People think I'm gay: Shah Rukh
He is one of India's biggest stars, makes more money per film than most of us do in a lifetime and his popularity is virtually unmatched. No prize for guessing, the star is of course Shah Rukh Khan.
Rajeev Masand: I have to ask you first, where has your beard gone?
Shah Rukh Khan: The beard was there because of my role in the film Chak de India. I just finished shooting for it, so it's gone now.
Rajeev Masand: Was it bothersome. Were the kids complaining?
Shah Rukh Khan: My daughter did not like it. In fact some other girls, too, said that it pricks when I kiss them.
Rajeev Masand: Not many people know this but the Munnabhai films were conceived with you in mind. Also the first film Munnabhai MBBS was a film in which you even collaborated with some of the writing portions. In fact you have been very graciously saying that you would not have done as good a job as Sanjay Dutt did in the two films. What did you think about the second Munnabhai film that did so well recently?
Shah Rukh Khan: I haven't seen it but my wife and kids have seen it twice and they loved it. To be honest, I wasn't in town when the first Munnabhai came out. My family went to see the film because they knew that I was extremely keen on watching it.
Raju Hirani's simplicity of storytelling is the most wonderful thing about the film. In fact I loved the title of the film when I heard it. Vidhu Vinod Chopra had come to me and he was extremely passionate to make the film but I had to undergo a surgery at that time.
I had to give up the film because I could not have asked them to wait for me till I recover. They were not my friends at that point of time. Now of course they are best buddies but I could not really ask them to wait for me till I recover.
I did put on hold other projects and asked Yash (Johar), Farah (Khan) and Aziz (Mirza) to wait. But I could not have asked Raju Hirani to do the same. He was embarking on his very first film and I could not hold him back for one-and-half years just because I was undergoing a surgery.
They went ahead and made it. Later on when I saw it, I felt that I could not have done a better job. I really felt that I would not have been able to do even 10 per cent of what Sanju has done. I think Sanjay Dutt is the real Munnabhai.
I am glad that I participated in the film in such a way that I may take the credit of giving the Indian film industry a character like Munnabhai by not doing it.
I genuinely think that Sanju is outstanding. There is this amazing and enduring big brotherly love in Sanju's Munnabhai, which I don't think I would have been able to bring to the table.
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