Episode 8
He truly lives life king-size! He's unapologetically flamboyant, extremely stylish and always dynamic! He ruled on land and now rules the skies! Karan's first guest this week is the king of good times, Dr. Vijay Mallya. His second guest is a successful columnist, author and social commentator. You could call her opinionated, you could call her judgmental, but she never fails to air her views and she is Shobhaa De.
Dr. Vijay Mallya talks about his flamboyant lifestyle, his showmanship, his legacy and his foray into politics. He discusses with Karan how he feels about the current state of politics and what changes he would like to see in the system. Together, Dr. Mallya and Shobhaa discuss their friendship, which is around 25 years old and has seen its share of ups and downs. They talk about their social lives and how they feel about being permanent faces on Page 3. They express their views on actors being politicians and politicians being actors …and also give their point of view on the current state of journalism and how they feel that the media needs a sense of responsibility. Dr. Mallya talks about the fact that he doesn't watch too many Hindi movies and Shobhaa admits that she has to catch the latest flick every Friday!!!
After the candid question-answer session, the show takes another interesting turn with the rapid fire round! Which Hindi film does Shobhaa wish she had written? Who does she think is the perfect celeb wife and who does she think is the most mismatched couple? Which living business icon does Dr. Mallya admire the most? If there was a film on his life, which actor does he feel would be able to play him best and who would he like his leading lady to be?
Excerpts from the interview
Karan: Your persona, the man you are… I mean most people who are industrialists and are in the business world have a certain image. You are not on of those serious industrialists who have that serious look on their face. Your whole perception is so different… Flamboyant… How do you react to that?
Dr. Mallya: Well you know at the end of the day I have to repeat… I have lived life on my own terms. I've not been shy I've not tried to hide anything. I'm totally transparent I am what I am and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't need to have a split personality I don't need to be a hypocrite. I just be myself. And as far as the showmanship is concerned... I am the brand ambassador of my brand, which are on the lifestyle platforms so what's wrong with that?
Karan: No there's nothing wrong with that. I think you love the fact that you are like this. But you have this party image. At times do you find yourself defending that to people who expect you to be more serious?
Dr. Mallya: You know seriousness is not a guarantee to success. If you don't have a party or you're more subdued it's not a recipe for increased stakeholder value. But you know, If I like to party I don't party alone, I party with people and as I said… it's all on that lifestyle platform which is becoming increasingly relevant in aspirational India today.
Karan: Your foray into politics a few years back, what drove you to politics?
Dr. Mallya: You know when I was 40, I thought I've come a long way in my life. I've had my fair share of success and also failures, but I've never looked back I've always treated my failures as stepping stones to success. I've made mistakes but the net balance sheet was pretty good. So I said what do I do now? Should I give back something to my country, to my state and how do I do it. It's very clear that in India you don't have a voice that's heard adequately unless you're sitting in the parliament. And so I decided to run for parliament. In 2000 I failed miserably and invited a lot of criticism that has become synonymous to Vijay Mallya, but in 2002 I defeated the city BJP candidate and got elected to parliament. I was most excited. Even though in the last 3-4 years I've been a backbencher, I've always tried to speak up about the accountability in governance.
Karan: How does it feel to be back on the show?
Shobhaa: Actually wonderful! The kind of response I'd got the first time round all over the world where there are Indians and Pakistani's and people monitoring Indian television, it was always "we saw you on Koffee with Karan!", so it says a lot about the host, a lot about the show and maybe a little about me!
Karan: Alright, I like that! You've known Vijay for how long Shobhaa?
Shobhaa: Around 25 years! I think!
Karan: It's been a good friendship?
Shobhaa: It's been an interesting friendship! It's had its ups and downs but it's never been a boring or a static friendship! Which I think is what keeps a relationship on its toes and it makes sure you don't take each other for granted.
Dr. Mallya: Absolutely! But I remember only the ups! Not the downs!
Shobhaa: Selective memory!
Dr. Mallya: (Laughs)
Karan: "The Queen of Opinions" … is that a good way of describing you Shobhaa?
Shobhaa: It's not bad! Empress might be better! But he has a copyright on that already!
Dr. Mallya: No! I can say that to you!
Shobhaa: His super super yacht is called the Indian Empress and I've happily stolen it for myself for tonight!
Episode 7
He's the most loved man in the industry today. Everybody feels very protective about him and rightfully so! Karan's first guest was Sanju Baba to the film fraternity and 'Munnabhai' to the whole world, the resilient Sanjay Dutt. His second guest is a member of Sanjay's family. A young, successful politician and a tremendous support to Sanju all these years, his sister Priya Dutt!
Sanjay opens his heart out on the show, talking about his chaotic life and how he coped with personal crisis like losing his parents, quitting drugs and his days in prison. He talks about how he has humbled down after spending eighteen months in prison and has realized the importance of freedom. Chatting about his daughter, Trishala, he says that he is proud of her as she is studying Forensic Sciences and jokingly adds that she worries him with her compulsive shopping habits. He rubbishes all rumours about his alleged marriage and stresses that he is very much single.
Moving away from his personal life, he also talks about the national phenomenon called "Munnabhai MBBS" and how the film has defined his career! Priya adds that though she is Sanju's younger sister, there are times she has lost her cool with him! She says that she and the entire family have always stood by Sanju through all his crisis and turbulence and have come out of it pretty strong! As for being with him through his personal problems, she admits on the show that even though she is always there for him, she never invades his private space!
After the touching question-answer session, the show took another turn with the rapid fire round! Sanju and Priya answered Karan's tricky questions wittily and candidly , making it difficult for him to choose the winner! What Gandhigiri advice would Sanju give to George Bush and to Osama Bin Laden? Which one film would he like to erase from public memory? How many women has he been with? Which Indian politician would Priya send 'Get Well Soon' flowers to? Who does she think is the sexiest hunk on Indian television? What advice would she give Sanju if he wanted to enter politics? Who is her favorite Actor-MP?
Excerpts from the interview
Karan: The kind of life you've had, I think books are written on such lives. What do you have to say about what you've been through?
Sanjay: Karan, I don't regret anything! All I can say is that losing my parents, quitting drugs, going to prison, if I sit and sulk about it, I wont be moving on in life. So you should keep it at the back and you should learn from it.
Karan: All the years you spent in jail, the very thought is scary. Even spending one day in jail personally scares the living daylights out of me. How many months were you in jail?
Sanjay: Eighteen months
Karan: When you look back at that eighteen-month phase, what is the one thing you learnt out of that experience which you can share with us?
Sanjay: Karan its just to be humble. It humbles you down and makes you realize how important freedom can be which all of us take for granted. You know freedom is taken for granted. When it's taken away you realize how important it can be. I think God had a plan to send me there and to just humble me down, cool me off and that's what's happened exactly.
Karan: Did you need that cooling off?
Sanjay: At that time it didn't feel like I did, but now when I look back it has made me a humble person.
Karan: Did you feel answerable to people? Did you feel you were being judged on certain occasions?
Sanjay: Absolutely. I felt that I'm being judged. And I have to answer and I have to clear my name and the name of the family.
Karan: Is there a love? Is there "one love" of Sanjay Dutt's life he's never gotten over?
Sanjay: One love of Sanjay Dutt's life! (Laughs) I've had a turbulent past with the loves in my life.
Karan: When you look back you just savor every relationship, but you don't feel that you fell in love that one time and maybe nothing came out of it?
Sanjay: The problem with me is that I fall in love all the time.
Karan: You fall in love far too often?
Sanjay: Far too often!
Karan: Are you in love today?
Sanjay: No!
Karan: No? So all these rumors about your alleged marriage are all..
Sanjay: All rubbish! I came on TV and denied it also. There's no marriage. We're just friends.
Karan: When you look back at all these thirteen years, fourteen years what are your reflections on all this?
Priya: I think we've come out of it pretty strong! My father always used to tell us it will pass. What we're going through will pass. There's always light at the end of the tunnel. You have to fight. You have to face whatever you have to. I think that's what our resilience is. There are times when we feel everything is going so well in the family, what's going to happen next. You know there's a calm before the storm. We've got so used to that!
Karan: Though you're his younger sister, there are times that you must have wanted to plonk him on his head and ask what are you doing? There are times you want to beat him up?
Priya: Yeah! There are times! I think there are times I lose my cool and you know. I think now that whole age difference doesn't exist. I think all of us have always been very protective about him.
Karan: That's the vibe he generates in the industry as well. That's why he is called Sanju Baba!
Priya: Yeah! I guess so! Everyone who knows him is protective about him.
Episode 6
This Sunday, Karan's first guest was one of the finest actors this generation has seen… the very talented Tabu. Karan's second guest was the internationally celebrated filmmaker and the big name behind Namesake, Mira Nair. Also joining them was the renowned choreographer and the director of a super-hit Bollywood film, Farah Khan.
Tabu who was rather apprehensive to come on Karan's show admitted, "You make us commit a lot of things which I don't want to." She talked about her journey in the film industry since 18 years, some of the regrets in her personal life and also confessed on the show that she has a low self-esteem. In spite of being a part of the internationally acclaimed film Namesake, Tabu shares that it's very clear in her head that she has no Hollywood aspiration. She also spoke about the special relationship she shares with Nagarjuna and the fact that nothing can ever change or alter the relation with him.
Mira, on the other hand talked about her new movie, Namesake, and feels that the success of her film is largely due to her wonderful cast. Mira shares some of the beautiful moments while making the film and what's her take on being put in the same bracket as Gurinder Chadha and Deepa Mehta.
And just when the masala packed rapid fire is about to commence, the controversial rapid-fire queen of last season, Farah Khan makes an entry. According to Tabu, which actor needs to hit the gym? If Mira was mistaken for Deepa Mehta what would she say? Saroj Khan, Ganesh Hegde or Shiamak Davar, who according to Farah is the best choreographer? Mira Nair's next or Farah Khan next, what does Tabu choose?
Excerpts from the interview
Karan: You have been in this industry for how long Tabu?
Tabu: 18 or 19 years.
Karan: Any regrets?
Tabu: Lots ... but it will really take a while if I start discussing it.
Karan: Professionally or personally?
Tabu: Ahh ...personally more I think ... but, actually having said that I wouldn't look at them as regrets ... and more as a learning experience … but, I wish I hadn't met a few people I had met which I would not want to name.
Karan: So, are you seeing anyone Tabu?
Tabu: I am not.
Karan: But are you totally single ... with all these alleged rumors of men who live in the southern party of the country... not true?
Tabu: It's a very big territory ... you have to tell me.
Karan: Oh so you want me to tell Tamil Nadu, Karnataka ... you want me to be that specific?
Tabu: Ya … see I have done films in many languages ... so you need to be specific about the language.
Karan: So, we don't seem to be getting anywhere.
Tabu: So, what were you asking about Nagarjuna?
Karan: I didn't even say Nagarjuna.
Tabu: Because it is the only rumor, which is constant in my life, since I was 16 years old.
Karan: You moved to Hyderabad?
Tabu: Not because of him, because I have made a house for myself there, and because I belong to Hyderabad. I think this Nagarjuna thing is very old. It keeps coming back… that's why I always wonder ... it feels like the media wants to give this impression that whether I have boy friends or not, boy friends come, boy friends go, but Nagarjuna remains, so it's really funny. I don't know what to say but, he is one of the closest people in my life, he is one of the most important relationships I have and my relationship with him is very dear to me and also nothing can ever change or alter my relation with him and that I don't have any label for it. I can't do anything about it.
Karan: You can call it a friendship?
Tabu: I think friendship is the most abused word.
Karan: So, we will just keep it to that.
Karan: You have made such a beautiful film.
Mira: Firstly, Jhumpa, the mother of the film ... the mother of the book and then this extra ordinary cast from Irfan and Tabu ...
Karan: Do you some times feel that, you know... you make these international films... but you are not doing anything for India? Do you ever feel the need to come back and do a full Hindi picture?
Mira: You know, my theory is I don't do anything that any one else does better than me ...laughs... and you do it better than me ... So, I mean I am not here to imitate.
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