~(¨`v´¨)~Shahrukh Khan~(¨`v´¨)~
Give me a role, I'll try to make it the best. That is my motto
The boy who played around the alleys of middle-class Rajinder Nagar and attended theatre workshops at Mandi House is today so big that his entourage occupies almost an entire floor of Delhi's most exclusive hotel. Security personnel stand outside the Tanjavur suite at the Taj Mahal hotel. Inside, the world of Shah Rukh Khan plays out. Sitting in a chair that is a replica of a medieval throne, Shah Rukh spoke to THE WEEK about life at 40.
Excerpts:
At the [Delhi] Golf Course, you mentioned your stamina [or, rather, the lack of it] at least three times. Unless you've been running 10 km a day, you can't play professional sport with the kind of stamina you have.
I realised it when I played a friendly cricket match in Amsterdam with not more than 20 overs. When I was in school or college, or even till five years ago, I played more regularly. Then my injury, surgery, everything happened.
Running on the treadmill is one thing, but indulging in active
sports is something I may not be able to do anymore.
Maybe this [the cigarette he just lit up] could be the culprit. You
have been talking about quitting.
I have been cutting down. Normally you would find many cigarette
butts here [pointing to the empty ashtray in front of him]. I smoke
about 8 to 10 [a day].
Everyone thought you would protest the smoking ban and say it is
illogical. But then you supported the ban saying it is nice.
No. I don't think it is nice. It is stupid. If you ask me, all this
talk about [banning] smoking, drinking, rape.
But you said you will support it.
I support it because it is the law. You decide I can't smoke in a
film, I follow it. Not because I want to. I stop at the red light
because it is the law. I would rather drive on the right side of the
road, like in America, but you have to follow rules. We are all law-
abiding, tax-paying citizens. It was strange this rule was supposed to come into effect from October last year when I was shooting for Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. I was supposed to [smoke] in a couple of scenes, but I said no, if this ban has come, we should not try to fight it. A lot of times it is of no importance to the character. But as I said in a joke, you can't make a film on Winston Churchill without his cigar in hand, can you?
You often mention your son Aryan in interviews, events. But nothing about your daughter.
Nobody asked me! I don't know why, but my friends [also] tell me
that I never talk about my daughter. But girls tend to be more
private. She is very shy. She is five and a half years old, her name
is Suhana. I mean, I am shy too, so I let her be. She is with her
friends most of the time, and I just try to be around. If somebody
asks me, I will [just] say, she is beautiful!
Tell us something about your next release, 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'.
I would say it is a great movie. It is [going to be] a big hit.
Insha Allah. It has great actors—Amitabh, Abhishek, Rani, Preity,
Kirron Kher—and all the right ingredients.
You just said it is quite bold for Karan to have made a movie with
such an unconventional theme.
It is about relationships we don't boldly discuss. We don't know
when we are releasing it, we have to wait till we finish our post-
production. [But] it is a gripping film. I would say compared to any of Karan's earlier films, it is quite different.
Is there some role you've been yearning to do?
Maybe you should have asked me this question 7 or 8 years ago. But now, you give me a role, I'll try to make it the best. That's my
motto. I mean, after 53 films, if I still haven't done a role I
wanted to, maybe I am in the wrong profession.
You've been a successful producer, actor. Is there something else
you would like to try, say direction, or maybe singing?
Oh no! Directors always try to make me sing! I sang for Josh, and a little bit for Don. Farhan [Akhtar, the director] made me do it.
Normally, they try to make me sing, but when they hear me, they
say, `Ahem, we'll drop the idea!'"
You are reprising a classic like Don. What about comparisons with
Amitabh Bachchan?
People in their 50s, 60s and 70s might compare. But if we make it stylish and intellectual enough, maybe you might like it.
Just like the Yash Chopra camp, the Bachchan camp, etc., there seems to be an SRK camp developing?
I don't have a camp. I find it very demeaning and deriding like in
school. Two boys would start their gang, then you would have your
class gangs. I work with people like Amitabh Bachchan, Yash Chopra, Karan Johar, Nikhil Advani, Farah Khan, Aziz Mirza, Mani Ratnam. I don't see how I have... [a camp].
You are a brand ambassador for TAG Heur, and they are working on an SRK watch. What would be your idea of an SRK watch?
I would like it to be like a retro design of TAG, but not like this
[points at his Monaco 69 TAG], the first watch I brought. If we can
get a very simple design in stainless or leather, I would be very
happy. I still cherish my first TAG, I would say I have the best
collection of TAG watches in the world. I've lost count, but I can
wear [a different one] for everyday of......the year?
Well, the next 10 years! | |