I don’t want to be a good actor,” he announced. It was not to draw attention as anyone would think, but to explain a deeper philosophy. At the inaugural ceremony of 24th Kolkata International Film Festival, Shah Rukh Khan, armed with quick wit and self-deprecating humour, said, “It’s really unfortunate and sad, I have never got a National Award”.
Excerpts from an interview:
At the KIFF inaugural ceremony, you said in jest about how you are often called at film fests to either dance or come and be nice to people, and not do anything intellectual. At a time when the line between commercial and art house cinema is blurring, do you feel film fests that are more aligned with the latter, continue to divide?
As far as my understanding goes, there’s nothing called ‘arthouse’ or ‘commercial’ cinema. I have been to festivals like Cannes, Venice, Sundance and with films. Aisa nahin ki main nahin gaya hoon. But the ‘scape’ of a film is sometimes different. It may be on the phone or on web portals or on the big screen, 3D, 4D… the ‘scape’ of festival cinema is very different from the kind of films that I do. Neither do I feel bad about it nor do I feel good about it. As an actor, my first question is, ‘Does it fulfil me as an actor?’ The second part is if someone offers me a ‘scape’ that I have never done before, whether it’s on digital portals or for festivals or the biggest commercial cinematic genius, I would love to participate, as that’s my job as an actor. The last part is working out the logistics and to see if things fall into place. Also, how can I feel happy or sad about anything? Mine is the most complete life in the history of mankind (laughs).
Salman Khan has done a cameo in your film, Zero. We hear that he had also referred the subject to you. Is that true?
You know, Aanand sir was very clear about two things — to cast Katrina and to release the film on a fixed date in December. And I think amid all these discussions, Salman came to know about the idea. I think Katrina might have mentioned…. And then one day he came home and said, ‘Yeh role zaroor kariyo’. That’s Salman. He even said, ‘Mast picture hai ekdum’.
Both of you have done cameos in each other’s films. So these must be something more than just professional decisions…
We were playing pool at home after wrapping up our Meerut shoot. Aanand (L Rai) sir said, ‘Woh ek gaana hai…’ and we were talking about it. He said if Bhai was there it would be very nice. We all call Salman, ‘Bhai’. I said, ‘Ok, main baat karta hoon unse’. And suddenly Pooja, my manager, told me that Salman had called and said he was coming over as he had a gift for me. Raat ek-do baje they. He came around 20 minutes later with two Being Human cycles and I told him there’s this song in the film. Aanand sir said, ‘Agar bhai yeh ganaa karein toh…’ And he said, ‘Date bata do. Meri picture release ho rahi hai. Kuchh din free hoon main. Main woh (gaana) kar raha hoon.’ And the song wasn’t even written! We thought it was just night banter, stopped talking about it, had our food and he went after two-three hours. Next morning, Aanand sir asks me, ‘Usne toh bol diya’. I said, ‘Bol toh diya, par hamare paas ganaa bhi nahi hai’. Then Pooja came and said he can’t shoot on the first of the next month as something had come up, but he’s free the next three days. So we put up the set, then made the song, and then we shot it (laughs)!
So how do you define your relationship with Salman?
I have a lot of respect for Salman and his family and for me, no relationship is bigger than respect. It’s the same for Aamir also. Because when I was new, and these two were two-three years my senior. And these two people, who I had seen in my final year in college or just after that as some of the biggest stars of the country, embraced me and were really sweet and intelligent — because they never behaved special. They just made me feel like I had found friends. And maybe my nature of not behaving like a star stems from both of them. At that time they were the hugest stars in the country, with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyaar Kiya, but they behaved like normal kids, just like my friends in Delhi. So, I’ve had that relationship with them. Many a time when people say inka jhagda hai, yeh hai, woh hai, we don’t even talk about it. It’s a very different relationship. That respect will always surmount everything that I have.
You have completed 27 years in the film industry and have done 70 films. Even then, you say you are not a good actor. Why do you say it aloud?
I don’t tell myself in private because I don’t listen to myself. Then I will keep on acting badly. I really think if anyone feels he is a good actor, that’s the end. Because you have given it a finality. I really believe that there should be no finality to art. I come from commercial cinema, larger than life, that’s not by choice, but something that has happened to me. I am happy-go-lucky. I dance, I put my arms out and have a great time. I have all the qualities of not looking like a serious actor. I feel I should not be taken seriously.
Do you do it intentionally?
No, because I don’t think acting should be taken seriously. Acting should be raw, real and childlike. Every attempt of every actor should be to bring out the child in him. A child doesn’t know good or bad acting; he just does it. That’s why I love children so much. That’s why I don’t want to be a good actor.
With passage of time, do you feel this rawness too can go away?
That is the search. I have done too many films to be lying about my next film. In Zero, I really have got childlike. I met Mr (Mahesh) Bhatt; he told me, ‘Yaar, tu bachhe jaisa ho gaya hai’. He had done two films with me — Duplicate and Chahat. Neither worked. Success or failure has nothing to do with it. In the film, I was shooting a technically difficult scene as a vertically challenged man. Aanand sir came and stood next to me and said, ‘Sir, pehle yeh gaana suno aap’. We were doing some other song and he made me listen to some other song. There was a countdown and everything had to be matched.
After the scene there was no retake. He doesn’t know if it will work or not, but we just felt like children. It was closest to raw after many years. My
director didn’t want everything to be rehearsed, fixed up…
How did your children react to the trailer?
My son called up from America and said, ‘It’s magical’. Millions aspire to be a hero and here you seem to be going against the tide with Zero… The definition of hero in Greek theatre is someone who overcomes the obstacles within himself. The idea is to wage a battle against your inner demons and win over them. If you are not being able to do so, the emotional shortcomings and your weaknesses, then you remain a zero. Hopefully, this one will become a hero.
Is there a significance of the number zero?
The title Aanand sir had thought. There were a couple of options, but he felt that this signifies a complete circle. The film is about celebrating incompleteness. Aanand sir believes that all of us have some incompleteness; sometimes it’s physical, sometimes it’s emotional. None of us are perfect.
The idea is to overcome the shortcomings and live life happily. The philosophy of Zero is the same. It may look like nothing but it’s everything. Hum picture mein nahin bolte aisa; our film is very funny and sweet
You turned 53 recently. Do you think half of life has passed or that life starts from zero one more time?
106 is when I have decided to die. That’s my goodbye time. So, exactly 50% life is over. I tell my children, ‘106 mein chala jayunga; 50% life ho gayi’.
So, you will have to bear me for many years. Aanandji created a character for you in this film, which is way different from what you are in real life.
So did you have to reinvent yourself for this film. In fact, what do you seek in a script that makes you accept such films?
I think reinvention is much used and abused word. There’s nothing like reinvention, yaar. It’s basically a very simple thing — dil se achcha laga;
it’s the oldest feeling. When Aanand sir told me the story, it just appealed to my heart. I can give this whole interview, ‘Aanand L Rai really gave me an opportunity to reinvent myself. I looked deep down into the recesses of my heart, forgot everything and locked myself in a room; listened to music…Mozart…and it started talking to me. And when the music spoke to me, I would come and discuss that with Aanand, who would then make me listen to classical music…dhrupad. And in the process, we discovered a new Shah Rukh Khan.’ I mean, come on, you can’t be more full of yourself than this!
Who are we to discover ourselves? We are here to act; you are supposed to discover yourself in us, in the characters we play.
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