Beach Buddies(Article)

She says it like no other. She asks it like no other. The ever candid Farah Khan returns to the small screen as the host of Tere Mere Beach Mein, a STAR Plus talk show that grills celebrities like never before. A t2 chat with the irrepressible choreographer-director…

How is Tere Mere Beach Mein different from other celebrity talk shows?

Firstly, it's not a show where an actor can come and plug his film close to its release date. We have seen that happening in too many shows in the past and frankly, I think it's in very bad taste. Tere Mere Beach Mein is a celebrity talk show all right, but one that has a heart. Every episode deals with a socially relevant topic. We get one celebrity and one non-celebrity on the show — both tied together by a common thread. For example, when we did the 'Mama's boy' episode, we got Salman (Khan) on the show with his mother, along with another young man from a Mumbai chawl who is also a mama's boy. Mostly the non-celebrity is someone who is in dire need of financial help and we try our best to help him.

But comparisons with Koffee with Karan and The Ellen DeGeneres Show are inevitable…

I am a great fan of both Koffee with Karan and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, but Tere Mere Beach Mein is nothing like both these shows. Here the involvement of the common man is much more. We also do a lot of charity on the show. And besides, Karan (Johar) did such a fantastic job with Koffee with Karan. Main uski copy karke kya achieve kar loongi? (laughs).

Of the 13 episodes that you have shot, which one have you enjoyed the most?

Since all the 13 episodes dealt with a different topic, there was something unique about each episode. Shah Rukh (Khan) came for the 'Henpecked husbands' episode and it was a riot. I think he is the only one who would be gutsy enough to come and say, 'look at me, I am henpecked!' The Pathan brothers — Yusuf and Irfan came for the 'Sibling rivalry' episode and that was a lot of fun too. We shot with Hrithik (Roshan) yesterday, and I think this is the first time he has really opened up to say that he had a stammering problem in his childhood.

Which celebrity has been the most candid?

That would have to be Salman. In fact, it would have to be his mother, Salma aunty. She said a lot of things on the show that could get Salman into a lot of trouble. And though Salman kept telling his mom that, "Mama, mat bolo, mat bolo," there was no stopping her. That was a really cool episode.

Why a beach as the set for the show?

I love beaches. I think they are the most relaxing places in the whole world. I wanted the guests on the show to feel comfortable and relaxed in a fun environment and that's why we have the beach as a setting.

What will Tere Mere Beach Mein tell the common man about these celebrities?

It will show the non-celebrity that celebrities are human too. If you are grappling with a problem now, the celebrity has been in the same boat, battling the same problem in the past. It will tell the audience that stars are actually very relatable people.

The last time we spoke, you said that you don't have a script for your next film because your children tore it up! Any news on that front?

Well, I have finished my script at last, thank god! But we don't start filming before 2010. I have this show to finish off and then Shah Rukh's back has to heal. You know every film I make has to have Shah Rukh in it.