Brazen, outrageous and bold, he breaks every existing rule and yet everyone loves him. In the Natrajstudio on Darr's sets, Juhi Chawla strolls past in a cloud of chiffon. When she notices Shah Rukh Khan deep in the conversation, she smiles, “Aah, so you've found someone else to listen to you.”
Yash Chopra asks, “Aren't we filming today? Why don't you change your clothes and schedule your interview later this evening? ”SRK shakes his head and cheekily replies,“ Oh no, I have to meet another journalist. ”
The recordings are dealt with quickly. He comes back only to be cornered by Mukesh Bhatt and an assistant. You have a story. He gives them 15 minutes to talk about an infusion from Revenge, Sleeping with the Enemy and Turning Point. The actor cheekily suggests, “Mukesh, change the title from Rakhail to Rakhwala!” This is his way of saying “No thanks!”.
Juhi's mother comes in to say hello and stays to listen to a 20-minute talk from Shah about the benefits of living in Bandra. Apparently he can talk about any subject under the sun. We talk about how life and the movies have claimed on him lately.
Do you really feel like a loner in the glamorous circus?
Movies are just a job. You have to go to the office every day but you don't have to like the decor. Except for my closest family - my wife, my sister, my dog - there is only acting. I can survive by acting in my bathroom, I have my own style. Some directors like Yash Chopra, Rahul Rawail and Kundan Shah listen to my suggestions, occasionally accept them or tell me to shut up. After two and a half years and 13 films, I feel comfortable with some filmmakers. I don't want to expand my circle. I am sure that I will be quite satisfied to work with Saeed Mirza, Kundan Shah or Yash Chopra over and over again. I work with such intensity that I can't handle more than a few films a year. I did three this year and I'm drained.
What if they turn out to be duds?
Films fail, actors don't. Once the director of the recording is okay, it's his problem. I'm a part of the film, as is the Kodak footage; I do not take credit for the success of my films or blame for their failure. Anyway, why are we talking about failure? My films can't fail. And I am not arrogant. I have to believe in myself; otherwise I would not be able to work. I wouldn't be an actor. Ask Juhi, she will tell you the same thing, although she will be more diplomatic. I know some say I'm exaggerating, copying Dilip Kumar, but I don't care. In the past year none of my films failed ... so why should I believe that? Shocked?
No, but others are. Your ruthlessness gave you a reputation for being selfish and ...
(Interrupts) Snooty, loudmouth, show-off ... of course. In the past five weeks I've turned down 60 films; I obviously got quite a few really arrogant people against me who are now going around to tarnish my reputation. Who cares? I'll admit that I'm a show-off, I want to be recognized, and I want to be noticed.
You said you haven't had any failures. How about King Uncle?
Rakesh Roshan had planned King Uncle with Amitabh Bachchan, even a good scene in a Bachchan movie was enough for me. Yashji once told me that he wanted Sanjeev Kumar for Silsila, but every time they told Sanjeevbhai the script he said no. Still, they kept digging and in the middle of a story session he suddenly said, "Yes!" He changed his mind over a fleeting impression. During the song Rang barse there is a moment when he looks from Rekha to Amitabh to Jaya. That look speaks volumes. I also do my films for my moments. In Raju ... there was this delicate moment when I first walked into the office. It reminded me of Peter Sellers; it was my homage to one of the best actors in the world. At the Deewana it was the moment when I put my head in Sushma's aunt's lap and say to her, "Maa Mujhe Kajal de do". In Chamatkar it was the fighting. King Uncle? Well, Rakeshji told me that Bachchan wouldn't do the film after all. I asked him if he could find a successor and he was honest enough to admit that he could find one but would rather have me. So I said, "Fine, I'll do the film."
Then why did you give him so many sleepless nights because of Karan-Arjun when you refused to work with “bodybuilder” Salman Khan?
Stop! There has been some misunderstanding. I never called Salman a bodybuilder, I just said to Rakeshji, "I can't understand this bodybuilding role." I had never done an action movie before; when I heard the story it seemed so mediocre that I immediately turned it down. Then I had story sessions with Shahilaal Nair, Shekhar Kapur and a few other directors. They all wanted to make the ultimate action film and all true to the formula. That made me understand that every action film, be it The Last Action Hero, Terminator or Karan-Arjun, is about the triumph of good over evil. So I said okay and we did a photo session. But occasionally I got nervous. Then I made this controversial remark, I was just kidding. I often say to Yashji that I won't work with a bald budha like him, but nobody takes me seriously. Unfortunately, the bodybuilding joke went wrong. I told Salman that if I wanted to be mean, I would tell him in the face. Come on, I would never hurt someone like him. His and Chunky's family really looked after my family during my early days in Bombay. Even Salman was not aware of that beacuse of his shooting schedules. My wife is always with Salman's family, Gauri and his sister Alvira are close friends. And if I had any objection to working with bodybuilders, I'd only surround myself with girls.
Is it true that you and Ajay Devgan wanted to switch roles? When Rakesh Roshan uttered a word of power, Ajay went out angrily.
Yes, Ajay really wanted to do my part, but not because I have much more film time. We both had a song, but while I flirt with the heroine, he should be the typical silent guy with hardly any dialogue. Apparently Ajay is urgently looking for a different image, he wanted to run around the trees for a change. It's my first time playing a macho, it doesn't matter if Ajay or Vijay is the other guy: I'm playing a killer who is emotionally very cold. So different from the real me, huh?
What happened between you and Sunny Deol while filming Darr in Switzerland?
Do you want to know the truth? Nothing. Yashji and Sunny discussed a scene that I'm not even involved in, someone must have overheard and misunderstood, and we had a full blown controversy on our backs. Sunny is just not the man to undermine a colleague. We lived in the same chalet in Switzerland, and we got along pretty well. It's the media that sensationalizes things. I don't have a lot of movie time in Darr, just 18 scenes, six of them show me alone on the phone, but they are enough for me to make an impression.
It is believed that Aamir Khan laid down Darr because he felt he was missing out on climax.
Aamir wasn't very happy with his role - it was way too unconventional. Before returning to the project - I had been Yashji's first choice - I spent six hours with Aamir. For three hours I said to him, "Aamir, is it okay with you if I do the movie?" For the other three hours I said to him, "Aamir, it's a great role, do it."
They raved about Aamir. So why did you put down Mansoor Khan's film with him? Worried they might miss out on you?
On the contrary, I've had all of the best scenes. And that put me off. Since there were two heroes, the scenes should be split evenly between them. Any other actor in my place would have taken the role, but I thought it wasn't fair. I think Aamir wasn't too happy with the script either. It might be a wonderful script, but it's not for us. The Venus Company has our appointments, maybe a different script can be written, but it may be difficult to get us together because we are both so picky. Actually, I am longing to work with Mansoor. One day while I was filming in the Mehboob studio, I went over to his office and told him we should get together. But I don't fit into these love skirmishes “Until death do us part” romances. I just don't understand Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Love Story or Maine Pya Kiya.
You didn't have much role in Maya Memsaab. And yet your face dominated the posters. Were they trying to take advantage of your star status?
(Sighs) Yes, it was a distributors' trick and I didn't think it was right as it was mostly a director's dream about Deepa Sahi and Farouque Shaikh. But since my name was selling, the distributors thought they could use me and the often hacked nude scene to attract the crowds. Unfortunately that didn't quite work because people came to see me in a sex movie and were very disappointed. That's why the distributors gave in after a week and gave me the 'guest appearance' label.
They were pretty awkward in certain sequences. What happened to your super confidence?
The awkwardness was intentional. I wasn't a hulking newbie. I had already done Fauji, Circus, Idiot and Deewana and started with Chamatkar and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman. But this boy had barely outgrown his teenage years and obviously admired Maya, so I purposely interrupted my sentences - Yeh phool… aap ke… liye, changed my hairstyle, wore tight shirts and pants, worked on my posture and body language. It's my most subtle performance yet.
Do you still make one fancy art film a year?
Secure. There was Idiot from Mani Kaul, then Maya Memsaab, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa from Kundan Shah and now Hello Darling Yeh Hai India from Ketan Mehta. Next year it will be Saeed Mirza's Ek Kutte Ki Maut.
What about Manmohan Desai's film about a rickshaw driver? How realistic is that going to be?
I don't think the project is starting at the moment. Some of the scenes and the climax would be interesting. But the project is on hold, at the moment David Dhawan is directing a film with Anil Kapoor and me for Manji ... The line between real and cinematic life can be pretty thin. Mr. Bachchan once said, "If my mother dies, I won't know if I'm really crying or just playing." It's so true. Sometimes when I laugh I look in the mirror to see how I look and if I can use the phrase in this movie or another. For me, actors don't need affection, empathy, or flattery. We just need a little understanding of our eccentricities.
Of all the characters you've played, which one was the closest to the real Shah Rukh Khan?
Raju. Maybe I'm not that cute, or intelligent, or handsome, but I'm quite innocent, very emotional, and a pretty decent person. My love for my wife is as intense as the love I felt for Divya Bharti in Deewana. But if I started singing erotic songs or grabbing Gauri and quaking my nostrils to say, "Darling, I love you," she would have a heart attack with laughter. I went out of myself; I often don't know how to express my love for my wife or how I play. Some directors who know me even instruct the cameraman to leave the camera running after the shot, in case I leave out a line or a gesture that gives the scene a completely different meaning.
Weren't you recently offered a Shashi Kapoor film?
I went over to his office in the Prithvi theater and we had a short casual chat. We puzzled over some ideas and he said he would give me a call. I think there was a call from his office but I had been away from home a lot in the past few months so I just didn't have the time to follow up.
Is the price the problem? Apparently you asked him for Rs 40 lakhs.
Price can never be a problem. I didn't charge a rupee for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and I don't even know what Yashji is paying me for Darr. Why should I ask for Rs 40 lakh if I don't go over 20 lakhs? Only Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar and Subhash Ghai can consider charging that much money. The film would be too expensive for any other film hero.
Why did you reject Hema Malini's film? Is it because you don't think much of female directors?
My mother was a woman and I was very fond of her. Hema ji is so beautiful that I start crying every time I see her. She reminds me so much of my mother. Same thing with Raakhi ji - I like to touch her and comb her hair. I would like to do the Hema ji film, but I just don't have the time. I'm scared of meeting her because if she asks me I won't be able to say "no". I did Dil Aashna Hai even though I only had three and a half scenes in the entire film. Considering it was her first film, she did a fair job and finished the film in a year. Maybe the project was a little too ambitious, it would have been better to stick with a smaller cast, there were way too many of us walking around. I think, that she will score a hit with her second film. It's a great story and Hema ji is very clear about what she wants.
Have you accepted the fact that there will be savory stories about you as long as you are in the spotlight?
No I have not. I hate lies and liars. I don't ask for a report in any magazine, you don't have to write trash about me. My job is to be on the sets at exactly 9:30 a.m., not to take off my clothes for a cover story or to shout to the world that I am not a virgin or that I was almost raped when I was ten. Getting on the cover of a magazine should be like getting an award. When you accomplish something, people will automatically put you in there. Today with some hits on my account, I am told that the facts about me will be substantiated before they go to press. I'm not interested. I hate it when my wife cries over items that say I slept with Lady X or am trying to Grope Lady Y and Z My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world, why should I want such things with anyone else? So leave me alone. I don't have any clothes made by Andersons or whatever and I didn't even know Armani was a designer until I read he was supposed to be my favorite. I'm pretty happy with the work I'm doing, if I'm good enough for another 10 years, I'll get a black and white cover after my funeral.
