In Conversation with Shahrukh Khan

He was born a Muslim, went to a Christian school and has a Hindu wife and two secular kids and did I forget to mention he also happens to be the most famous Indian. Shahrukh Khan is the true son of India and his story from the humble beginnings to super mega stardom is one full of will, determination, and sheer belief in oneself.

Paras Sharma at FilmiTadka had the opportunity to interview the super mega star of Bollywood, none other than Shahrukh Khan, the king of bollywood; following are the excerpts:

Shahrukh you are looking fabulous and thanks for coming to FilmiTadka office for this interview.

Shahrukh: Thank you very much for inviting me Paras.

Well although you are looking fabulous, but we hear that you aren’t in well shape, and also I can see you aren’t feeling well at the moment.

Shahrukh: Yeah I have hurt myself I keep hurting myself I need to understand that I am cut off only for romantic films and not meant for action films (also interesting is that this the man who has the ultimate six pack abs), well this six pack is only exterior but inside I am hurt, there used to be a movie of Eddie Murphy, where used to say, you know I am a Karate man I bleed from the inside.

Shahrukh you worked really hard to get that six pack thing, and which is no easy thing at the age of 42, so doesn’t it feels bad when people often say mean things like it is not real it is Photoshop, silicon, camera work, etc?

Shahrukh: People can say what they wish to, and I respect that. My advice to people would be to go ahead with Photoshop, with liposuction, and if they get six packs like mine, god bless them, and tell me also how achieved that, write to me, enlighten me; I will also love to follow an easier regimen to get six pack abs.

You have got everything Shahrukh; you have all the money, a great family, huge fan following, what still drives? Because you seem driven today than ever before?

Shahrukh: No I really do not have anything, I often tell this to people who are young or who as old me also, see success is very subjective, when I decided to become an actor, my logic was that I am going to give it the best shot, make lot of people smile along the way what started happening was that I made too many people smile, and I don’t deserve this, so I don’t know how long am I going to last, but at the end of it all I want to say is that I don’t owe it to anyone, including audience, because I am going to say listen I deserve it because I gave you back enough. People say I am King Khan, which I think is a clever journalist eclectic, I truly believe a king is not how much he earns, how much he takes, a king is how much he gives, I don’t think success as the finishing line, so I don’t think I have anything.

People often say that as high as you go that is how low you have to fall in the way and all stars eventually decline, have you prepared yourself for that?

Shahrukh: Yeah about 72 years from now, when I am 117 years old, I am very disturbed by the thought that at the age of 117 I’ll be a failure star, I feel really sad thinking that.
All your life you have worked towards being recognized and then spend the rest of your life wearing the dark glasses to hide yourself, I love being recognized, I love the fact that people love me, I love the fact that people think that I am a star, I love the fact that on Fridays I make people smile, when it is taken away from me for whatever reason, lack of my talent, lack of my hard work, or just the fact that nobody is interested in me anymore which will happen, I am not preparing myself for it, but I can tell you that I will be shattered, I will feel very sorry, but then I’ll start directing the films.

Shahrukh we just now talked about being a super star and then hiding the rest of your life wearing dark glasses and all, don’t you think it is hard to play your own big brother, you get a minute for yourself, even you are free or having rest, media comes up and says – SRK is having rest, etc.

Shahrukh: The line is blurring between real me and the actor me, but I am always acting, whenever there is a camera I start acting, whenever there are more than two people in front of me I start acting, so my friends also ask how do you rest, every second of yours is being scrutinized, so people from the outside is only seeing the actor side of me and never the real side of me, so I can give a lot, as an actor I can give my 100%, but the real self of me is never out in the media so people are not taking a single second of my life out of me.

People think that you are one of the luckiest and most liberal thinking Muslim in India and normally Muslims are unhappy and that is why all these communal things happen, what is your take on this?
Shahrukh: Most of the Indians are liberal thinking; we have only four agendas – security, education, economic development, removal of poverty, there is no fifth agenda.But people who throw bombs or all of these things they don’t even know what they are doing and why they are doing it.
I mean look at this guy, what is his name, Ajmal Kasab, just hear him, where is ideology, where is any logic, where is any sensibility, where is any education, where is the one sentence which he said so that one can at least say – Oh! Ok so this was the reason why he did that, but why killing, is it because you are poor, so? every poor person should start killing, or is it because you are uneducated, so? Should every uneducated should start killing? There is no logic with these people, you connect this with the unhappy Muslim of India.

Shahrukh your love affair with Gauri Khan, which is a childhood love affair, is a Yash Raj Film in itself, can you please share something with us about how it started?
Shahrukh: Actually I am in awe of women, when I am in awe that means I am a little shy of women, yes I do a lot of romantic films, but in actual I am shy of women, so earlier I used to go to these parties, in our parties boys used to sit on one side and girls used to sit on the other side, when some George Michaels song comes in we used to go over and ask them can I have this dance with you? But I never could do this in my whole life. So in one party Gauri was there and I sent a friend of mine to ask her that will she dance with a friend of his? And in which she got confused and said no, she said that she is waiting for her boyfriend to come and she will dance with him, which later turned on that the guy who came was her brother, she lied because just didn’t want to dance with any of the boys, so I went over to her and asked can I be your brother, to which she said no I’ll marry you.

Shahrukh you are a unique actor who has been linked with men and women, so how do you deal with all of it? Or have you ever crossed the line in terms of really having a relation with the stars or directors?
Shahrukh: I am not only metro sexual, bi sexual or tri sexual, I am all sexual, and Yes I have relations with all of them, I had sex with all the directors, actresses, actors, I have been linked with, see I really find it strange that people reduce the relations to just sex, I am not linked with all of them but Karan Johar, and I love him, but that doesn’t mean that I have hot and sweaty sex with him, actually when at home we laugh at it, I mean I remember once I was at home Gauri and Karan were lying in the bed, they were chatting, and there was a lady who used to work in the house, so when I came home, she came to me and told me – “sahib aap jab ghar mein nahin hote ............................” so I told her that yes I am really jealous because Karan is really supposed to be lying in bed with me.


Do you worry that your kids might not grow up in an atmosphere which is real, will they have a sort of upbringing you had?

Shahrukh: The biggest fear I have is that whatever my kids (Aryan and Suhana) do in their lives in terms of work, they should just over come this image of being the kids of this big movie star, and for which I try to never tell them that their father is this super star, I attend their school functions, I teach them, I play with them.
I am also happy about them because I got to travel out of India at the age of 26 or 27 for the first time, but for them I think it is a gift that they are seeing the world first hand at such an early stage, and when they arrive they will be well informed and confident.

In Candid conversation with Sonu Sood

You studied engineering so how did acting happen? 

I started out in the fashion industry, which culminated in with a few shows in Nagpur. Then I thought why not acting? As it turned out, as it turned out it wasn’t a bad idea after all. Although I must say it wasn’t easy. Screen success happened slowly over time. Guess it boils down to how well you can convince people that you can deliver. Also, it’s about getting in touch with the right people for the rest of the pieces to fall in place.

Did you always want to be an actor? 

Well I come from Moga, a small town in Punjab, my mother was a college professor and a businessman. Growing up in a small town, I’ve always wanted to move out and make something out of myself. Let’s put it that way.

How did you deal with stardom? 

Ask anybody who has grown up with me and they’ll tell you that I am still the same guy they grew up with. In fact I still write letters to my relatives back at Moga and meet up with old pals whenever I go there. I guess you can call the story of my life one of those familiar Indian narratives. Small town guy goes out and tries his luck in the big bad world. In a sense, I am still that small town guy.

How has life changed after you took up acting? 

Speaking of change, you could say that I have become more of an open person. Every day I come across new people. It enriches me more and more. I love to learn from each new day. I am fortunate to have great friends who have been supportive of my endeavours, and anyway nothing is changed between me, my family or friends.

Anyone you emulate or draw inspiration from? 

My mother, she has always been a great source of inspiration for me. She passed away a few years ago. I still miss her a lot. Another person I admire is Amitabh Bachchan; I have always looked up to his sense of discipline as an actor and humility as a person.

Besides acting, what else are you passionate about? 

A few years ago, I started a trust in my mother’s memory for children with no access to education. I wanted to carry my mother’s zeal for teaching through the initiative, for the time being it is doing pretty well.

Coming from a pukka Punjabi family, did you ever envision making a name for yourself in south cinema? 

South cinema has been a definite stepping stone in my acting career. I started off with Tamil cinema and have never looked back since then. With every film I have grown as a person and learned a great deal from the people I’ve worked with.

You are now a household name playing villains in Telugu Films. How has it been working here?

Honestly I have found that the industry can be quite a stimulating place to learn and grow. Every actor has an appetite for creative projects. You can say that mu hunger as an actor has been satiated after working in south films.


What makes a script interesting for you? 

The decision to select a role depends on a mix of intuition and experience. Five months into the industry and then you just know it. It is as simple as that. As you are reading the script, you just know if you are a cut for the film or not. After that, it is just a matter of taking or leaving it.


If there has been one driving force in your career, what would that be? 

You have to be absolutely convinced that you were born to do this. Call it determination, call it insistence, I have found that it’s always worked for me. Somewhere, that remains one of the driving factors in my life, a sort of curiosity that keeps me going and ensures that I do my best in every role I do.

What is it that you like best about playing a southern film villain? 

When I started in south cinema, it wasn’t all smooth and easy. The acting style is a touch overplayed here when compared to Bollywood. But yeah, sure, it is fun! But what matters most is your performance and not so much whether it is a southern film or a film in any other language.


Did playing the villain is Arundhati require any special preparation? 

Arundhati required five hours of preparation a day across the 50 odd days we shot for. That kind of routine helped me get into my character’s skin.

What is your life Mantra? 

That’s easy. As an actor and as a person, one has to keep doing what comes naturally. No more, no less.

How do you unwind? 

I love strumming the guitar when I can. I absolutely love listening to Bollywood music down the ages. Sometimes I still play to my friends whenever there is a get together (smiles), I am no party animal, Of course, I love my dose of Punjabi folk music too.

Are you a foodie? 

I still find comfort in home cooked food, Daal Chawal and Rajma always works.

How do you feel playing the baddie people love to hate on the screen? 

You know playing the good guy or the baddie doesn’t really matter for an actor. So long as you know you are putting in your hundred percent in the role.

Do you think villains are somehow sexier that the good guys? Did your negative roles affect your female fan following? 

Personally there have been no clear lines between the good guys and the bad guys on the screen. Being actors, our job is to simply live the role. I don’t think women fall for villains any more that the nice guys. We can’t generalise, can we?

Have people said that they have hated you since you do negative roles and most often the reel morphs into the real. This has happened to many famous villains like Amrish Puri, Prem Chopra, etc. How do you react to such feedback? 

When you are doing a certain kind of roles, you tend to get labelled in to a category. I believe I’ve given a distinct shape to the characters in say Jodha Akbar, Arundhati or Ek Niranjan. When the actor faces the camera, the only defining factor is the performance. Not the character’s inherent goodness (or lack of it).


What is the craziest thing a fan did for you or to you? 

While shooting in Vizag a few years ago, I was bombarded with a bunch of messages from this young lady who claimed to be huge fan. I often receive gifts and letters from her, and this went on for a year and half. Naturally it was getting a bit freaky, and guess what? There was even a marriage proposal!

You are generally accessible on phone to anyone, how come? 

It is one of those things that keep me grounded. And anyway, getting into a shell never helps, so no starry airs for me. Fate brought me to southern cinema and it all started with that single call, years ago. Glad I took it!

Being human, the new success mantra in Bollywood?

Oh my! If Salman Khan accepts Vikas Bahl’s next, the actor will be essaying the role of a conjoined twin. Sound interesting, right? Considering the fact that it is Salman who might play the role, one can expect a memorable performance.


This isn’t the first time that a Hindi flick is dealing with such an issue. Last five years have seen several Hindi films which have not only dealt with lesser-known ailments, but also sensitized people towards those who suffer from such diseases. So if SRK was shown as a victim of Asperger's syndrome, Aamir Khan managed to leave a long-lasting impact on the minds of viewers by dealing with the problems of dyslexic children in Taare Zameen Par. Similarly, Amitabh Bachchan created awareness about Progeria, a rare genetic disorder through Paa; Hrithik Roshan helped people realize what paraplegia was all about in Guzaarish; Ghajini explored the life of a rich entrepreneur who develops anterograde amnesia and Krazzy 4 had Warsi playing a schizophrenic. With each flick, a strong message was spread – deal with victims in a sensitive way.


If Vikas’ project will be able to do leave a strong impact is unclear. Or let’s say, it is too early to comment. For it is expected to be an out-and-out masala film. Scriptwriter Sanjay Chel has been quoted as saying, “It is a sensitive subject but there have been fun films like Stuck on You in the past. I had seen the film long back and our film has nothing to do with it. The whole idea is to put together two different sides of interesting characters and see what happens. It will be a commercial, edgy, fun film and that's all I can say at the moment.”


While Sanjay’s take on issue might sound exciting to those from the fraternity, we aren’t too sure if it will be accepted in the same way by the audience. What about the families of those who suffer from such ailments in reality? Since they are aware of the formidable problems they face while dealing with victims, will a humorous take not worsen their situation? Well, as long as humor doesn’t offend anyone or filmmakers don’t take a dig at those struggling with such situations, viewers will enjoy watching such flicks. Wotsay?

Salman Khan to play a conjoined twin?

His After Chillar Party, director Vikas Bahl is all set to tackle another sensitive subject- conjoined twins, except that the treatment will be of an out-and-out masala flick.


We've learnt that the film, being scripted by Sanjay Chel and Vikas, will star Salman Khan in the lead, if all goes as per plan.Vikas Bahl confirmed the news, saying, "I am writing a film on conjoined twins. I am in the process of finishing the script and wanted Sanjay Chel on the project. So, both of us are finishing it."


Asked whether Salman would play the lead, Bahl chose to be non-committal, "I don't know. I know one thing for a fact that I will definitely get an audience with him if I have a good script. And I want to cast someone like him in the film. However, I haven't spoken to him about it."


Sanjay Chel too said, "It is a sensitive subject but there have been fun films like Stuck on You in the past. I had seen the film long back and our film has nothing to do with it. The whole idea is to put together two different sides of interesting characters and see what happens. It will be a commercial, edgy, fun film and that's all I can say at the moment."


Meanwhile, a source in the know of the project revealed, "Vikas Bahl made an extremely sensitive film like Chillar party and after watching the film, Salman Khan loved it so much that he agreed to lend his name as producer of the film, going all out to promote it. Now Vikas is busy setting up his project and wants Salman to play the lead as he is extremely close to him."

Sunny Leone Wants To Work WIth Shahid Kapoor

Mumbai: Porn Star Sunny Leone after been the hot topic in the Bollywood industry this time it seems that porn star has learned the easy way to grab headlines and this time she has done something to grab the top headline tagging actor Shahid Kapoor in her statement.


Shahid Kapoor is facing a drop fall in his life and recently, actress Asin and Sonakshi Sinha refused to work with him but Porn Star Sunny Leone stated that she is wishing to work with him, as per the reports.


These days porn star is busy with her upcoming Bollywood project “Jism 2” with Bhatt’s.


Reports added, Bollywood sequel movie “Jism 2” has been packed with bold scenes and Sunny leone will be seen together with two known faces Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh.

Rozlyn Khan terms Poonam Pandey jobless semi star!

Mumbai: Rozlyn Khan, who posed topless for spreading awareness against the fatal breast cancer, gives her take on models-actresses like Sherlyn Chopra and Poonam Pandey.


Rozlyn in an interview to a leading website clears that Poonam strips only to hog limelight. Khan gave a ‘semi-porn actress tag to the kingfisher model. This was not the end for Rozlyn as she said that Poonam has never appeared in any ad or walked ramp and she is jobless.


Explaining about her stripping act she said, “My stripping video is very neat and clean. I just wore a simple shirt and tried to enlighten all the backward women, who are completely unaware of breast cancer.”


Rozlyn also urged the government to do something about this issue.


Talking about her upcoming comedy flick Dhamaal Choukdi she said, people had a strong feeling that a beautiful girl can never do comedy, but you can see me 

Are Veena Malik, Poonam Pandey, Sofia Hayat jealous of Sunny Leone?

Mumbai: What else can girls like Poonam Pandey, Sofia Hayat and Veena Malik do apart from shedding clothes? Nothing at all.


Therefore, for Sofia Hayat, attending social gatherings in the skimpiest of clothing is the best thing that can be done unless a film comes along.


As for the 'Bold Babe of Twitter' Poonam Pandey, she has kept herself going strong online thorugh her endless nude pictures that she posts for any reason howsoever insignificant it may be. Buzz is that she is eyeing a film and was also spotted at a Bollywood event. 


Veena had a not-so-wonderful career in films and therefore she makes petty appearances here and there. She was recently seen in Shekhar Suman's Movers and Shakers. 


Perhaps everyone is jealous of porn star Sunny Leone bagging Jism 2, a Mahesh Bhatt film, without 'actually' going nude in India.