Mumbai Mirror epaper
SRK KO PAKADNA MUMKIN HAI!
INTERVIEWED BY ANIL THAKRANEY
Let me admit upfront that I'm seriously attracted to SRK. And no, neither am I gay nor bisexual. It's gotta do with only one thing: in a country where 99.99 per cent people lack a great sense of humour, this man stands out like a delicious oddity. And funnily enough, it's the spontaneous wit and over-the-top humour that's got him the most flak on KBC3.
So should he be more 'dignified'? Is he worried about lower initial TRPs? We ask him this, and a whole lot of other questions around his alleged conflict with Bachchan, his rumoured bisexuality, his perceived lack of interest in social issues, among other things.
I meet the mega star on the sets at Film City where he's shooting, then a long chat inside his BMW (I guess his other car is a Santro) all the way to Mannat in Bandra, and then on the lawns of his palatial house over adrak chai and many smokes.
There's a strict pre-condition: Use of wit and humour to deflect questions not allowed tonight, dear SRK… let's cut to the chase.
Are you enjoying KBC, or have you now decided it's only films from hereon?
I find these demarcations very strange. I am an entertainer, an actor…
But you aren't acting on KBC, are you?
It's an extension. It's actually very difficult for an actor to be completely himself. People always say Shah Rukh plays himself, but that's stylising. But to be very much like yourself is the quest of an actor. Which can never happen in films, not at least in the kind of films I do… we do play it larger than life, except maybe for films like Swades and Chak de India. My reason for doing KBC is that I am working with non-actors, and I like that. I like the interaction, I like being with people. I am very magnanimous by nature; that's the way I have been brought up.
But money must play a large role in the decision to do KBC.
It's a lot of money, yeah. I perhaps wouldn't earn that much in ten years of my work. And I also enjoy it. It's for a mix of reasons, suppose if they said do it for free, of course I won't be able to take the time out.
Bachchan did it for money, he was facing bad days at the time. You don't have such reasons.
Everyone does it for their own reasons. I like KBC as a show a lot. I am personally very interested in general knowledge. I do it at home, with my friends Adi, Karan… we play these quiz games till five in the morning. And the international versions of KBC are very funny.
Did you care to see Bachchan's KBC as part of research?
No. Though I had seen a few episodes when the show was on air.
Bachchan's KBC wasn't funny.
But they were nice, at least the questions were there. And there was drama.
Do comparisons with Bachchan bother you?
I knew the comparisons would happen, I am not a fool. Also, comparisons are odious. Is Sholay a bigger hit than Dhoom2 or DDLJ? No. They all made money.
But both shows are similar. The only thing new is the host. The better example to give would be Don.
Don may have earned a lot more money than the earlier one, but in your head it may still not be a bigger hit. Also, Hum Log was 100 TRP, so that was a big hit. So comparisons don't make sense.
You are ducking the issue. You are the only change on KBC.
Am I the only change? (Loudly.) I AM THE CHANGE! (And flashes the killer dimpled smile that makes a billion women swoon.)
Perception is you are obsessed with materialism. You once said you will do anything for money.
I said that for youngsters, and I will say it again. Please don't be stupid because of some idealistic writer and his utopian values that have no sensibility in the real world. You need to earn a living for yourself and your family. You need to have a comfortable life. The levels may change, but the truth remains. I still have the middle class values despite my mansion and the BMW.
How much more do you want to make?
What do you want me to do, work for free? I don't work just for money, there are a lot of films I turn down because I don't want to do them. Ask any producer I have worked with for the last 17 years how much I asked. And they'll tell you I never asked for money. They pay me what they want, I don't have a price. Maybe that's why I have done so well, I don't bother about money.
But you are ready to dance at Delhi weddings for money.
I love doing that, but you won't understand it. The idea is it's done like a show, on stage; Kylie Minogue once performed with me. There's a seating arrangement, there's no drinks, no food… it's done like a show.
Back to KBC, are falling ratings a worry?
No, it doesn't worry me. My producers are happy, my sponsors are happy, I have earned my money. And I won't justify figures. I am the figure!
But you cannot refute black and white figures.
I can't worry about that, I have a job to do. What do you want me to do? Do something else, be out of my job? I am an actor, a performer, I will continue to do my work as well as I have been doing. As a creative person, you are not going to be able to please all the people all of the time. I think I have been able to invoke interest in KBC.
Some audiences aren't comfortable with the cool dude attitude.
I don't think I am a cool dude; you are old fashioned if you think so! (Laughs.) I am an actor, I know what people want to see, that's the specialty of my job. We can't link research charts with creativity, that's a different discussion. We will then have to consider if the base has now expanded, does it include non-Hindi channels, does a TRP today equal a TRP of 102 during Hum Log, etc — all that we can't understand in three days of TAM study. Let the show have its run, we can study that later. Gandhiji once said when you do a new thing, they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight with you, and then you win. (The killer smile is back.)
Do you think you are doing a better job than Bachchan?
(Irritated.) I am bored of answering this question, are you going to ask me this for the rest of my life? What I do is very clearly my ****. I am doing it my way, he did it his way. If I were doing it exactly as the other host, then you can compare us.
Have you called Bachchan and asked if he liked the show?
No. Because I don't see comparisons, I don't need to know.
Have you seen Guru?
No, I don't watch films.
You're joking?
No, I just see my own films.
Don't you keep an eye on what your contemporaries are doing?
No, I get confused watching other people's films. I run with the blinkers on. I believe in the people I work with, and I give my best shot. When I was in Class III, I used to carry a bag that said, 'Do your best, and leave the rest.' I still believe in that.
Are you okay with film stars aligning themselves with politicians? Because you
then have to campaign for them. Like Bachchan does for Amar Singh.
I can't comment on others. But personally, I would not like to be aligned to any political party. But I have friends who are politicians. Also, as an actor, I don't think I can make people win an election. That's why Amar Singh never asked me! (Laughs.)
Would you ever campaign for friend Priyanka Gandhi?
I would not like to, and they won't ask me to. I have a joke with Priyanka, that if you become the PM, I will do Chhaiya Chhaiya for you.
All okay with Ash now, you got her knocked from Chalte Chalte.
Yes, it's okay now, though it took about a year to sort it out, we are both embarrassed about it now. I have apologised to her.
You regret what you did.
I regret I had to be in such a situation. We had a combined production with UTV. One had to let go of an artist who one would have liked to continue with. It was a joint production decision.
Think you over-reacted? Boyfriend trouble doesn't sound like a very serious thing.
It was a joint decision between Aziz, me, Juhi, Ronnie… we sat down and discussed it. We didn't know what to expect tomorrow. We spoke to her secretary Hari Singh, to see if the problem could be resolved. He said 'thode din ruk jao'. So we waited. Then we said we have to make this film, can we look at someone else.
You didn't pick up the phone and ask Salman to behave himself?
Yes, I told him off. We have been friends for long, he came over home. I told him you should not have done this, and he said he was sorry, and that it happened in the heat of the moment.
Anything in particular you dislike about the industry?
There was a time I would not like the way people would talk about me and write about me. Then I realised that I will be a topic of discussion. Over the years, I have developed enough patience and magnanimity to realise it comes with the turf. Ten years ago, I beat up a lot of journalists, even went to jail. If you were around then, you would have got beaten up too! (Laughs.)
Why doesn't SRK ever get involved in social issues, like Aamir did for Narmada Bachao, and Vivek did during the tsunami? You seem to be only interested in making money.
Firstly, in Islam, we don't talk about the charity we do, so I will not talk about it. Then, I don't believe I have the power to change your opinions on an issue. If I had that power, I would make sure every film of mine is a hit.
You do that wonderfully in ads. If SRK drives a Santro, I want it too.
We are the packaging for the product, that's all. And I love doing endorsements. In fact, the lines you hear from actors who do endorsements now, are most of my lines. 'We don't make money from films, we do endorsements so our lifestyle is ok.' I remember Anil Kapoor getting angry when I did endorsements. (Imitates him.) 'Come on yaar, stars don't do this, you shouldn't be doing this!' And I told him, 'I am from Delhi yaar, I want to buy a house and a car'.
Why not use that power to change things in this country?
If you don't break traffic rules, you don't trouble your neighbours, you pay your taxes on time, don't throw kachra outside your home, you would already have set an example. Whatever I do, I don't like to be associated with any organisation. I will do it on my own. And it's not to be shown. If I feel money has to be given to the PM's Relief Fund, I do it. Why make a show of it? I am planning on building a hospital in Bombay, the pediatric ward is finished, and I hope you don't write about it. I will make it on my own, put my own money.
The best-looking man in India, the hottest star in Bollywood, and no scandalous affairs?
The thing is, I love beautiful women, but I don't lust for them. I would never want my family members or people very close to me to walk into a public place and be embarrassed because of me. I would never let my loved ones down. I had decided from very early on in life, whenever I have to choose between a piece of arse and a piece of mind, I would choose the latter.
People say you're gay.
I am not gay.
Bisexual?
No.
Why is there so much talk of your sexuality?
People say I am gay because I don't have affairs. That I must have two children by heavy petting. (Laughs.)
anil.thakraney@timesgroup.com
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