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Chatline At 42, his heroines are getting younger, and Shah Rukh Khan’s brand value is getting bigger, finds Anuj Kumar
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New ventures Shah Rukh’s mantra is to keep winning or die trying
At 42, his heroines are getting younger by the day; but Shah Rukh Khan is not complaining. First, it was Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om, and now it is Bangalore-based 19-year-old Anushka Sharma for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
“It is the script which decides the actress, not me. For Om Shanti Om, we needed a fresh face. For Rab Ne… we need a young actress. And then, for Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, the script demands a mature actress.” The buzz is that it’s Kajol, but Shah Rukh refuses to confirm it.
With hardly any competition in sight, is there any challenge left for the actor in him? “I feel the struggle will be to play myself one day. People tell me that those expressions are mannered. There have been characters which had a part of me, like Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, the closest perhaps was Chak De India! When I play games with my kids they say: ‘You are very much like Kabir Khan’.”
He pauses for a moment, and then says television shows allow him to be himself. Isn’t he acting as Shah Rukh? “No in Panchvi Paas... there is no script; most of the things I say are impromptu.”
The man who once said if he could enact five emotions, others could enact only four has certainly gained in maturity what he’s lost in brashness. from ‘I’m the best’ territory. “I have mellowed down in the last few years.”
The man has his hands full: the Indian Premier League (IPL) has stretched his already long day to almost 20 hours, but SRK isn’t cribbing. “I have a mantra in life: keep winning or die trying.”
But, it doesn’t seem to have been a prudent business move? He acknowledges, “Yes, there are some problems. What was promised by the authorities hasn’t turned out to be totally true. There are entertainment tax issues in Kolkata. Still I have been able to cut costs by bringing in the brands that I endorse.” He agrees his pocket is not as deep as some other franchisees. “See, I put the money I earned from Om Shanti Om and Panchvi Pass… into IPL. It’s good enough for one year, but if the venture doesn’t make profits then I have to seriously give it a thought.”
Isn’t IPL the height of materialism with cricketers being traded for mind-boggling sums? For once, Shah Rukh loses control. “Dear, this country is yet to see the height of commercialisation. It’s just the beginning… And it’s not bad. It’s all a reflection of our economic prowess and GDP growth.” Regaining composure, he reminds the media not to jump to the conclusion that whatever Shah Rukh touches turns to gold. “I have had my share of failures when I started film production. Remember Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani?”
On the production front, after a biggie, he is making a small budget film with Priyadarshan. Called Billoo Barber, it’s an interpretation of the Krishna-Sudama story. And Shah Rukh is not playing the lead role in his home production. “The role suited Irrfan Khan and thankfully he has accepted it. I will do a cameo.” He is also working on a big budget film for kids. “It is not just for kids and it’s not an animation film. It is a big budget film with high-end special effects, which we haven’t seen in Bollywood before.”
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