All about KBC & Shahrukh - Interview (SS)

'KBC is not a bolt out of the blue'

They love him. Or they hate him. But they cannot resist making a comment about him (Take a look at the rediff message board, if you don't believe what we say). What is superstar, and now television host, Shah Rukh Khan really like? Is he nice? Arrogant? Smart? Witty? Kind? Caring? Why is he really doing Kaun Banega Crorepati? And yes, does he have an on-going feud with Amitabh Bachchan? We decided to put SRK on the hot seat and ask him. SRK didn't have 4 choices, or any lifelines. The 2-crore question: How did he fare? Read on for the results of this show, hosted by Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy. What was the primary motivation for you to do KBC? Were you looking for a return to television or did KBC happen at the right time for you? I don't want to sound pompous, but I don't look out for work. I sort of have a half-yearly plan -- okay, I am doing a couple of films and the holidays with the babies and, you know, maybe a few endorsements that have been signed up. There have been reports about my doing television for some time now, so doing KBC is not a bolt out of the blue. I've seen the programme and I like it a lot. I've always felt that one can take it to a different level depending on the presentation. The main thing about work, after 20 years of working now, is -- am I enjoying the work I am doing? I thought that if I do KBC, I will enjoy it a lot. And KBC has a great team -- Siddharth (Basu, who is producing the show), Sameer (Nair, CEO, Star TV)... they're old friends. Everyone got together and said, can we do it in Jan, Feb, March? And I said of course. My set (for Khan's production, Om Shanti Om, directed by Farah Khan) is opposite the KBC set, so it's not difficult for me. And the economics of television have become such that they can afford a film actor. The way they shoot the production now, they don't need the kind of time they needed earlier. They have multi-camera set-ups and stuff. Everything just fell into place. Deciding to do KBC was like deciding if I want to do a film or not. Like any film that is offered to me out of the blue -- someone comes over and says this is the script and we are planning to do it. What excites me is that, okay, this is new, my kids like it, people find it fun. I like quizzing, so I'll do this and have a great time for a couple of months.

I have done a lot of work in the last 10 years because my heart said yes. I just felt, ah, this is fun, let me just do it. There is no real way for an actor to otherwise enjoy his work. I've passed the phase where I do a film just because it is an action film and things like that. I have been working for too long to do that any more.

Khan with his first contestant, Prasenjit Sarkar

'A lot of people wanted to believe I was going to be nervous'

What was shooting for the initial episodes like? From a viewer point of view, you seemed a little nervous, which is very unusual for you. I've never been nervous doing my job. It's like saying, when the first three scenes of my film run, I seem nervous and the rest (of the film) is okay. I guess everyone very clearly, pointedly wanted to look at it (KBC). Even right now, KBC has not gone out of scrutiny (laughs); people are still scrutinising it. If you are going to scrutinise things, you are going to see what you believe is the reality. I think a lot of people wanted to believe I was going to be nervous. That I was going to be disturbed about being compared, I'm going to be... it goes on and on and on. I think whoever felt I would be nervous found me nervous. Whoever thinks I am over the top will find me over the top. Whoever thinks I am sweet and nice will find me sweet and nice. I'll tell you honestly, when you do a film or an enactment or a performance, the way a viewer sees it is, somewhere down the line, a projection of what the person feels. People sometimes want to be like the star. Sometimes, people feel the star is just like me. I guess KBC was something which, of course, had been built up by the media as a case in point where I'll be nervous and I'll try to match up with the previous host or I will try to outdo... I get to hear people say they don't like me hugging; I get people who say they like me hugging. The truth is -- I do what I enjoy doing on that show. It's very impromptu and it's very natural. Maybe in the 50th episode, I'll be nervous again (laughs). But I don't know... it will depend on how people see it. Overall, most of the people have told me I smile a lot, so I think they are seeing the smile. I wasn't nervous. Of course, there is always the stress of doing something new, whether it is a film or a television show or a live show. In the first few shows, you try to even out the rough edges. That's a professional thing. It's like what I do as an actor. And those edges and the technicalities, I think I will smoothen out.

I think I have been doing the job long enough not really to be a nervous wreck.

Padma Limaye, the schoolteacher credited for making SRK relax

'I found it very funny that she wanted to buy an elephant'

You were very comfortable with Padmaja Limaye, the school teacher from Navi Mumbai (Episode 6). Oh, she was very sweet, ya... KBC video: Padmaja Limaye What was it about her that worked so well? What's happening is, in the first week nobody's seen me perform on television, so we had people who were coming with a (pre-conceived) idea of what KBC is going to be like. It's quite an over-awesome area where people come and sit on the hot seat and have to answer questions with thousands of people looking at you. I think, after people started seeing me on television, the contestants who are coming are coming prepared with an attitude of having fun also. I think she was the first among those who came in after having seen the earlier episodes. I remember her saying that 'what I like about your show is that you make everyone smile and laugh and I am going to make sure that I smile and laugh.' And there are a lot of people now coming prepared with things to say to make it funny. I had one contestant who very sadly said, 'You know, I didn't play well, I don't feel bad about that, but I feel really bad that I could not entertain you because you entertained me so much on KBC.' I think Padmaja onwards we've had people who've watched the show so they are little more at ease at least as far as their interaction with me is concerned. Her husband was wonderful. I found it very funny that she wanted to buy an elephant. That itself was quite a conversation point.

Her husband was very sweet; he was giving her all the wrong answers from there... that was really cute. An educated, really nice couple. You would like your children to be taught by her.

SRK gifted Rama Krishna Guggila his Tag Heuer watch

'That one hour is to make you a bigger star than Shah Rukh Khan'

It was fun watching you with Santosh -- Rachna Sharma's mother (Episode 8). Sorry, you know, I am bad at names, I forget names. That does not mean they are not important to me. This is the teacher from Jind, right? Yes. Ya, ya. She was good. Many times, when people come on the shows, there are four emotions very clearly there. They are very uptight. They are very nervous because they are carrying the whole burden of, perhaps, like the lady said in the beginning -- I don't know whether she said it on the show or not, I think she did -- she said, you know, I am carrying the burden of this whole small township. And I am a teacher. And, see, it's... it is very nerve wracking. I don't know if you guys can come and see (the show) while it is being shot -- you have a movie star sitting in front of you; you have 500 people sitting around you; you have never perhaps been on television in your life; you've never worn makeup -- at least the kind they expect you to wear; you have been waiting for two-and-a-half hours with butterflies in your stomach, wondering if you will make it from the fastest finger first section to the hot seat. And when you do, then there is this whole chance that your life could change or you could completely be embarrassed. Under the circumstances, some people get very uptight and Rachna was one of them. But I think it is my fault; I should have been able to put her more at ease though I think it would take a few sittings with her to do that (laughs). She was a little on the strict, uptight side... And then, she was very nervous. At the end of the show, she came up to me and said I'm feeling bad that I behaved the way I did with you. And I would like to say that you are a gentleman and you have very good values. I was a bit rude to you. (When a KBC contestant chooses to leave the show with the money he/ she has won, instead of tackling a question to which they do not know the answer, Khan had asked them to hug him instead of saying 'I'm abandoning the game.' When Rachna decided to leave the game, she said so and added that she had no desire to hug Khan. The celebrity host hugged her mother, Santosh, instead and gave the cheque to her.) A lot of my people, while watching, they got very angry. How could you allow this, they asked? You must tell them not to show this. But my logic is that one hour is to make you a bigger star than Shah Rukh Khan. That whole idea is that.

I may never see them again. Most probably I won't. Neither will they ever see me live again. Neither will have an opportunity like this. So I hope they can carry back these 45 minutes, half an hour, one hour that they spend at KBC feeling they were the biggest stars in the country, or at least that they were bigger than Shah Rukh Khan.

Contestant Rachna Sharma, who opted out of hugging Khan

'I call my mother-in-law sexy'

What about Rachna's (left) mother Santosh? Oh, she was very beautiful. When I called her Santosh the first time, my producer sent me a message on the computer -- to call her Mrs Sharma. I didn't think she minded me calling her Santosh -- I call my mother-in-law sexy. It's an attitude you have that, look, we are here to have fun. You have your everyday humdrum life where you do just keep doing what you do everyday and here you've come out for an hour and you get entertained. She was a 70-year-old lady, I assume, or 70 plus and you have this guy who is calling her Santosh with a lot of love and humour and fun (laughs). She was very sporting; she blew kisses at me. I told her you should also teach your daughter (Rachna, pictured) to be relaxed. She said abhi use kya sikhayen (what can I teach her now)? She was very sweet. What happens when you are asked for a date on national television? I think it is an extension of the fun I have with people. I don't think any of them thinks it seriously or says it seriously. As a matter of fact, as strange as it may sound, I have never been asked for a date seriously by anyone even in real life (laughs). To me, it's like... I find it unreal and funny (laughs). I just think, okay, they are doing it because I say such nice things to them so they are being nice to me also.

Of course, I can't go for a date. I don't get dates to spend with my own kids (laughs) so a date is out of the question.

Contestant Mohit Mahipal called SRK 'a powerhouse of energy'

'KBC is important enough to be the headline of a national daily'

After all this, Mr Khan, when you hear reports that KBC 3 is not doing as well as KBC 1 do you get upset? First of all, I would not like to comment on this because this is a business I don't understand. And, lately, I have even stopped understanding, or trying to understand, the business of writing by the media. When the TAM report came -- which I don't understand but which was read out by the Star (television) team -- we opened four champagne bottles. A huge cake was cut for the huge success of KBC. And, in the morning you read the headlines by, I think, an analyst who had overseen everything else except for the third day when India had won a cricket match after a long time and considered that a drop. Star had clearly explained to me that, due to the influx of CAS and stuff happening now, the ratings are going to be different from what they used to be five years ago (Note: The first KBC got ratings in the 20+ range, which was considered excellent. This is the kind of rating that a one day cricket match in which India plays gets). I mean, it's akin to saying Dhoom 2 is a bigger hit than Sholay because the former earned much more money now. There are different methodologies for rating it (television shows like KBC). I think, for the last four days, everybody seems to have picked the fact that the third day's rating dropped to 7.36. It is not that I am unaware of it. As a matter of fact, I personally saw the cricket match and not KBC. It's not surprising at all; I was shooting and one really wanted to see (the match) because one heard India was doing really well. So one saw (the match) and the ratings (for KBC) fell. When we started off, we hoped the ratings would be in the range of 10 to 12 points, and settle down in the next couple of weeks. This would be very good considering that CAS still does not give you full coverage. On the other side, the report very clearly mentioned that KBC had beaten their competitor in the same slot by some huge percentage. I was told that they have recovered the 9-10 pm slot, which they had apparently been behind in in December. Even for my films, I don't go by figures, so I don't like justifying it. But I think the kind of reaction of a film or a show gets, when it does well, I can sort of understand it because I've seen a lot of good things and bad things commercially happening to me in my career. And I sense there are a huge amount of people who have loved what I have done to the show. And that, to me, is very heartening. You know, when KBC 2 came, there was bit of a dip in terms of where it should have been in comparison to KBC 1 also. But I think somewhere the change in format is helping it (KBC 3) be perceived differently. And the fact that a newspaper can think of it as a headline certainly means it is in the news and it is a very important show. It is important enough to be the headline of a national daily; with due respect, however, I don't think national dailies' headlines nowadays are something to greatly go by. But, for whatever it is worth, if it can make it to the national dailies' headlines over the BMC elections, then I think we are making some kind of an impact in terms of television news and KBC.

I am very happy that people send me loads of messages after every programme which normally doesn't happen even after a hit film. It's good and nice. I am enjoying that. Of course it is a little saddening when they just keep on harping about the 7.32 or 7.39 drop on a Wednesday, on the third day (after KBC 3 started). I guess that's part of the business I am in.

Crowdpleaser Khan at a pre-launch promotion in Mumbai

'Tell me some way to make people smile a little more'

What do your wife and kids think of the programme? They like it. I have never seen my kids wanting to see any of my stuff so diligently. They finish their homework at 9 now. Earlier they used to finish their homework at 10 o'clock and go to sleep. Now they finish their homework at 9, so they sit at the dining table and they find me quite funny. My wife thinks it's nice. She is quite critical at times about stuff and she feels it's really, really, really nice. The thing is, I think there are a set of people who like the show a lot more, which makes me really, really happy. Kids are taking to it. You know, normally, at the end of the show every night, I get about 40 to 50 SMSes from very different people who say 'we have not seen KBC before but we really like it because it is very funny and very relaxed. We enjoy the questions as much as the banter that you have.' I'm quite happy I have been able to entertain, to bring KBC back into the limelight, bring it into news. See all these are now part and parcel of commercial success. We have to do this I guess. But what makes me sad is when you hear people just harping on the numbers.

There was a radio channel that was giving me suggestions as to what to do to make the TRPs rise. And I was like, 'oh, I never did it for the TRPs. Please tell me some way to make people smile a little more. I'm sure not very many people can do that.'

'I don't like romance'

The actor who made some of the most romantic Hindi films says he does not like romance himself. But then again, Shah Rukh Khan has always been unpredictable. Don't Miss: Listen to Shah Rukh Khan's Valentine take
In this week-long exclusive interview with King Khan, the king of romance spoke to Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy about his favourite romantic films, and his views on love. What are your Valentine's Day plans? Too old for Valentine's. It was not fashionable when we were young, by the time it became fashionable I am too old. But I will get my wife a gift. What are your five most romantic films? I don't like romance. You will break a lot of hearts with that statement! No, I don't like romance in terms of watching them because I do so much of it. You do that, and you keep on watching it also, means you got to be really obsessing about this (laughs). This may sound a little strange, but I don't know. The kind of films I have liked, Padosan was very romantic though it was a comedy about a teacher wanting to be in love with his student. That was very romantic. I can tell you a great heartbreak was in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, where the guy is in love and the woman cheats him and uses them. Among the romantic films I like, let me see, Dilwale is nice. Even though it is a personal film, but it's a nice film, I saw it about three-four months back in Australia, it was nice. Again one of my own, I like Yes Boss, that was very sweet, that's taken from For Love Or For Money.

Among English movies... I thought whackily that There's Something About Mary was good, it was quite sweet, quite romantic, a guy who's in love with his college sweetheart. And there was this book by Graham Greene, A Quiet Affair I think it was, yeah, which Attenborough made it into a film with Julianne Moore, about the woman who says if you bring him back to life, I will give up the thing I love the most, and she has to give him up. That was very romantic. I liked the book a lot, I saw the movie before that, I didn't know it was based on the same book, then I read the book a year ago, and I thought that was very romantic. Is it A Quiet Affair or An Affair to Remember? I will remember...

Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, Farah Khan, SRK, Malaika and Arbaaz Khan
and Karan Johar at KBC's Valentine Special episode

'Preity, Rani, John, Bipasha want to come on KBC'

Tell us your show's plans for Valentine's Day. We had some fun times with Karan, Farhan-Zoya Akhtar, Arbaaz and Malaika. Different sort of couples, you know, a friend couple, husband-wife couple, brother-sister etc to celebrate the spirit of Valentine's without saying it's just about love. These six people are coming on, sort of standing in for different aspects of loving each other. Friends, brother-sister or husband-wife. Apart from this they have another three-four celebrity shows, which they will tell me about. They sort of fix it up and request me to extend courtesy and call them, I guess that's the prerogative of the producers whoever they decide on. They make a decision and they tell me to be courteous and call them. You have absolutely no say in the list? See, the Valentine's show we had actually decided on 10 people because we wanted it to be like a set of people playing games, and the only say I had was that because it was an hour-long show we extended it a little. If you can get everyone to play, not just two of them to play and the other eight, nine to just sit around... So we broke it down to six, made like Arbaaz-Malaika, it would be good if we had two more couples, That kind of say I have but they create a wish list which they wish to and do the spadework. I guess some of them do not wish to participate for various reasons, dates plus not wanting to. And they only bring to the fore the ones who they feel are wanting to join up.

I have lots of friends like Preity and all who want to go on the show, I tell them look these are my friends who'd like to come on the show. Rani, John wants to come, Bipasha, I tell them these are my friends who wish to come, if it fits into the scheme of things, they are sort of very happy with it.

'My kids ask me, papa what are we, Hindu? Muslim? We are both na?'

A lot of young people hesitate to get into inter-communal marriage, on account of various pressures, family, societal etc. As a Muslim married to a Hindu, what is your advice to young lovers? Well, just marry. We did a film called KANK, which people were sort of slightly disturbed with. But the message was this: you marry only for the sake of love and friendship. You marry because you think he/she is a good person to wake up with, be with. He is my friend or she is my friend, and you know, religion, discipline, communities, mohallas, relatives, and parents, everybody has a viewpoint, but you got to remember that finally it's about your life with someone, and if you think someone is right for you, you need to go ahead and do it. I think the educated youth of our country and everywhere else, I think communalism and religion and inter-caste is becoming a thing of the past. It is only left as an agenda for politicians now. And you have to remember as a youngster, that even if you intend being a politician, do not make this as your agenda at least for your marriage. Just go ahead and do it. When I meet youngsters now, I think nobody is really bothered. Like my kids ask me, papa what are we, Hindu? Muslim? We are both na? They are quite happy about it yaar. They know the difference, and the difference makes them realise that there is really no big difference! Because mom and dad both seem to be quite cool, and we like them each. In my house when kids can grow up like this I am sure youngsters, if they grow up with this belief that religion should only be considered as a discipline, and nothing beyond that.

I am Islamic by birth, I follow that religion, that's a discipline. I should do things because it disciplines your life in a certain way. Somehow the things culturally have changed, and you need to grow out of them and accept that change and know that okay, you don't need to be doing this because this happened only five hundred years ago because there was a need for this kind of discipline then, and is no longer required. So you got to read it and understand religion. And if you understand religion you will understand one thing, that there's no problem in inter-caste, inter-communal marriages.

'I haven't got any comments from Mr and Mrs Bachchan'

To return to Kaun Banega Crorepati, what is the nicest thing you have heard from the film industry about the show? And the worst? See, I have been getting messages from co-actors and actresses who I have worked with. Like Mr Yash Chopra calls me every night (laughs) to tell me bahut achcha hai beta. Adi (Aditya Chopra) calls me. Karan calls me. These are friends so I meet them every day so, of course, they have a little bias with me. They have a little pro-me extra. But they love it. They think I have changed the whole methodology of presenting the show. And they are very thrilled with it. And they are very happy that is something in television, or in the media, that shows how I am personally rather than just acting out things. Maybe now people will stop saying that I act same to same in every film because I am very different in KBC (laughs). But, apart from that I think you know like... Preity will suddenly call me. They call me quite regularly. Or SMS me after every show. Or Rani will SMS ke that we are rolling on the floor with laughter. So a lot of people who've from the film industry... But I am working. So I only get network after 7 pm but I do get messages at night from a lot of my friends, a lot of my colleagues. Strangely, I really have not got... one message was very negative. Except for that, I haven't got a negative message in the last 500 or 600 SMSes that I have received. What was that? I don't know... Some journalist, somewhere, deep down, deep recesses of some area has sent me a message that I am copying Mr Bachchan which was as far from the truth as it could possibly be so I assume he is seeing the wrong show. Have you got any comments from Mr or Mrs Bachchan?

No, I haven't got any.

'I've got a lady to speak like my wife'

Whose comment has meant the most to you? You know, if I were just starting out in this career, you know, these things would be answerable. Personally speaking? There are a 140 people working on this show. And they turn around and they tell me, it's great to work with you Mr Khan. And I think that's a nice comment because you know, at your job place, if the people you are working for and working with -- like a Siddharth Basu or a Sameer or a Sharmishta Roy, the ADs or the camera men... I think the best compliment I have had is that when I start the show, the cameramen need to move their body away from the camera because they start laughing and the camera shakes. Siddharth told them listen, the first directive when he saw the first show and there were a lot of shakes in the camera the first direction we need to have is that the cameramen will not shake when Mr Khan is speaking even if you find it funny, please move your body away from the camera. I thought that was a nice compliment You always end the show with a call that you get from your wife... I sometimes end it. You know, sometimes when the guy has just lost a lot of money, I don't feel personally like making a joke at the end of the show. I get a little... we're taping some shows where the guy has sort of lost... had a big crash... what is known as a big crash in our terminology and I'm like, listen, I don't want to be sitting in front of him and cracking a joke about my wife's call. So I try to avoid it that time and just say ghar jane ka waqt aa gaya. But sometimes, ya... There's one episode where we have, where my wife... You get the voice also... Oh? Really?

Ya, but you don't really hear her speak. So I got a lady to speak like my wife.

'When you come on this hot seat, we are worried for you'

And computer garu, computer bhau? See, it depends. You know, it's a show that has been in the psyche of people for some time. And there were some terminologies that were being used. You know, when we started rehearsing, while showing me the rehearsals, a lot of the people who were showing me the rehearsals were using the same terms. But, to be very honest and frank, I haven't seen the first show so much that it should become a part of my language. And I said, look, can I just say something else if it is all right by you? And they said of course. And so I used to call it Mr Computer or you know because I find giving a terminology to a computer as it is a little illiterate. You know, I mean, giving it a persona. I don't think anywhere in the world, on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, they even call a computer even a computer. He is just or she is or it is just a thing there. And you, sort of, need to say, okay, what is the right answer. And that's it. You assume that this machine is meant to give you the right answer. But when we were doing the first episode, I got a message from the contestant. He was addressing me as Shah Rukh da, with respect I assume, so I said, okay, you are respecting all of this, so what is the thing you respect the most? And he said, right now tho I respect the computerji a lot. So I said then let me call him computer da. And then, whenever I know the languages, when people speak that, I try to make it that this machine is speaking your language. The whole concept is that. Whether it becomes garu it's like the computer is speaking Tamil. I wanted to actually remove away two aspects when I was thinking of the creative for this show. I wanted to very clearly remove away a thought that the machine, that is the team, the guys who are putting up these questions, and the host are against you. They are playing this game with you, for you to win. And I don't know if it is too subtle for me to be trying this or is it too in your face. But the idea is that when you come on this hot seat, we are worried for you. We want you to have a good time -- me and the machine. So the two guys who you meet here and are a little awesome for you -- this one person who throws random questions and one person who reads them out to you are your friends or, you know, are there to help you out.

So I try to personalise it, make it a little light. They get a little smile when I say computer behn. There was this guy who said why bhai nahin?

'When you come on this hot seat, we are worried for you'

Ya, Vishal Malvia. Vishal. Bhai bolo. Behn mat bolo. Whatever. I've even kissed the computer on one of the shows. We've had a little romantic talk. One guy said be nice to the computer or it'll give it back to you. Just to make them a little comfortable. Whatever it takes. You liked Vishal, didn't you? I like all of them. If you were ever to sit down there, with whatever attitude you have come onto the show in the morning, when you see their lips turn dry, their knuckles turning white because they are holding the seat so hard, you know stammering when trying to give an answer, beads of sweat in a cold, cold room, anyone would say oh God!

And when you get to know the background of the people... he's a 21-year-old boy, he's come from some place. I don't know what kind of life he's had, what kind of education he's had. But in his own house he would like to go back to be welcomed as a hero. You know, everybody wants that 15 minutes of fame.

'I don't give messages, I try to entertain people'

The truth seems to be out finally. In Shah Rukh Khan's own words, the cold war between him and Amitabh Bachchan is largely a media creation. While the star admits that he has not met the Big B in a while, he claims the rumours get embarrassing at times. SRK also seemed upset with media coverage on 'dipping' TRPs of his television show, Kaun Banega Crorepati. In a week-long exclusive interview with Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy, SRK spoke about Mr Bachchan and more. What kind of people come before you in KBC? Some 99 percent of the people who come to sit with you, they smell of nervousness. And you feel, well... actually at that point of time, all the men and women, old and young, including the teacher who was rude to me, you do feel a lot of love for them. I mean, somewhere down the line, there was a purpose, a small purpose, perhaps not the pointed reason, I realised the reason once I started doing the show. This thought was somewhere at the back of my mind. Because I do a lot of live interaction in my shows with people all over the world, there was the thought that I should come in touch with people and perhaps, learn from them. Because, you know, being a movie star, you are far removed from reality because you are creating larger than real things every day and you do in your head feel, 'oh god I am making this film very realistic.' But entertainment is hugely unreal and I have always felt that, you know, film work is about entertaining people and making them happy. The messages are mostly for printing and maybe now on the internet. I don't give messages; I try to entertain people.

But somewhere down the line, as you are seeing live, they have been really kind to you. You become grateful for whatever has happened to you, you realise the reason is these people, and if I can meet them, and be able to just share some part of that goodness, even if it something so material as a watch, or as physical as a massage or as little as a smile. And I start liking them all.

Why SRK gave away his watch

Do you spend time with them before or after the show? Yes, I do. I spend about 10-15 minutes when they are chosen, and a couple of minutes just before they start. I just chat with them, you know, let them feel comfortable, and then after winning or losing I go up to them and sit with them for a while. Some of them I take into my makeup room and you know, tell them life is not about so and so, maybe give them a watch or something, sit and chat with them. I had this young guy whose sister wrote me a message about 10-15 days back. He did very badly. I think I gave him a watch and he went off. Everybody was unhappy, like you know, he didn't reach a big level or anything. He thinks he is a cool dude, so why did you do it? I said, I just felt like it. I got a message from his sister saying 'my brother has had the struggler's luck all his life, he has never succeeded in anything, even though he has got everything going for him -- he's a nice looking boy, educated, well-spoken, everything going for him, but he just failed. And this is the first time he is coming back after failing, but feeling like a winner. Thank you so much for giving him that opportunity in life.'

I showed that message to everyone in the production, and I said, look, you guys were getting angry I gave a watch away, because you know they feel that I should never let anyone take back more than what they deserve in terms of the game. And I am like, listen, this is a small thing, Allah has given me a lot, and if I give away something it's personal, and this one is not a gimmick. I do this and somebody's feeling nice about it. I think I have not done any show yet feeling mean to anyone. It requires a lot of patience because some people take very long to answer. There's no time limit on KBC. We edit those portions but sometimes it does get a little long, yes.

Shah Rukh with Priyanka Chopra, his Don heroine

'I have not repeated my clothes in KBC'

The clothes you wear on KBC, are they a one-time wear only? I think so, I have not repeated it yet. There're only two suits lying when I do two episodes. I don't understand suits, I find them all looking alike. I am sure if I change the shirt and wear the same suit nobody will be able to be any wiser. But a lot of thought has gone into it, the producer of the show, she with Karan Johar, Chirag and Haresh, there's a whole gang who make sure that I look formal enough, since I am personally very informal. When I suggest something easy-going they put their foot down and say no. I need to wear narrow ties they are fashionable, suits, which make me look all right, they are very sticky about that. How was working in KBC compared to acting, which one is more challenging? Again, too many years in the job to find terms like challenging, exciting etc. It's like when you have been doing a job, every job is a challenge to make sure that it works, but it's not like this is it, and life-consuming somewhere down the line. I would be lying if I said that there's a technique to working now which I have sort of not perfected but I am quite comfortable with. Acting is completely different from this. This is what I do and I am. And I really enjoy it. You know, one of the nicest things I can tell Star and Siddharth, I do this 30-day schedule where working, donning makeup, but these five days really refresh me. Because this is something I just do off the cuff, and I have a great time doing.

Though I am doing 22 days of my own shooting in Film City, which is very hectic, there are fight sequences, there are dance sequences, there's a new heroine so we need to work doubly hard, make things happen, the light is going, things go wrong, the makeup is not right we change it around, some scenes we have not done well, written well, reshoot it, redo it. But here we come and we get these five days off a month, and I walk in here at 11 O'clock and I am back home by 6.30-7 pm, and very satisfyingly having met a lot of people, made them happy and go back.

'No rivalry between Amitabh Bachchan and me'

Unavoidable but inevitable, is there a rivalry between you and Mr Bachchan? No. You are saying this completely media-generated, then? I think so, absolutely. They have been trying it for a long time, and finally they have had some sort of success. So my congratulations. But as far as I am concerned, and I am sure Mr Bachchan is concerned, we have no issues at all. I think I have said this before, we are quite educated, cultured, graceful, doing well in our lives and professions kind of people. We worked together in a huge amount of successful films, and some really nice, enjoyable work together, as recently as KANK. You know, it's very strange, it does get a little embarrassing more than anything else. It's an old complaint, and it seems out of context now. I had seen Mr Bachchan doing an interview on Times NOW with Arnab Goswami (Editor-in-chief), who is quite ill-at-ease with actors and doesn't really know his job when it comes to actors. He quoted me having quoted a Ghalib sher, and I have never quoted a Ghalib sher. He said I had said he (Bachchan) is not hot and sexy or something, which I hadn't. They asked me in the music video do you like yourself, and I said yeah, I am hot, sexy, cool, wonderful and handsome, and there's no confusion about that. Which has got nothing to do with Mr Bachchan, but they tell the poor man he said this, but he is obviously not going to say he's right. People keep on harping about TRPs going down, but I notice all the news channels using just my name to get their TRPs up. It's really strange. Things go down only if they are up. I see every news channel is putting this little running down including respected ones like Aaj Tak and India Today kind of groups, who you assume are different from tabloids. You know, entertainment has become part of news, and news has become part of entertainment now. You have this ticker tape running below which keeps saying Shah Rukh says I am young! Then the same channel is saying my TRPs are going down but yours is going up because of the ticker. So respect that if nothing else, and get your facts right. The last four days the only talk, even a call from India Today was your TRP is going down. But they were up and they will obviously go down, it's normal for things to go up and come down, but just one day's TRP you decide and. It's a little strange because it's boring to say Shah Rukh is in Madame Tussaud's, Shah Rukh's last film is a big hit, and Shah Rukh is doing KBC, making lots of money, and Shah Rukh is a big star. That's no longer news. I understand this, though I wouldn't lie and say it doesn't affect you, it bothers you, it hurts you, but you know, you are trying to entertain people, and here comes a medium which starts pulling down things just for the few extra eyeballs. When was the last you met the Bachchans? (long pause) You and Mr Bachchan? Or you and Mrs Bachchan?

We meet normally together. Abhishek I have met recently also before he went to Bikaner and all. We meet often at home, the younger ones, Abhishek and all. Mr Bachchan I must have met last, in Toronto. In Toronto, and once again we met at a party at a launch.

Shah Rukh Khan entertains fans at the Temptations 2004 tour at Sun
City in 2004.

'I hardly spend time on the net'

You are said to spend a lot of time on the net. What do you enjoy doing the most? No, I hardly spend time on the net. It's a misnomer. I just about check my emails. I am never at home or in areas where I can get access. I only spend time on the net when I want the kids to learn something so instead of just explaining it to them I tell them to go on the net so they learn about computers. Or Mr Computer. Have you watched any Oscar nominated films this year? No. I think my family saw Babel. I have not had time for the last one and a half months. I've finished a film, Chak De India, that was very hectic, in Delhi and Australia, Then I got back and got into KBC and Om Shanti Om. Today is the earliest I am getting back home in one and a half months. Do you think being a celebrity brings added pressure like having to be a role model or people have expectations of you above and beyond the fact that you entertain them? How do you handle this kind of pressure? Whatever pressure I have, there are pressures when you wake up in the morning to look at the papers and see who's torn you apart or praised you, there are pressures of your Friday film, which 90 per cent of the time people say it has flopped and you know it hasn't, there are pressures of people thinking yes, that you got to be of a certain stature, nature, behaviour in public, you can't really say a lot of things that you wish to, and in the end, people say oh you are being so diplomatic. But to be really honest, no amount of pressure is enough to take away from the fact that it is great to be a celebrity. if you have done it with your hard work.

Personally, I feel I've worked very hard and I've been on my own. I don't have godfathers and people who helped me out in this field. I've done it on my own. The sense of achievement is great, and whenever there is a pressure I realise that the sense of achievement is also mingled with the fact that a lot of times I have got things which are not deserving. There are things which are really fantastic that are undeserving. And I calculate them against some of the pressures of being a celebrity, which might be negative. I always find the undeserving positives to win by a large margin. So you can say now there is no pressure at all. Even if there is, I don't think of it as stressful.

'Sometimes ideals have to take a back seat'

In the fourth part of an exhaustive and exclusive interview with Shah Rukh Khan, Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy asked him for advice for today's youngsters. SRK, who thinks he understands their language and emotions, feels very strongly about the youth following their heart. Audio: Listen to SRK's message to the youth

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The actor also spoke about his setbacks like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Swades. If you had an opportunity to speak exclusively to younger people, people who are just setting out to achieve their dreams, what will you tell them? And what will you tell those who are not successful and who are despairing, and what will you tell the successful who for whatever reason had forgotten the difficult days? In some strange way, all that I've done in the last 17-18 years through my work is to speak to the youngsters. I've never spoken to anyone else because I understand their language and emotions. I've been a youngster who's had to grow up too fast because of the (early) death of my parents. I missed out on my youth. At the age of 16, I lost my dad. By 20-21, I had to start getting more responsible than I should have been. By 25, I was completely on my own with a sister to look after. I think I missed on these 10 years where I could have had a chance to be youthfully wild. I wish I can afford my kids to have a wild youth. When I say wild youth I mean flights of fantasy, have fun. Have no worries. Go wrong because there's a long life in front of you to rectify them. Do things your heart tells you to do, otherwise for the rest of your life you will be doing what your boss tells you to do. I could never do it. I had to take up a job as an actor and I'm glad I did. I could give a huge speech to youngsters, because I really feel like that. I am re-living my youth now after having achieved a level of comfort where I think I can be on a flight of fantasy. When I was 34 I said, listen, I am good enough now to go back to being that age between 17 and 27 in my head because I don't have to worry about my future anymore. It doesn't matter if I don't have parents, I have been able to take care of myself. I'd like to tell everyone that this is a little speech I am going to say on KBC for boys and girls. There are only three things to life that you should remember. Honesty, hard work and humour. These are the three things that will take you through the good times and the bad. Ideals are important and you should stick to them but to be in a position of choice sometimes ideals have to take a back seat. The world is a difficult place, make sure you get into the position of choice. Do not sell your soul but keep it locked for a while if need be. Once you are in a position of choice and you are successful, do not ever sell your soul or make the wrong choices. Then god, or your own conscience will never forgive you. If you have failed, there's a huge life to go ahead with. I've read too many good books, and I am sure even the youngsters have, to know all the sayings about failure. But I read a recent one, which was very nice: Try, fail. Try again and fail better! I think that's how life should be. Let me at least try and fail better next time, if I can't succeed. I know reality is much deeper than just words or a successful guy who is a movie star or a rich middle class guy who's made it big who's giving all this spiel. But this is the experience I've learnt in life. That's what I am writing in my book actually. To be able to tell youngsters that there's nothing special about being special. It's very special to be ordinary.

There was a line in Crorepati which I wanted to tell youngsters ke you are not a crorepati because you come and win on KBC, tum crorepati isiliye ho kyunki tum crodon mein ek ho.

'I wish to be always remembered'

You come from a middle class background. A lot of your success and attitude is attributed to that grounding. Your children don't come from the same world. Is it a cause of worry how their sanitised upbringing, king size lifestyle will impact them? Yeah, I am very worried. I get quite worked up about two aspects of my children's upbringing. One is that I hope my name as an actor, or as an entertainer, or as a person who has been working in the media, should be as it is now. I wish it to be always remembered. I work to be remembered. I'll never be immortal but I feel that with that bigness, my shadow is not so big that my kids can't come from under it. I hope they are able to live beyond the shadow of their father's name. I am being a little presumptuous here, I am assuming that I will be remembered for a long time but I will not be wrong to start thinking like that. I am 41, I have been working for 20 years, I have done well for myself, I just hope my name is never going to be, the shadow is not so long and dark that my kids can never come out of that, whatever job they decide to go and work in, whether they want to be actors or they want to be computer engineers, whether they want to be in medicine. That is one thing that worries me, and I don't know how to do anything about it. I am just hoping it doesn't happen. The second part is: yes, my wife (Gauri) is very middle class. It's very strange to be sounding on about middle class when you have a BMW outside your house, which is one acre big. But these are the peripherals of the job. You know, people think I bought this big house I wanted to live in a big house. But the idea is I am from Delhi and everybody lives in big bungalows there. For a Delhi-ite it's not a big house even though I am a middle class boy. It is very strange but the thought is that we are very middle class as far as how we deal with things is concerned, how we talk in the house, we don't have a lavish lifestyle beyond the fact that the peripherals that come with my filmmaking or film stardom. The problem is everyone who comes home is on television so earlier my kids would think everyone works in television. Whether it is Karan Johar or Hrithik Roshan or Abhishek Bachchan or Preity Zinta or Rani Mukerji or Kajol or Juhi Chawla. They walk into the house and my kids would say dad, everybody works in television. But they have understood now. I am not strict but I am very clear that one aspect they don't ever forget, that if I can't educate them well being a star means nothing. And I try to do that, I teach them personally, I take a huge interest in what they do, and I am very sporting by nature so I like them to do sports. I do what my father used to do with me. He was an educated and middle class man of good nature and polite. So I try and be all that. The only difference is there are too many hoardings of mine in the city. That's the only difference between my father and me. I worry about it, but I am giving it my best shot. I hope I never have to make a movie for my son, and I hope whatever he decides to do, I hope I never have to make him an actor. I hope he is an actor by choice, I hope he likes what he does, and I hope he never has to compare himself to me however good or bad I might at the end of my career.

I believe youngsters should do their own thing. I don't get disappointed when I see a youngster with his navel pierced; or long hair; or strayed jeans. I think all that is part of fashion. I will not stop my kids from being like that because that would be strange. But I believe you should have good education and values.

'No woman has made a pass at me'

How do you handle female adulation, does your wife get jealous? I find it strange because I have no female adulation. It's been many years and lot of people ask me why I haven't had affairs and why one doesn't hear about me going up to women or whatever. I've never had a woman come up to me and say anything nice to me. But women love you! I am sure they do, and I love them back. I think somewhere there's a line, the way I am, it has never crossed anybody's mind to really propose to me. I think only my wife got stuck. I've never had a woman make a pass at me. Unfortunately. And I am too shy to make a pass at a woman. I've too much respect for women. Maybe that's why they like me. I know nobody believes that. About 10 days ago, people from Tehelka had come -- my old friend Tarun Tejpal (Editor-in-Chief, Tehelka) -- they were asking me questions. I was saying that I was shy of women, and I think I give vent to that complex of mine. Though I'm a romantic hero in films, I have never been good with women. I have lots of girlfriends, but they are all my friends. I play with their kids more than I play with them. But I've never been able to go up to a woman and say anything to her, nice, kind, romantic, interesting, wild, or you know, sexy. And I've never had women do the same to me either.

As a matter of fact, all my heroines earlier thought I was not attractive. Strangely, after 20 years, Juhi and all still say the same.

'I know when a film is a hit'

How do you handle setbacks, like for instance when Swades sank? I knew Swades is the kind of film that would not do well commercially. I was very clear on that. I told Ashutosh (Gowarikar, director) the first day when he narrated the story to me. Ashutosh is a very old friend, again one of my oldest friends in Bombay, and I said this is not going to work dude commercially, and he said no Shah, this is going to work. I said no, it won't work, but it's a beautiful thought because he said something like, my dad thinks this film should be made. So I've made a good film and a commercially successful film like Lagaan, the next say I should have to my work is about the condition of villages in our country and how it can be improved. I said let's go ahead and do it. I'm equally sure when I know when a film is a commercial success, like Don because you've been in the business long enough. I think I got a little unrealistic with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. That was shocking, it was unexpected the kind of downfall that film had. And then, of course, you find an excuse and say okay, it was ahead of its times. Because when you see News Now, this is exactly what we were talking about in Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, the commercialisation of media. Not many shocks shock me, I know where the film is headed; the reason I do a film is, mostly, I feel like doing it. Now I have done a film called Chak De India. It doesn't have a heroine or songs; it's about hockey in India played by women! You can't have a more negative subject to make a commercial film than that. Nobody understands hockey, nobody plays hockey and women's hockey? God! But I think I should say something about that because I used to play hockey, my dad used to play hockey, I want my son to play hockey.

And I think women should be given equal opportunities in sports. They should be big stars in every field of sports. I am a sportsman by nature. So you do a film like that, and of course I know Chak De India is not going to be, in terms of commerce it's not going to be a Rs 120 crore hit. But it will be a good film, and it will be liked by people and hopefully will make some money so we'll make another film like that.

'I want my kids to take me seriously'

In the previous part of an exclusive and exhaustive interview with Shah Rukh Khan, the actor claimed that he did not believe in setbacks, and films like Swades were not expected to be successful as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jagenye. In the concluding part of the interview, SRK talks about his busy schedule, his smoking habits and much more to Savera R Someshwar and Saisuresh Sivaswamy. You underplayed your role in Swades. I was pleasantly surprised that there's a whole area of acting where I can underplay, and people haven't seen that and like that a lot. I am too energetic to really go into serious acting just now, and I've kept that for when I'm 55, you know, when I'm grey and I can't move fast enough. Then I'll do serious acting like in Swades. But I know there's a whole area that is waiting for me to do, I can do subtle, underplayed, easy-going acting in films if it demands. To tell you honestly, I never expected people to like me in Swades as much as they did, it sounds pompous, but a lot of people, a lot of educated, serious-minded IIT-Kharagpur types like it, they say arre oh... We loved it too... Yes, I know, your name is Sai, and Sai will like it. You seem like an intellectual. So all the intellectuals liked it. Which is nice, I got messages from people who said that you know, we never liked you as an actor but in Swades we started liking you. Which is nice. There's a reason for doing everything, and all the reasons are not for above 100-crore hits. And I think if I don't do it now, at the age of 40 plus, I'll never do it. A lot of my friends turn around and say don't do a Paheli, don't do a Swades, don't do a Chak De India... Just always do films like Krrish, Don and Dhoom. But sometimes I want my kids to take me seriously. Otherwise, they will think ke Dad was only about fun and games. How do you handle setbacks? If your expectations are real, there are no setbacks. If you are going to have unreal expectations from life or work, there will be setbacks. I mean, you will think they are setbacks. I never ever really think anything fails. Especially in creative work, you can't fail. It's a very strange word you know because the dichotomy of cinema is that supposedly it's a creative art form. And it is judged and gauged and sort of calculated by the parameter of money and ticket sales. It's a very strange thing, you say art is done in solitude, while cinema is an art form which is supposed to be public opinion. It's a dichotomy in itself. There was a friend of mine who used to tell me, whenever you do a film do ek dhan ke liye, which is to make money. Do ek man ke liye, which is what you feel about, and do ek, just fun ke liye. Do it just for a lark. So if your expectations from a film is about dhan, and if it doesn't get you the dhan, then it's a failure. If it is about fun and it doesn't give you fun, then it's a failure. And if it's about man, and it doesn't satisfy you, then it's a failure. I think Ashutosh's dad was very satisfied we did Swades, so it's okay. As long as he's happy and that's what we did it for. The hassle is if we start losing sight of that and start thinking Oh god, Swades should be a Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge. Then you are being foolish.

Swades was a comment and a good one. It was a tad too long. I felt that it should have been about 20 minutes shorter but Ashutosh makes long films. You can't question him on that, like almost three and a half hours, but it says something nice. It will be one of the things I will hold very dear to my career. I am making a little office for myself, and Swades will find a place... Oh, I got all the awards for that, so I am very happy with it.

'Jihad is about killing the badness in you'

I recall you telling an interview that you've been getting deeper into Islam, reading about it, to find out what is it about the religion that's made you also made those who kill others in its name. Has your quest ended, or is it an ongoing one? I keep reading it, but you know, in a strange sense just being a movie actor has made me stand for a lot of values and iconic things. And one of the things that I suddenly stand for is that I am a Muslim in a Hindu country. And I suddenly realise that nobody has ever made me feel that way. So can I tell people that? Can I explain that to people that I am a Muslim in a country called India, and it's not just a Hindu country or something. We've never been made to feel this is a Hindu country. Which means we are amazingly secular. And if I feel like that in this country, then I think Islamic people should feel that way in every country. Audio: Listen to SRK's message to the youth

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And why don't they? If some person is using the name of Islam and confusing it with jihad, I think one needs to understand the meaning of jihad. And jihad means overcoming your own frailties, your own streak of violence, and I wanted to understand all that. I've read the Quran, I've read the Bhagwat Gita, I've read the Mahabharata. But I've understood the essence that jihad is not about killing other people, jihad is about killing the badness in you. It's an emotional war, and when people use it for a physical or material war then it's a wrong use of term. The earlier the world understands that, the better.

I mean, there's already enough problems from global warming to tsunami to economic breakdown to be bothered about a small little word which you are misinterpreting. And it's not nice to be frisked at an American airport because somebody is misrepresenting your religion. People should realise that Islam, like Hinduism, Christianity and Sikhism, is about being kind.

'Our country is like what we are'

What is your dream for India? I am too small to dream for something so big. If all of us, in our own capacities, keep doing the right things, India will be dream-like. I don't think I am in any position, and I find it very strange when lot of people through SMSes and interviews talk about what I think my country should be like. So if you can tell me that what you are going to be like tomorrow and stick to it, then our country will be like that tomorrow. That's the micro aspect of it. Collectively, if all the one billion people start thinking like that, what one person says doesn't make a difference, we just need to do it. Given your large appeal, do you ever see yourself entering politics? Given my large appeal is the reason I will never enter politics. Why, do you think politics is a bad word? No, no, it is not that, I think appealing people should be movie actors, should not be politicians. Do you see yourself as an entertainer or as a movie actor? I call myself a performer. I undermine my own position because in spite of people thinking I am arrogant, I like to tell you there's no magic to being an actor, a movie star, King Khan or Badhah or performer or an entertainer. I do a job, and it's just that. If I started talking seriously about what I do, people will take me more seriously. But the truth of the matter is that I do a job like everyone else does.

'My job gets shaken up every Friday'

There's a rich crop of younger actors who are now enjoying a tremendous buzz. There's Abhishek Bachchan after Guru, Hrithik Roshan after Krrish and Dhoom 2, plus there's your contemporary Akshay Kumar. Who do you think is best suited to succeed you to the superstar mantle? I don't think, one, I am a superstar. And I don't think this is like a kingship, where succession happens. I just do my job. A lot of people say I think Akshay is wonderful, so is Abhishek, so is Hrithik, and I am not being diplomatic. I think they are all doing a good job and they'll all have big hits. I am not going to keep on doing a good job for the next 100 years. But if you tell me to name a successor, it would mean I believe I am the king. So I can't name a successor because I don't believe I am the king. I've a job, which every Friday gets shaken up. Every year for 17 years I get shaken up. A newcomer has come to displace me. I get shaken up now by older people. I get shaken up by youngsters, I get shaken up by my colleagues like Akshay Kumar. But besides that, a lot of people even turn around and tell me I am not the Number 1, so I don't know whom to believe. I get viewpoints every day, so even if I had to believe one of them, the answer would be very difficult for me.

'I would have done Sholay'

After Devdas and Don, which Bollywood classic would you like to remake next? I would have done Sholay, but somebody's beaten us to it (Ram Gopal Varma is remaking the Ramesh Sippy classic, with Amitabh Bachchan playing Gabbar Singh). I am okay. I mean, I don't decide. It is the director who has to take a call, I think Sanjay Leela Bhansali was very keen to make Devdas and Farhan Akhtar was very keen to make Don. There's nothing really wonderful in remaking a film, unless the director and the actor feel it was a special film to them when they were growing up. And Devdas and Don were both very special to me. My parents used to love Devdas and Dilipsaab. And I loved Don when I was growing up. It was great, sort of reliving that. How does your family find your smoking, we think it is horrible. They hate it. So I sit outside in the garden and smoke. But I am going to give it up now yaar, the last 20 days I have had a very bad bout of laryngitis and bronchitis, so it has to go. I'll give it up, it's not a good thing. What kind of fitness regimen do you follow, and how did you heal your back? My back is good yaar, I've been exercising a lot. But for the last two months I have not exercised, I have not been well actually. I am just sort of recovering from bad bout of laryngitis and bronchitis. They put me on steroids so I can get through KBC without losing my voice. But today or tomorrow, I will start working out. I work out at night, after I come back home and put the kids to sleep at ten. At 10.30 pm, I go into the gym, and exercise till about 11.15 pm, then I take a bath, then around 11.30 pm I have dinner. Then I read till about 2 am. I smoke, and drink a lot of Pepsi, huge amounts of coffee and tea. I sleep only four and a half hours. When do you manage to spend time as a couple? Ah, in between. In between the coffee and tea (laughs). What would your epitaph say?

I really don't know. Just put a photograph. I think you should put the Madam Tussaud's statue on it.

Link: http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/12slide1.htm

Regard

Rajeev and Aamna jodi's biggest admirer and supporter forever and ever Zee....