Shah Rukhs school capers!
In Main Hoon Na, choreographer/filmmaker Farah Khan's next film, Shah Rukh Khan plays a 31-year-old man who returns to school. But what was the real Shah Rukh like when he actually went to school? Delving into the actor's life, Magna's latest offering Hall Of Fame: Shah Rukh Khan, written by Biswadeep Ghosh and the editors of Stardust, unravels the real Shah Rukh by speaking to people who witnessed him during his school days. An exclusive excerpt:
Unlike many of his peers belonging to his generation, Shah Rukh's academic upbringing is highly enviable. After spending his early years in a nursery school, he joined St Columba's, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in India. Even there, where he had classmates from comparatively well-off families who had access to the right ambience required for complete development, Shah Rukh left an indelible mark with his sheer talent and exuberance. Seetha Venkateswaran, a retired teacher at St Columbas, remembers her student Shah Rukh more than 15 years ago as "a fun-loving and mischievous boy who loved to make others happy with his pranks and imitations." Venkateswaran recalls that "strangely enough, whenever I spoke to my students, I would always mention Shah Rukh as the ideal student, even before he became known as an actor. He was both a good all-rounder and a wonderful human being, all at once, which is a rare combination."
Venkateswaran not only has great memories of Shah Rukh as a good student in the classroom, she also remembers his versatility in sports and other extra-curricular activities, mainly theatre. The young Shah Rukh was very popular with the other students in the class, while Venkateswaran is adamant, "The fact is that a number of us in school thought that he would get ahead in life. I thought the same and often used to tell my students that if they have to emulate anyone, it should be an exemplary student like Shah Rukh."
Neither quiet nor reserved, the young Shah Rukh was mischievous, but in a very engaging way. "I liked him because he was a bright student, who liked to ask questions, was cheeky and was always up to something." He loved participating in outdoor sports like cricket, football and hockey, in which he excelled, and was also a talented impersonator. "On Teacher's Day and the like, everyone always wanted Shah Rukh to perform. He used to strut on the stage and imitate the teachers and other famous actors of the time. He was known for his impersonations of Raj Kapoor and Gabbar Singh in Sholay... He did a really good job and we used to have a good laugh," she reminisces.
"Acting was in his blood. It was in him; there was a spontaneity about him that was just amazing." Having spent more than two and a half decades in the sacred profession of teaching, Venkateswaran doesn't remember everyone she taught. Of course, Shah Rukh's case is very different. "You could have asked him to do something and be sure it would get done. That's how he was. That sounds very unnatural and probably too good to be true. But that's how he was. Almost all the teachers who taught him thought so. But he had a mischievous streak in him, and some teachers may not have liked that. But I liked him because he was very cheerful."
Shah Rukh lost his father when he was still in school. This was a very trying time for the Khan family. The gentleman was suffering from cancer and the last eight months of his life proved to be a time of trials, both emotionally and financially. Each of his injections during the last stage cost Rs 5,000 - a huge amount more than two decades ago - and the family had to go through a really tough time, even arranging 23 such injections in ten days. Everyone knew that it was coming to an end and that perhaps made it all the more painful because they saw him slowly but surely dying.
The boy was distraught, but his pain was perhaps somewhat mitigated by the fact that he had a really strong and purposeful mother who took charge of his father's affairs with great aplomb. Ms Venkateswaran recalls that "in those days he was very close to his mother and sister who studied at Lady Shriram College. His mother was the one who used to come to all the parents' meetings and the like. I remember going to his house with some of the students." The demise of his father, whom he idolised like all children, cannot have been easy for Shah Rukh, who however had his imposing mother to fall back on during his school days.
For someone like Venkateswaran, who saw the boy years ago, the thought of Shah Rukh is a gateway to endearing nostalgic treasures. "Back then, I never expected that he would one day become the great Indian hero." She cites brother Eric D'Souza, who first discovered his talent as an actor. Even today, the teacher has picturesque memories of Shah Rukh playing in the musical Wizard of Oz and all of them going to the Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi to watch his performance. "He had played a small role before that and even then he showed so much potential that brother D'Souza used to talk about it all the time," she recalls.
Another of Shah Rukh's teachers, who taught him science in middle school and prefers to remain anonymous, remembers him as "a well-behaved and good student, cheeky but not in a bad way." She also feels that Shah Rukh had that certain something that is essential for a person who strives to rise above the ordinary. "I remember him for his hair, his dimples and his mischievous smile. Actually, everyone at school remembers him because he was a really nice boy, always on the go."
The teacher makes a remarkable observation to highlight the fact that he has not changed much: "Even today, he can be easily recognized by anyone who has not seen him since school. He is the same boy with that hairstyle and dimples. Of course, his hair is more styled and groomed. But he is definitely the same lively, vibrant person."
Like her colleague, she claims that "he is the one boy I would have remembered even if he hadn't made it to the top." Even today, she watches all his films when they come on TV and also has a collection of old school magazines from his time. "Actually, I was collecting these magazines for another student, but then I realised that Shah Rukh was in them too. That was after he made it big. Who would have thought that he would become so famous later in life?" she reflects fondly.
She recalls that Shah Rukh had won the Raman Subramanyam Award for personality, all-round performance in studies, sports and extra-curricular activities in Class X (1982-83) and the Sword of Honour in Class XII (1984-85) for best all-round performance, loyalty, obedience, integrity and fairness. "And believe it or not, he had all these qualities. It may surprise many, but it is true nonetheless." She echoes the thoughts of Venkateswaran, who recalls, "I don't think there was any second opinion on who should be awarded the Sword of Honour. It was unanimously Shah Rukh."