Shah Rukh Khan – The Bestseller
He's back where he belongs. At the top. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan Johar's directorial debut, is breaking records everywhere and has become the new catchphrase for moonstruck campus bees. And this time, it's not just the teen princesses who are drooling over the dilwala. Even the little kids think he makes a cool daddy. And that's what makes those dimples pop so often. "I would like to be that kind of father to my son Aryan," confesses Shah Rukh in a long-distance call from Hyderabad, where he is shooting a fight scene for Badshah. His firstborn will celebrate his first birthday in a few days, and Shah Rukh is bubbling over with excitement. For him, 1998 has been another unforgettable year of professional and personal highlights. And that brings us to our first question:
Are you back on top now?
Hey, I was never on the bottom. If a film doesn't do well, it doesn't kill me and if it does, it doesn't make me extra ecstatic. How a film does commercially is out of my hands. I can only guarantee the first week's draw, usually that's enough to cover the cost of the film. None of my films lose money. Unfortunately, today every film of mine is compared to a Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Darr, DDLJ, Pardes or Dil To Pagal Hai. I guess since I've had at least one big hit in every year for the last five years, now every new release is expected to be a blockbuster. And if it doesn't live up to the sky-high expectations, it gets written off just like that! (Sighs)
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has more than lived up to expectations.
I knew it would. Karan is a fantastic writer and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai had all the masala in it. I told the producer that it would be the biggest hit of my career. I was convinced from the very first moment that it was a commercial winner across the board, we just had to make sure that it was equally appreciated creatively. I am no fool, you know that. When I agree to do a film, I fully believe in it. I think very positively about it but at the same time I know what will work and what may not. I knew Duplicate would never be more than a B plus film and Dil Se was different. I was not shocked when it did not turn out to be the hit of the decade.
Maybe your audience prefers you in light-hearted romantic musicals like DDLJ and KKHH.
If so, Yes Boss, Pardes or even Dil To Pagal Hai are unlikely to work. Even Duplicate did decent business and Dil Se did well overseas. Of course, love stories always do well, even internationally, riding on the record-breaking performance of Titanic. We are talking about one of the most universal emotions in the world. But I cannot take credit for the success of any of my love stories. They were all beautifully made films. Well conceived, superbly shot, with fantastic, versatile performances. People came to see the films, not me. I was just lucky to be in them.
Was it just a coincidence that Dilwale..., Dil To Pagal Hai and Kuch Kuch... all released on Diwali?
Yes, just a coincidence. My next release on Diwali may not do so well, a film released at the beginning of the year will do better. You can't predict what makes it a hit, although people try to explain the phenomenon through numbers, statistics, trends and sentiments. I would say it was just luck, I have been very lucky.
I think Kuch Kuch... is in the top 10 films in the UK.
In the UK they have an international rating system based on current sales. This system is not new but only recently have our producers started registering their films. Dil Se appeared in the top 10 list and now Kuch Kuch... In fact, in London, based on seat ratio, it has outperformed Truman Show.
Well, apart from giving a fantastic performance, what else has been your contribution to the phenomenal success of the films?
I am an actor who treats each film as his own. I don't interfere too much but God has given me the ability to improvise effectively and I can add my own lines to a scene, sometimes add a little humour when the camera is on. Someone told me recently that I am a successful star only because I speak well (Laughs). 'Give me a squeeze', that line which has become so popular with the children, was added during dubbing.
How was it playing a father on screen for the first time?
Interesting. And since my role was not a writer-driven role, it was Anjali's story, I could be more relaxed. I didn't wear glasses or pull my hair back for the role because this guy was someone my age. He got married early, had a child right away and then lost the woman he loved. I could relate to him. God forbid, if anything had happened to Gauri and I was attracted to another woman, I know I would hold back. There would be this guilt festering inside me, more so if the other girl was someone I knew had fallen in love with me long ago when I didn't return her feelings. I would find it difficult to talk to her about my feelings, to explain myself because there would always be this thought in the subconscious, 'Is what I am doing right? Am I good enough for her?' It was a calm performance with a lot of underlying dignity.
The kids loved you. After playing an ideal killer, an ideal boyfriend and husband, an ideal goofball, now you seem to have become the ideal father.
(Laughs) Hey, it would be enough if people thought I became the ideal star. But three failures and they write you off. I don't know if I was the ideal father, but the kids seem to love me in the film. And I know that's the kind of father I would want to be for Aryan. You know, on the first day when we were shooting for the film at Mehboob Studio, I got the news that Gauri was pregnant. I was still shooting for the film when Aryan was born. So while making Kuch Kuch... I went through the process of becoming a father myself...
If there is any criticism of Kuch Kuch..., it is that the second half seems to be inspired by Dil To Pagal Hai.
Out of the 200 films released every year, 190 look similar. Comparing the two films is not fair to Karan. I would say Dil To Pagal Hai was a more mature film. Very different. I guess the comparisons are being made because both Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar come from the school of Yash Chopra.
Who is better? Adi or Karan?
Well, both are young, hardworking and aware of what they are doing. Karan takes it a little easier with a sense of humour; Adi is very nervous and strict on the sets. Both are very nice though, but I am the best (Laughs).
OK, let's move on to Dil Se. There are many explanations for its failure. Some feel the subject was not as universal as the Kashmir issue and so people found it difficult to relate to it. Another argument is that it is unthinkable for a boy to give his life for a girl who has been using him all this time, when he could have had a perfectly happy life with the girl he is engaged to.
Who says that? Only the critics and I will not give them any explanations. As for me, I think guys always fall for the wrong woman, especially one as fascinating as Manisha. Preity was a nice girl but there was nothing mysterious about her. However, there is no logical reason why Dil Se did not work. I offer no excuses. All I know is that Mani and I used our privilege and made a film we believed in, people used their privilege and rejected it. It is history.
So what makes you say that in a few years the film will be considered a classic, in the same league as Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pyaasa?
Look, as far as I am concerned, Dil Se is a great film. And I am not saying this because I am acting in it. This is the kind of cinema I like. I know most people believe in films like Kuch Kuch… where everything is resolved to everyone's satisfaction, but personally I prefer films that make me think. And I really believe that after a while we will develop a taste for such films. How can you not like a chhaiya chhaiya or those intense scenes where there is just one simple line and a lot of meaningful silence? That is the cinema of the future.
If we talk about Chhaiya Chhaiya, how was it dancing on the roof of a train?
Difficult and terrifying. I was the only one who wasn't tied up because I had to jump around a lot. But those four days were a lot of fun and when I see the song today, it gives me a real thrill. These are some of the moments in cinema that we live for.
Could the losses have been minimised if Dil Se had been made cheaper?
Why should it have been made cheaper? I am an expensive hero. We shot all over the country, even in remote Ladakh. The film had other big names like Mani Ratnam, AR Rehman and Manisha Koirala. Why should Dil Se have been cheaper than Kuch Kuch...? Rs 2 crores is the normal price for any big film today. Why should we have sold our film for Rs 40 lakh to show a profit? Anyway, Dil Se may not have made money but it will not lose money either.
You are doing Mani's next film, is that right?
I want to, but Mani has to believe that I am good enough to be in it and perfect for the role he has in mind. We haven't discussed anything at that point. I said I want to do his next film, not Mani (Laughs).
There is a rumour that he is planning to cast Esha, Hema Malini's daughter, opposite you.
I have not heard of it before. Isn't Esha just a child? Well, if what you say is true, then it would be wonderful to work with her. But the decision will be that of the directors. I never suggest my heroines. Even in Kuch Kuch... it was Karan who was keen on Twinkle. That is why the character was called Tina, though Rani ended up playing it.
Are you and Aamir doing a film together?
Yes, Rajkumar Santoshi's next. We discussed a lot of ideas but always ended the conversation with one of us saying, 'No, let's not do that.' We will have to sit down with Santoshi soon and work things out.
Aamir was in Josh earlier, right; until he decided he wanted your role?
Josh is my film. And I know Mansoor always wanted me for that role.
Aren't you planning to play a bad boy again?
Not really. I'm a goonda, but like everyone else. I play a twin brother who is very possessive of his sister. It's not the romantic lead, it's an interesting cameo. I'm planning to play a bad boy by the end of next year. The problem is to work out something I haven't done before.
According to insiders, all the credit for Josh goes to you?
Not at all. It's Aishwarya's film. I haven't seen any of her films before but I think she's really good in this one. So is Chandrachur. Sharad Kapoor is just fantastic. (Laughs) But I guess I'll move on from this film too, like I do every time. It's a different role, more intense. I haven't done intense roles after Deewana and Baazigar. It was time I went back to my roots. Seriously, I didn't like myself in the film. At least what I was doing in a particular shot. So I sat down with Mansoor, discussed these things with him and we reshot those scenes. Mansoor is a real gentleman and a brilliant director. Very classy, with an amazing vision. I loved his Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. He's a guy with a lot of tehrav, very controlled. And I'm full of energy. When two people like us come together, it makes an interesting combination.
Well, you and Abbas-Mustan also make a strong trio. Will Badshah be a sequel to Baazigar?
Not at all! Badshah is a typical masala film, a fun film. Very James Bond-like. A little harebrained. To tell you the truth, after Duplicate I became a little apprehensive of harebrained films.
So is it a thriller like Shashilal Nair's next?
Yes. But in Shashi's film, I play a cop for the first time, which is interesting. Lots of action, although the girl (Juhi) and the kids are more important.
Shashi's films usually get delayed, run into controversies or get shelved. Does that make you cautious?
Why should it? Have you heard of any Shah Rukh Khan film being delayed or shelved? We are already halfway through. Only a few songs, the title and the climax are left to be shot.
And what else is in the pipeline?
I don't do more than four films a year and the four I have signed for next year are Aziz Mirza's next with Juhi, one each with Ram Gopal Varma and Yash Chopra and finally a comedy with David Dhawan. The one with Ramu will be an intense film. We have shortlisted two scripts, by the end of the month we will have selected one of them. I cannot reveal the details of Yashji's film but Aziz's is a nice, funny film. A love story and a political satire. In the vein of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron but more commercial. We have tentatively decided on the title Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. When I work with actresses I am friends with like Kajol, Madhuri and Juhi, we often discuss ideas, films we want to do. Juhi and I conceptualised this film and since Aziz is like a father to us and wanted to work with us after Yes Boss, we decided to come together and produce a film together.
I believe your recent shows have been a huge hit abroad. And you made a sick child very happy by giving him a lot of time and attention.
I meet a lot of people who are not well and if I can make them happy, I am happy. That is not something I want to talk about. Instead, let's move on to the shows. Yes, they were a big hit. They were all sold out beforehand and since they were done well, nobody felt disappointed. The last time I was abroad with Aamir for the Rangeela Diwale shows, they set a high standard and recorded full houses everywhere. I wanted to go a step beyond that, which was a tough task, but we managed it. For the first time, we had two shows each in London, Manchester and Birmingham and they were all packed. Of course, Kajol was a major attraction, this was her first tour.
You just won another Best Actor award for your performance in Dil To Pagal Hai and after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, you are expected to sweep the awards next year too.
I hope I do. I love winning awards. I was thrilled to return to Delhi, my hometown, and win an award. I consider these awards as the reward for a whole year's work. And I think this has been the best year of my career so far. Commercially, last year was better but regardless of how they did, all the three releases this year were very different from each other and that is what people expect from me. So I know I did not disappoint my audience. All the films also looked good and I felt good about doing them.
Well, now you can think about turning to directing.
Not yet. As long as all these talented young directors are willing to cast me in their films, I'm set. The day I stop being an ideal husband, lover and father, I will turn into an ideal director (Laughs).
One last question. Is there anything new with Gauri and Aryan?
Well, Aryan is celebrating his first birthday in a few days and that is very exciting. He is a great kid and I am not just saying that because he is mine. Gauri? Well, he keeps her on her toes. Finally, we both have a common interest. Earlier, there was nothing but dance and now that I dance so much in my films, we don't even dance at home. But now we have Aryan. We both love him very much and can talk about him for hours...
Many faces of Shah Rukh Khan
The second part of the very interesting interview from 1998, you see some of his films with completely different eyes. I wish I could get my hands on older interviews more often...
Shah Rukh Khan is an actor for whom a Raj, Rahul or Manu are just as real as he is. He can empathize with them, sympathize with their problems, sometimes even be terrorized by them. Every little nuance is thought through, every emotion deeply felt, in every character he often finds a little of himself, or someone he loves. That is perhaps what makes every character he has played so believable. SRK doesn't just play his roles, he lives them. For him, all his characters have a yesterday, a today and a tomorrow. And they don't die with the film, but live on in his imagination. He imagines the married life of Raj and Simran, worries about Rahul and his middle-class problems, and fears that Ganga might get bored with the saintly Arjun and leave him. For this Khan, cinema is a story that never ends.
Sitting in his cozy van, we ask him to make some of these characters understandable to us, to take us into their lives, and share some of their best moments with us. "Sure," he readily agrees, without pausing to think. He doesn't really need to think. They are him.
About the man and his many faces…
Dil Se
My character in this film was that of an ordinary man. A journalist who is glamorous only because I played him. A man whose father was in the INA, whose grandfather was a freedom fighter and yet he is not a true patriot. He loves his India but given the choice, he would not have given up his life for the country. A real living hero is generally brave not by choice but because he has no choice.
Mani Ratnam's film reminded me of a story I had heard years ago. The US government had just launched a submarine loaded with military equipment worth millions of dollars. Russia wants it to sink and the US is determined not to let that happen. There is a rookie on board whose job is to make sure that the submarine's latch is always properly locked. The captain of the submarine calls him over just before they set sail, taking great pains to stress his responsibility, pointing out the equipment they have on board, their political enemy and the need to complete the mission successfully. "Do you understand now, son, why you must make sure the latch is always locked?" he asks him at the end of the lecture. The novice nods, "Yes, sir, I do. I am also on board, I understand that if I leave the lock open, I could go under too." This is the patriotism of the common man we talked about in the film.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
This was the first time I played a father. A thirty-year-old father with an eight-year-old daughter. As I held the newborn in my arms, I was reminded of my son Aryan's entry into this world. Of course, my real life story had a much happier ending. In the film, I know my wife will not survive. I stand there, helpless, watching her leave me. "Will you promise me something?" she whispers. I am not a hero. I refuse to give her any comfort. I want to hurt her, hope that when she is hurt, she will not go away, will not leave me. This was a scene straight from my life.
In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I played a father for the first time. But this father is very different from Aryan's father. He reminded me of my father. I guess he was more grown up. I may feel the same when Aryan is eight...
Duplicate
I have never suffered from this megalomaniacal desire to play a double role. I know there is this notion that you have a double somewhere in the world. I don't believe in it. When I was offered a double role, I said to myself that if I have to play two characters who look identical and yet have opposite temperaments, I have to set logic aside. And Duplicate defied all logic.
The mood is silly, slapstick, endearing. It was a cartoon caricature. The film was like a cartoon, a kind of local Mask. It was Babloo, the good boy, not Manu, the bad boy, who set the mood of the film and asked everyone to act as silly as he did. When he hit his girl, she hit him back, and when he suddenly chases up a tree in the middle of the song, she doesn't give him a second look. Babloo was just a child. And in his company, everyone started acting like a ten-year-old. It wasn't easy for Juhi, Sonali and Faridaji to let themselves go. But when they saw me going berserk, they came into play. It's not easy for an adult to become a kid. It's easier for me, I guess I'm still a kid.
Babloo was my tribute to my favourite comedians from Jim Carey, Jerry Lewis and Charlie Chaplin to Kishore Kumar, Mehmood bhai, Johnny Lever and Keshto Mukherjee. We initially thought of making him a Rampur ka Lakshman. An idiot and a goofball. A real gaonwallah. But I didn't want to differentiate between the two characters on the basis of physical appearance or changes in costumes. I decided that the way I portrayed them would make them appear as two different people with the same face. There were times when I switched from Manu to Babloo in just 20 minutes. All I had to do was wash the gel out of my hair, tighten my stomach and buttocks, pout my lips and say, "Jhappi?" The little reconciliation scene with Juhi in the ladies' room was one of my best moments in the film. Ladna jhagadna was a very catchy number. All the songs were beautiful. But since this was a comic strip, even a romantic Kathai aankhonwali, which could have been another Ek ladki ko dekha, became a funny number.
Babloo is silly, but there is an innate cunning in him, a sharp mind, that is why a pretty, educated girl like Sonia is attracted to him. And that is why he is able to fool Manu into thinking he is a fool and ultimately bring about his downfall.
Manu was a snake, slithering and silent. Babloo was a clown, harebrained and charming. But both were bad actors. That accounted for all the exaggeration and silliness. Manu was too embarrassed to be Babloo. And Babloo was not convincing enough as Manu. Not many understood that. Those who could set aside their logic and just enjoy the film as a cartoon loved it. Those who wondered how eyes could pop out of their sockets hated it. When they complained, I said to them, "Hey, where's the kid in you?" Well, I guess not everyone loved Pet Detective and Charlie Chaplin never won an Oscar.
Duplicate was a film for the kids. And if it makes them happy, I'm happy. What does it matter if it wasn't a big box office success? It sold at a low price and will recoup the money invested. It will be one of the films I'll be happy to show my son. Did Manu have to die? Of course, he was the bad guy. He had killed people. And it was only right that Lily Long Legs, who was his partner in crime, should pull the trigger. All the others are good guys and good guys never kill. I've made a career out of being bad, but you'll notice in all my films that whenever the guy kills, he gets killed. That's justice.
Dil To Pagal Hai
I must confess, in this film my co-stars Karisma and Madhuri were much better, it was their love that made Rahul unforgettable. Deep down I think every boy is a Rahul and does not react like a lovesick Devdas but like an angry Rahul. When Pooja tells Rahul that this is the end for her, he is not sad. He is angry... pissed. And bitterly sarcastic, "Just tell me once that you never loved me..."
Then there was that scene where Akshay barges into a rehearsal to take his fiancées to lunch. It is an embarrassing moment for Pooja but instead of making things easier for her, Rahul turns downright mean. This is the way any mere Romeo would behave. When Pooja comes back, there is a glimmer of hope. Could it be that she has come to say I'm sorry? Could she be breaking off the engagement? Could she not be going? But she has only come to get the bag she forgot. Hope gives way to anger and feverish activity. "Babloo, is the light on? Get going." Everyone knows Rahul is dying inside, but he won't admit it... not even to himself.
I have friends who remind me of Rahul. When they realise they are about to lose the girl they love, they will react the way he did. "Bitch, say you don't love me, once, just once." They don't care if their demand hurts her... and make her feel guilty. If she can be made to feel guilty, she might not go away.
Rahul was very real, but the film was not surprising. It was a dream created by Yash Chopra. Not a world we live in, but a world we want to live in. Many people have asked me, 'Hey, where did those people come from, where did they go? Where do they live?' Yash Chopra's Rahul was not like Aziz Mirza's Rahul. He didn't have to worry about everyday problems like a balanced bank account and a boss. He didn't even look or dress like a theatre director, although there was a little of the intense, angry and loving Yashji and a little of Adi (Aditya Chopra) in the way he stood with his legs spread. But there was nothing of me in Rahul. If I ever become a director, I will turn into a tyrant. There will be no lunch breaks, no long picnics. I think I will probably lock my heroines in the studio to prevent them from going home.
Rahul's only problem in life was love. And love doesn't make him a better person, it makes him a failure. He hurts Pooja... and he hurts Nisha. But he never apologises to any of the girls. There was a scene we had shot where I take Nisha to the airport and say to her, 'I'm sorry'. Later we decided to cut the scene as we realised that Rahul would never apologise.
One of my favourite scenes in the film was at the party where Rahul forces Pooja to come closer... 'Paas, aur paas...' (What a coincidence, also my favourite scene) It was a magical moment for me as an actor. And I think it was for Madhuri too because after the shot was in the can we hugged each other very tightly.
Madhuri is a wonderful co-star. I am a terrible dancer and she is fantastic. But whenever I had trouble with my steps, she would pretend that they were difficult for her too and that's why the recording took so long. That's just the sweetest thing a girl would do!
Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Raj was a guy very similar to me. Full of humour even when he was fighting for his love. He never lost his sense of humour or hope even in the darkest moments. He was a model boy. Refusing to elope with his girl even when her mother begs him to just do it. "No, I will not kidnap Simran. Your father will give me Simran," he tells her instead. Even as he waits for the train at the station, he continues to reassure his father, "She will come." And she does. This reminds me of the time when I was courting Gauri. We too had our share of family problems. But like Raj, I refused to elope with her. And finally, I was able to take my Dulhaniya with me with her family's blessings. Raj was a boy everyone loved, but that didn't make him a wimp. He was smart, sly and a lot of fun. My father had a term for such boys...harami. I don't mean that Raj was a bastard, just that he was a badmaash. My uncle, Brahmachari, was like that. Raj would ditch school, shirk work, go out after midnight to get beer, and yet girls would adore him and so would their families. I have friends like him. The typical 90s yuppie. I know that if my son doesn't take drugs, he will grow up to be one of those guys. He will zoom around on motorcycles, fail exams, and he won't be a virgin at 16.
I deliberately made Raj a rogue, otherwise he would have been such an archetypal good boy and a bore. He was a harami, but harmless. Unlike Rahul, he would never hurt anyone. And when he unknowingly hurts Mandira, he regrets it. Again, we shot a scene where he apologizes to her, but later we thought that would sound too condescending.
Raj was a dilwala with heart. I can see him and Simran growing old together. Still very much in love. Still having a lot of fun...
Pardes
Arjun was a model boy of the 60s and 70s. He would fade away in the 90s. He was too saintly, too righteous. Arjun pandit. Maybe that's why I found it difficult to identify with him.
Arjun was intelligent, very clear about his goals and loved Ganga. But I don't think they would have much fun together. He might take her to the movies, maybe to the park, but Arjun would never drink beer at midnight or smile at the moonlight. They would have some children; he would get busy with his shoots and turn into a boring man. Who knows, maybe Ganga would eventually get tired of waiting for him and leave him.
Raj was still a boy. Arjun was like a father figure. You will notice the difference in the way they treated their girls. For Raj, Simran was a friend with whom he could have a lot of fun. To Arjun, Ganga was a little girl who could almost be his daughter, whom he wanted to cherish and protect from the world and the bad guys.
I guess the difference between Arjun and Raj is the fact that Arjun was poor while Raj was rich. Arjun would never fail his exams because he knew that was the only chance for him to break out. He would study very hard. And he would feel indebted to Amrish Puri for bringing him to the golden city for the rest of his life. He loves Ganga and wants to marry her. But he also loves Amrish Puri and would be just as happy for her to marry his son if that makes Amrish Puri happy.
There was a moment when I was really like Arjun, when Ganga realizes at the airport that he is not going to the United States with them. "You're going to leave me," she whines. Arjun looks at her for a long moment and calmly says "No" and walks away. Arjun was a very different character when we started the film. He was a very 'trendy' breakdancer with a small ponytail. An American yuppie with the heart of an Indian. The kind of person who sees a girl from Agra for the first time and says, 'Chhee...' Of course, he eventually turned out to be very different. Almost like Ram Lakhan's Big Brother. I would have preferred him to be Lakhan.
Yes Boss
Rahul in Yes Boss, despite his smiles and songs, was a really sad character. At one point in the film, he admits that circumstances have made him a chidchida. It's hard being a middle-class guy, always on the edge, wrangling between your choices. Even going on a date is total stress. If he were Ram Jaane or Rangeela's tapori, he would have just taken his girl to Haji Ali and treated her to vada pau. If he were a Tata or a Birla, he would have had to choose between Zodiac Grill and trattoria, or decide between wine and champagne. But Rahul spent hours wondering whether they should go to a film or a play. Will you take her for lunch or tea? Would lunch be too expensive? Which restaurant? Why not tea and samosas instead? Eventually he might end up not asking the girl out, and even if he did, he would be so busy worrying that he wouldn't enjoy himself. When you don't have enough money and are still trying to keep up with the others, life can be a real spoilsport.
Rahul was the saddest character I played. He was like the joker of the pack. Funny, but sad. Never the king, and never the ghulam either. Poor guy, he was so busy worrying that he wouldn't be able to give his girl a duplex and a Mercedes that he forgot to ask her to marry him. Or may be he was too scared to ask as he wasn't rich enough, good looking enough, and qualified enough. Some people felt that Rahul acted like a matchmaker. I didn't see him as one. I just saw him as a man faced with two terrifying choices... his job or the girl he loves? How many men in his position would have chosen the girl?
I always try to visualize what happens to my characters after the film ends. I see Rahul at home, chatting with his child. "You must know, son, if I hadn't married your mom, I might have my own advertising agency by now and she would be a millionaire's wife. Of course, we are very happy together, but if I had a little more money, I might have been able to send you to St. Columbus instead of the public school next door."
Rahul Joshi was a man who could only afford a scooter, but still continued to dream of driving his love around in a Mercedes. A man who always asks himself, "Did I make the right choice?"
Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa
In some ways, Sunil reminded me of Gauri. Like him, she lives in a world full of rainbows. A world of love and laughter. A world of hope and happiness…
Sunil was a loser with a heart of gold. He was such a loser that even losing couldn't make him lose his heart. Babloo was also a loser but there was a spark of cleverness in him that was the reason he won his Sonia over. Raj laughed at his grades, charmed his father into letting him go on a trip across Europe, met the girl of his dreams, wooed her, won her family over and lived happily ever after. Sunil failed, not because he didn't have the brains or care, but because he was too busy dreaming about his girl. The girl he doesn't get even in his dreams. Even at the end of the film, when he walks off with Juhi, you are not convinced that he will get a second chance at love. She may fall in love with him, but most likely there is a handsome friend waiting for her down the road.
Sunil was someone who loved being in love. Seeing others in love. I am like that too. Just this morning, when I was driving to this shoot, my car stopped at a traffic light. I saw a boy loitering at a bus stop. Suddenly this girl comes, looks around casually, pretends she has just spotted him and smiles. He smiles back. It was a cute little pantomime. It was obvious to me that they knew each other very well. Maybe he waited for her at the bus stop every day? Maybe they take the same bus? But they had to watch out for nosy neighbours. I wanted to go over and tell them not to worry about others. 'You are not important. Just enjoy the feeling of being in love."
Sunil was the most utopian character I created. I knew he would never be successful in life, yet I was sure love will help him survive happily. There are many Sunils around. Like Charlie Chaplin in Tramps. In fact, he was inspired by one such guy. A guy who was fat, not very good-looking, but with a heart of gold. Such people never win. But they don't lose either.
Baazigar
Vicky was a psychopath. Irrational, illogical and abnormal. He doesn't kill for his country or a wrong system. Not for love or even revenge. Only for himself. A personal thing that benefits no one. At the beginning of the film, you see a sad mother and a sad Vicky. At the end of the film, you see an even sadder mother and a dying Vicky. And all those lives he took senselessly, cruelly, without a shred of apology. He kills an innocent girl and a boy without a twinge of conscience. He throws the girl who ran away from home to marry him off the parapet and doesn't look back once. He drags the girl he claims to love through trauma after trauma and dies without telling her "I'm sorry" or even "I love you". He even destroys the woman for whom he planned this well-thought-out revenge. Lying there at the end, cradling his head in the lap of his distraught mother, who is perhaps better off lost in her own world, he says with childlike vulnerability, "Ma, I'm so tired, let me sleep..."
The killer in Anjaam was more human. A spoiled, jealous, slightly crazy rich boy. The killer in Darr was a loser like Sunil who took his loss very personally and turned vicious. But you could have reasoned with him, taken him by surprise, taken him to the madhouse. You pity him, sympathise with him, even empathise with him. The killer in Baazigar was utterly insane and inhuman. He lived in his own world and by his own standards. Stupid and stubborn. Like a bull in a china shop, destroying everything around him and even hurting himself in the process. He could be the guy sitting next to you on the bus, and you wouldn't suspect for a moment that he was planning this would be your last ride... and his, too.