a film project than in a person; what is his stand on the issue? "I have never trusted anyone in the last 10 years and I have never trusted anyone completely. Moreover, I think only Gauri and my sister can break my trust."
What are his ratings for trustworthy? "I think that people can trust me quite well and it will be a good investment. I can never break anyone's trust and if I have to, I will more or less tell them. I am not callous, mean or ruthless. I am not a bad guy. I can get out of ugly situations very diplomatically. If two friends got into an argument and I was the man in the middle, my goal would be to get them together, even if the outcome was a little damaging to me. But if it gets too hectic, then I would let them sort it out. And I have done that once or twice. Yes, I am quite trustworthy and I would always stand up for people."
What about the breach of trust by the Chopras regarding the shabby treatment of Honey Irani, whose name was deliberately removed from the DDLJ script credits? Why didn't he stand up for the person who was wronged? "Yash Chopra and Aunty Honey are closer friends to each other than they are to me. I have known both of them for the same length of time. And I didn't want to interfere because I don't know the truth."
You say that paranoia is essentially the domain of film stars, does he feel afflicted by this affliction, given Govinda's enormous popularity? "Do you find that I am looking over my shoulder? The fact is, when I meet Govinda, we both watch each other's fingers. He is someone I learn from when I see him. He is one of the best actors we have."
Surely he doesn't perceive Sunil Shetty in the same light? "The first time I saw Sunil, I was referring to his boots, he was wearing very high boots. He was always very nice to me. I remember after he saw the footage of Deewana, he came up to me and said that I was stunning in the film. But for some reason I found him a little cold at the premiere of Barsaat; maybe he was a little dazed. It may have been something very personal, I don't know."
What is his relationship to the very personal instinct called insecurity, or less politely, fear? Does it ever attack him when the night is dark and the unconscious is strong? "I am afraid to sleep alone, when Gauri is out of town I cannot sleep. It is not that I am afraid of the dark or anything like that. It is not an external fear, but it is a fear. I like to hold Gauri and sleep. That means that in Gauri's absence I can hold my heroines to sleep, to later tell Gauri, 'Sorry Gauri, it just happened' (Laughs). I am afraid of making people unhappy. I am afraid of failure in general. I am afraid of death, not for myself but for my wife, my sister and my dog Chewbacca. On the other hand, it could be that I do not want to be alone. I like to please people and I want the people who come to meet me to leave feeling good. Even if the person comes with the intention of arguing, I wish them a good argument. I like being around people, but I am antisocial at parties because I am afraid of crowds. I don't know how to talk to women, probably because I haven't been around them much." (But he once said it the other way around, again those contradictions...)
Hmm, that's why his perception of the opposite sex seems to be deeply rooted in his soul, despite his casual courtship phase. Could this fear have something to do with his looks? Did he consider himself handsome? "My fans tell me that I look better in person. I have never considered myself handsome, you won't catch me looking in the mirror. Even Gauri never found me handsome. I have never had my wife or girlfriend say, 'Oh man, you are so desirable.' I am very comfortable with not being a sex symbol. Girls have such a fickle view of sex appeal. I have never considered myself erotic. If a guy finds out he is erotic, he will no longer be erotic."
Could his shyness in front of the camera have something to do with his lack of well-defined muscles, even though even Govinda seems to strip off at the slightest provocation. "I took off my shirt for a scene in Duplicate. I wore a singlet in Karan Arjun with Salman. I think I have neither a good nor a bad physique. I used to be an athlete and if I train for six months according to Salman, I will have a good physique because of my texture. If I can, I will give my character in Koyla a different look. I don't mind showing my body. See, I don't want to comment further on the subject of exposing because Mamta might get hurt and I am scared of her!"
Speaking of which, what is his view on the lady's declaration that she wants a Shah Rukh 'duplicate' as her husband? "It was very sweet of Mamta to say that she wants a man like me. She also said that she said this because of the freedom I give Gauri and that I don't care what Gauri does. Well, to set the record straight, I don't care at all about what Gauri does. She is certainly not as free and unattached as Mamta might have misunderstood."
Let's exhume some cherished memories, I announce, what was Gauri's relationship with his late mother? "My mom was very fond of Gauri. Just recently Gauri told me that my mom used to ask her to ask me to give up smoking and things like that. When Gauri came to meet me in the mornings, I would sleep. By the time I woke up, she and mom would have these long conversations. I remember when Gauri had separated from me, I had become very quiet and had retreated into a kind of shell. My mom noticed it and asked me if there was a problem between us. I just nodded and then she asked, 'do you love her?' I said yes. Then she asked me, 'will you marry her?' I said yes again. Then she gave me Rs. 15,000 and asked me to get Gauri back. I went to Bombay with my friends, slept on the streets and finally found Gauri. Even when mom was in the hospital, she kept asking about her."
Tell me about your sister Lala, I nudge him. "My sister was a very nice person; she was the most popular girl in school. After my mum died, she became very quiet and reserved. And at that time I couldn't spend much time with her. I went to Bombay and after my marriage I couldn't bring my sister here because Gauri and I lived in a one-room flat. It was a good year and a half before I could bring her here to live with me. When she came, she felt out of place in the new surroundings - maybe because I was so busy all the time. When we went to a party, she wanted to leave immediately. I regret not being with her then, I wish I could have brought her here earlier. Now she is absolutely comfortable and has got used to this city.
Gauri and Lala have a peculiar relationship. Even though Gauri is younger than her, Lala will always ask Gauri what she should wear when we go out. And Gauri will say, 'Not that skirt, it will make you look fat. Wear this lipstick.' I just watch them and smile. Lala used to smoke, but Gauri makes her give it up. And if she finds out that Lala is getting cigarettes or I give her some, she gets really angry."
And how does the perfect marriage of two minds progress? "My relationship with Gauri is much the same. We have been married for 4 years and this time has been like a courtship for us. Even though we dated for seven years, we never really spent enough time together because of her conservative family. There is still a lot of awkwardness between us. Even if I tell her, 'Gauri, let's have a baby', I will look somewhere else, I would not look her in the eyes. I like it that way. She has been the only woman in my life."
Back to basics: Does he believe - with his inimitable screen aura - that he has ushered in a new era for Bollywood? "I don't think I have created an era yet, but I will 100% create one. I want to create an era of professional, punctual actors, starting with me. An actor who is highly unpredictable in his work, but quite predictable as far as his professionalism is concerned."
It is the temperament, my boy, that keeps the adrenaline flowing, I joke, it could keep you in fine form for another five years. So where does he see himself after all this time? "Exactly in the same place where I am at this moment - without any further conditions. Of course, people are not likely to realise then, 'He has reached this position through manipulation, he is a fluke, he can only work with big producers, otherwise his films will flop'. If I last another ten years, then I will automatically be called Shah Rukhji. Now I will be called tapori, laadla. I will be respected even if I am diplomatic. If I had a reputation of being a player like Jackie, I would have said, 'Ab yahan se kahan jaye hum, teri bahon mein mar jaye hum'. But I don't have that reputation, so I won't say that.
If I last in this industry for a long time, I will really be at the top. Maybe I will also be a little quieter. I want to open a special effects studio. And one day direct a film - it will have a better actor than me in the lead role, which means it will be very difficult to make. Maybe I will end up making it just with me. I am planning to have a child in '97 and at that time I will take a long break so I can be with the baby. After that I will work on a film non-stop and then take a break for 2-3 months to spend time with my baby."
That's what I really like about this guy, ask him a question and he'll answer the next three on your list too, for free. Cool. I just can't imagine him in retirement. Can he? What would he do if he suddenly realized his time in this industry is up? "I'll play video games all the time. I don't have expensive taste, so I can rest with the money I've earned. Or I'd ask Gauri to work! Seriously, I'd like to believe that when my time is up, the industry's time will be too. I live only for the moment. I believe in changing my own destiny because I believe I can control it. I never plan anything - it just happens. And whatever happens, it can't be wrong. It just has to be right."
And this is the man you need if you want a mind-juggling session. His words, as always, have the mixed effect of a laxative and a stimulant. As I leave Shah Rukh to his engaging joie de vivre, my spirits feel both replenished and uplifted (who needs nose drops?).
One thing that cannot be ignored is that we Indians are simply lucky to witness the magic of a wonderfully talented entertainer on screen.
However, this ability basically remains the byproduct of the truly blessed, warm and cheerful spirit that Shah Rukh Khan embodies.