“It’s a story that’s very close to my heart,” says Aanand L Rai, who’s ecstatic to unveil the trailer of Atrangi Re today. The filmmaker says that the movie featuring the stellar cast of Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan will have the audience experience varied emotions. “Indians, as an audience, love to have their laughs, but also become emotional and shed tears the next minute, and that’s what Atrangi Re does to you,” he says.

With this film, Rai says he got an opportunity to venture into a space that he wanted to for a long time. “The atrangi and weird characters of the film add layers to the emotions in the story. It’s a story that I want people to see, enjoy and debate. I think the film is like a game, an emotional one, which I am playing with the audience. After watching the trailer, I want them to have their own interpretation. The audience will start forming their own story and keep guessing what happens next, but in the end, it is me who will win the game,” says Rai with a smile.

About the cast of the film, which has built the anticipation among the audience, Rai says, “When I went to Akshay with this role, I didn’t think that a superstar like him would agree to this complicated character with such ease. But then we have seen him play such varied characters on screen, which made me believe that he has got a great sense of picking his roles. Then on the other side, you have the super talented Dhanush, who can pull off the weirdest of characters skillfully. He brings in his own madness to the character!”

About Sara, Aanand L Rai adds, “I wanted a girl who goes all out in real life, too, and someone who could hide her nervousness with her confidence. I saw that in Sara. She’s one of the finest among the young breed of actors. She has the guts, and even if she falters, she will come up with something else very soon. Woh bohut khul kar hasti hai, aur bohot kam logon ko aisa aata hai. She is like a cracker in the film. I wanted that kind of energy for the character of Rinku. Atrangi Re was only possible with this set of people. They helped me narrate this beautiful tale, which is way too deep. The film is more than just a love triangle.”

And what happened when the atrangi cast got together on set? “There was instant chemistry when they came on the set! The trio behaved exactly like what happens when protons, neutrons and electrons come together. All three of them have a certain madness and an emotional quotient attached to them. Their energies were so opposite, I guess that’s why they even got attracted to each other so much,” he shares.

Be it Tanu Weds Manu or Raanjhanaa, Rai has loved mounting his films in the northern setting. However, this time around, he says he’s gone beyond. “This time, my story moves to the South, too. I have shot this film in places like Madurai and Chettinad.”

The film also reunites Rai with music maestro A R Rahman, who he worked with in Raanjhanaa. Rai says, “Music is the master of the film. The songs are enough to describe a film. I am very grateful and fortunate to have worked with A R Rahman. I think I become a better storyteller when he is a part of the film. Likewise, I had also told co-producer Bhushan Kumar that whenever I do a film with him, it will have to be a musical. I mean, what’s the use of doing a film with someone like Bhushan Kumar, which is not a musical?”

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 16, 2020)

With movie theatres being shut for nearly four months now and an increasing of Bollywood filmmakers moving towards OTT platforms for their films’ release, the future of cinema halls in the age of digital streaming is in limbo. Filmmaker Aanand L Rai, however, isn’t worried, and says cinema theatres “aren’t going anywhere”.

“I don’t think theatres will face any kind of existential crisis or hit a dead-end, especially in a country like ours... For us, cinema means entertainment and a community viewing experience, and that’s not going anywhere,” says Rai.

The Tanu Weds Manu (2011) director believes that big screen is always going to have a huge fan following. He says, “There are still a number of people who are craving for the big-screen experience. Also, regardless of the platform, there are certain films that are meant to be watched only in a cinema hall. My question is: why can’t both (theatres and OTT platforms) coexist in the long run? And I guess, eventually, they’ll have to.”

The filmmaker, who has Akshay Kumar-Sara Ali Khan starrer Atrangi Re, also featuring Dhanush, as his next, feels the OTT culture has brought in a “fantastic” change. “For me, the best thing about OTTs has been the kind of excellent quality, top-class content they have brought along, and all of it has reached to every nook and corner of India, which never happened before,” he says.

According to Rai, no storyteller will ever rue the fact that there is another platform now. “As a storyteller, I love the fact that now we have another platform to bring our stories alive on. And if I get the correct story, I will also make content for OTT platforms,” he concludes.

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 21, 2020)

Over the past 13 years since he entered Bollywood, Aanand L Rai has donned both hats with elan — that of a prolific producer and a fine director. And now, he is excited about his latest release, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which he has co-produced with Bhushan Kumar. The film, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar as the lead romantic pair, deals with the subject of homosexuality in a light-hearted manner. As the movie hits theatres today, Rai talks to BT about being in love with his films, the emotional support he seeks from his actors, and how a serious subject like that of Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, needs to be told through a heavy dose of humour. Excerpts...

What encouraged you to come up with a homosexual love story at this point? Did the scrapping of Section 377 (by the Supreme Court in September 2018) encourage you? Or, is the fact that in recent years, films like Aligarh (2015), which dealt with the subject in a serious manner, received a good response from the audience?
When we started working on this subject, Section 377 had not been scrapped. The verdict came during the course of the film and we had to tweak our climax because of it. The reason I decided to make Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is different.

As a filmmaker, I felt the need to understand their world. There was a time when I wasn’t able to understand the universe of Tanu Weds Manu (2011) and Raanjhanaa (2013). Jaise hi mujhe iss topic pe kuch samajh aaya, I thought of sharing it with the audience. As a team, we really wanted to work on this subject, especially when Hitesh Kewalya (writer-director) came up with a good script. It all started with Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), when we presented a subject like erectile dysfunction to the family audience. The idea of the franchise is to bring all the topics that are discussed behind closed doors into people’s drawing rooms. It is all about how you make them family entertainers. Ayushmann knew that we were working on this subject, and he got sold on the idea the moment he heard the script.

This movie depicts the romance between two men. So, was it tough getting the lead pair’s (Ayushmann and Jitendra) onscreen chemistry right?
The film is not about the romance between two men, it is about the society accepting two men involved in a romantic relationship. Hum logon ko lagta hai ki yeh unki problem hai, par actually problem hamari hai. It is our problem that we don’t understand a human relationship like this. So, the only way to reach out to the audience, with a heavy subject like this, is through a good dose of humour.

Like most of your previous movies, this film, too, is set in a small town. What is it that attracts you to this milieu?
I would say that my films are set in middle-class settings, not small towns. I understand that world much better. That’s the way I have been brought up and it reflects in my movies. Today, I might be a filmmaker, living in a bigger home, driving a bigger car, but I will always remember my upbringing. I was born and brought up in Delhi, in a middle-class family. My mom was a fine arts teacher in a government school. I remember growing up in a government colony. So, be it Lucknow, Kanpur or Haridwar, the backdrop of my film will always be middle class.

As a producer, this is your second film with Ayushmann (after Shubh Mangal Saavdhan). Have you ever thought about directing him?
It is not easy to get a script for an actor who you understand so well. I am just waiting for the right script to direct him. My process is different — I first fall in love with the story and then decide upon the actor. However, we have discussed the idea of working together as a director-actor. He is looking forward to a pure romance or a pure action film. I told him action toh nahi, magar pure romance pe kuch soch sakte hai.

Your last directorial Zero (2018), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma didn’t perform as expected at the box office. Given that there are a lot of expectations attached to each film, how did you deal with it?
Like I said, I am a director who falls in love with his stories and that encourages me to make a film. I think I was in awe of Zero, I was madly in love with it. I think I overdid it. Bolte hai na, zyada pyaar bachche ko bigaad deta hai. I think this is what happened with Zero, but the experience taught me a lot. As far as my association with Khan saab (SRK) is concerned, I will relish it all through my life. I got a partner in him, so it was never a star I worked with. He was an emotional partner, who gave me a lot of support. I am not a craftsman, so I need emotional support every time I make a film. When I was working with Khan saab, he never made me feel like it was such a huge film. He made me believe in my story, and made me go through the journey the way I wanted to. However, like it happens after the release of every film of mine, I went silent post the release of Zero, too. That is all. Our association was not affected by the film’s box-office performance. I think silence is the best way to take both, success or failure. Just go quiet. Absorb. Learn. Understand.

You said that you learnt a lot from Zero. How is that experience helping you with your next directorial, Atrangi Re, featuring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan?
I won’t be careless. In fact, I have never been careless in my life. I was always a good student, and will remain a good student throughout my life. No experience has disturbed me as such, it has only made me understand a few things. So, I am looking at playing my innings the same way, I have been playing since the last 10-15 years. I can’t change myself. I am fearless. Once again, I am in love with my film and my story and I am enjoying it. I want to be fearless as a person, and as a filmmaker.

Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 20, 2020)

Be it the Tanu Weds Manu series, Raanjhanaa (2013), Nil Battey Sannata (2015), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), Tumbbad or Zero (both 2018), filmmaker Aanand L Rai has — as a producer and director — always experimented with his craft to deliver a mix of entertainment and social messages.

As he puts it: “Of course, the priority is to entertain people, but at the end of the day is it just about entertainment? It [the film/story] should be layered with a certain kind of [ideas of] growth and change. As a filmmaker, since you are a part of society, you are bound to do something, especially since this medium is so strong.”

And Rai takes the veil off the taboo topic of homosexuality in a very matter-of-fact manner in his latest production, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. “Mujhe lagta hai har film aapko kahin na kahin leke jaati hai. I also wanted to learn (about the issue) and entertain. When you decide to make a film, that’s when you win half the battle,” he says.

Moreover, he feels it’s not just filmmakers, but audiences too who are growing. “We are a progressive nation and it’s our duty to come up with progressive subjects,” Rai says, adding he was “very shy” earlier.

“Tab main bahut safe zone mein operate karta tha,” he reveals. But when he came to Mumbai, the filmmaker reveals he got a “great thing called fearlessness”. “Yeh ingredient mere liye naya tha, mujhe bahut pasand aaya aur maine pakad liya. Ab main yeh nahin chhodunga. I want to carry this with me till my last film. I don’t want anything like box-office numbers or any other uncertainty to take me away from it,” he shares.

Another element that has become a part of Rai’s filmmaking is his association with small towns, which holds true in his latest film too. “Maine kabhi small town ko small town ki tarah liya hi nai. For me, it is always a reflection of a progressive India and that’s how I always represent it. I have my reasons to go to Benares, Meerut or wherever I will go next,” he says.

Rai’s last directorial venture, Zero, didn’t set the cash registers ringing. Ask how he takes such setbacks and he shares, “Every film is like a chapter in my life. It teaches you something. I’ve gone silent after every film and tried to learn my lessons. Box-office collections haven’t changed the way I see my films. My process is still the same.”

As Rai readies for his next directorial, Atrangi Re, starring Akshay Kumar, Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan, he emphasises it’s not going to be a “safe” film. “And I can proudly say that. It’s a story I want to tell. If anyone thinks I will make a ‘safe’ film next (after Zero) I don’t believe the word exists for any filmmaker. There’s nothing safe, it should always be exciting.”

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; December 11, 2018)

In his upcoming film Zero, director Aanand L Rai has moved away from his familiar world of films, which are set in the bylanes of small-town India, and often revolve around relationships. With the Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif-starrer, the filmmaker tries to tell a love story that’s ably supported by CGI and VFX. For the first time ever, SRK will be seen playing a vertically challenged man on screen. In a candid chat with BT, Aanand talks about how this is his first collaboration with a movie star as big as Shah Rukh, how stories about love manage to find an audience easily and why it is important for him to love his actors. Excerpts…

This is the first time you’re working with Shah Rukh Khan. Did you have any apprehensions about directing a movie star of his stature?
Shah Rukh Khan is the biggest star that I have worked with. The film went on floors after almost 11 months of talking, discussing and working on the script together. It took me that long to write the film. By the time we started shooting, we knew each other well. Director jaisa director main nahi tha aur woh actor jaise actor nahi the. Woh star hain, iss baat ko mujhe mehsoos hone nahi diya. While shooting, he submits to the director’s vision, and does whatever the director says. For example, if he feels that a certain scene requires him to show anger, but I want him to perform it differently, he will still do it. I learnt this very early on — an actor should ask all the questions on why he should be doing something before the shoot commences. Once he has agreed to the idea, while on set, he should ask how to do it and not wonder why. That’s the purest form of being an actor and Shah Rukh is like that. So, it’s important that I am careful and very sure about what I ask him to do, because he will simply deliver it (laughs!)

Were there no conflicts between Shah Rukh and you during the scripting stage?
There were no conflicts. From day one, my writer Himanshu Sharma, Shah Rukh and I knew that we were trying to attempt something new. Shah Rukh was particular about only one thing — that we share the same vision. He is a great partner when it comes to fulfilling your dreams. I can’t direct if I am not in love with my actors. There was no point during the making of the film where I felt that he is a star, and that he is asking me to do something which I am not keen on doing. I know that people expect such situations to arise. I also harboured those fears when we were about to say ‘yes’ to each other for the film. But I didn’t face any such situation with him. We have made what we wanted to make.

We’ve mostly seen Shah Rukh Khan in larger-than-life roles on screen, but in Zero, he is essaying the character of a vertically challenged man. Was it difficult to direct him in a never-seen-before avatar?
The interesting thing about Shah Rukh is that he can sit with me, look at Shah Rukh Khan (as a third person) and talk about him. While making the film, there was no conflict between him and me. The conflict was actually between us and (the other) Shah Rukh Khan. As an actor, he doesn’t say that I am playing the character. He always talks about the character as a third person. He has the ability to distance himself from the character and then deliver, which is not easy. This process was exciting for all of us.

What was his reaction to the character, after the VFX work was completed?
We had a test shoot. I wanted to see what changed as far as the lovability quotient is concerned, when the height of the character is reduced. We were also surprised with the results of the test shoot. The flow of emotion was different. An ‘I love you’ coming from a character of that height sounds very different from when a character, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall says it.

We are curious to know how the title Zero came about.
I was looking for a title, which would make the audience experience an incompleteness and a vacuum. However, it is not supposed to evoke pathos. At times, that sense of being incomplete also makes one feel light. Every character in the film is a little imperfect and that in itself has its own beauty. Flaws are beautiful and that’s where the film’s title came from. If these characters can be happy despite the challenges, then why can’t we be happy? Before weaving such characters in a commercial Hindi film, we tend to wonder if the audience will resonate with them. And often we end up deciding for the audience.

Recently, you pushed the boundaries and backed a fantasy/thriller film called Tumbbad. It was a rare attempt in a genre that remains hugely untapped in our industry...
Yes, we have spoiled the audiences’ taste. In our attempt to play safe, we tend to be non-creative. After a point, it becomes boring. In a relationship, we are often scared of explaining things. But that can’t be the relationship between an audience and a filmmaker. Either I will be successful or I will fail. But I am not scared. How will I be able to do something new if I am scared of doing it? All I need to do is be clear about my communication. My last venture, Tumbbad, might not have made a lot of money, but it made the audience curious and the 10th Tumbbad will make money. We should create a space for all kinds of films and a filmmaker should not underestimate the audience.

Shah Rukh Khan is undoubtedly the King of Romance. But does it get challenging for directors, when they have to keep reinventing him as a romantic hero?
He is not just the King of Romance, he is romance. He knows how to romance life. I have challenged him a little more than what others have done. I told him, ‘I am going to take away two feet from your height; the arms that you spread out will be shorter and now let me see how you romance on screen’.

Be it the Tanu Weds Manu franchise or Raanjhanaa, the films you have directed speak about relationships and essentially focus on love. Why do these themes interest you so much?
I think people want love, but they don’t understand it. We have also become so calculative that we don’t end up falling in love easily. Cinema reflects either what’s there in excess in society or something that is getting lost. Even today, people yearn for the kind of romance that they saw in Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Bhattacharya’s films. The breezy romance at bus stops is a thing of the past now. Today, we have things like mobile phones, which keep us distracted.

Every director has a certain sensibility that is reflected in his work. Whether it’s the films you direct or produce, they have an earthiness about them. The stories often revolve around families living in small towns and reflect the homeliness that’s inherent in these places. With Zero, are you trying to break away from that stereotype?
I didn’t want to be known for making only a certain kind of cinema. I didn’t want to start believing in what people thought I could do. I shouldn’t be comfortable only telling stories about man-woman relationships set in small towns and middle class settings. I will stagnate as a creative person if I make the same kind of films. I am not saying that I am changing the world that my movies embody, but I am trying to broaden my horizon. I am the last person who should have done a film like Zero because it is high on VFX. It has been a horrifying journey for the VFX team. I have survived the journey only because they love me and I have exploited that love (laughs!).

Aanand L Rai on casting for his next directorial and why reinvention is need of the hour
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 30, 2018)

Over the years, Aanand L Rai has associated himself with stories that are relatable and rooted in reality. Be it Tanu Weds Manu and its sequel or Raanjhanaa , the director has managed to strike the right balance between art and commerce. As he gears up for the release of Zero , which marks his first collaboration with a fourfoot Shah Rukh Khan and zips off into outer space literally, Rai is supremely confident when most other filmmakers would be jittery and biting their nails, as we chat in his vanity van at Mehboob Studios.

Excerpts from the interview

This is the first time that you are working with a superstar, how difficult was it to break the ice with Shah Rukh Khan?
It took some time. We started shooting nearly a year after discussing it. And never once did I feel that I was working with a superstar because by the time the film went on the floors, we had a comfortable equation and it was like working with an elder brother. Khan saab is someone who starts living your dream.

Was it difficult for your writer Himanshu Sharma to convince you to a direct a film revolving around a vertically-challenged character?
I don’t get convinced by any kind of gimmick, the USP of Zero is its story and not a vertically-challenged character. I’ve been in love with the story since the first day.

You were in talks with Salman Khan to play the lead in the film, but obviously things didn’t work out…
I had the idea of Zero before Tanu Weds Manu Returns. As a director, when you achieve something, you get the opportunity to meet a lot of stars with whom you want to work. But I discussed only the idea with Salman, not the story because once we locked that, it had Shah Rukh Khan written all over it. It’s Salman’s greatness that he agreed to doing a cameo. Both the Khans have big hearts, they look at the larger picture and it was fantastic to have them in the same frame. Apart from Salman there are a lot of other cameos in the film. And all their appearances in the film happen organically, not for any gimmicks.

Zero is the most expensive film of your career…
Yes, it is an expensive film because of the VFX. But I come from a middle-class family so I know that if you eat food, it should not be wasted. Because of my upbringing, I also know the value of money and we worked round the clock to ensure we didn’t waste any. This kind of a film has never been made before in the industry.

Do you feel the pressure when you hear that people are expecting the film to do a business of at least Rs 300 crore?
I make films to make the people happy, not to earn money. The intention is to bring a smile on their faces. And the pressure is not about box-office numbers, but how the audience will receive it.

Have you stepped out of your comfort zone with Zero, considering that the story moves into outer space?
Every director must reinvent himself at regular intervals. My association is not with small towns, it is with small-town characters and Zero too is about one such guy. It hardly matters if I shoot in India or abroad.

Any truth in the reports that Katrina Kaif is in the film only in an extended cameo?
No, it is not an extended cameo, she’s playing a beautiful character who is integral to the story. I wanted Katrina to play this character because it is meant for her and I knew she would deliver with perfection. When I discussed the film with Khan saab, I was clear on two things: I wanted Katrina Kaif and a Christmas release because Zero is about celebration of incompleteness. The film made me realise that even flaws can be very beautiful. It teaches us to see things in a positive light. The occasion of Christmas is the right time to bring happiness into the world, which is the reason to release the film on Christmas.

With the advent of the digital medium, it is becoming difficult to get people into the theatres.
I think it is a transitional phase which had to happen for us to get cinematic. I’m not talking about size, but the mounting of emotions, as even that is a cinematic aspect and the digital medium will make us work harder towards that. Rather than feel insecure, it pushes me to work on stories that are waiting to be told on the big screen.

Why do you think Manmarziyaan failed to live up to expectations?
Yes, we were expecting more from Manmarziyaan commercially, but I am very proud of the film. It is the kind of a film I always wanted to be a part of as a producer.

Any plans to team up with Shah Rukh yet again?
I have discussed a lot of stories and ideas with Khan Saab, but I am yet to decide on my next film. I am so into Zero right now that I can’t think about my next. I have a few vague ideas, but nothing concrete in place.

Meena Iyer (DNA; November 21, 2018)

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has two major strengths. He is a compulsive storyteller. Check out Raanjhanaa, Tanu Weds Manu as well as Tanu Weds Manu: Returns and you will recall coming back hooked by his narratives. His second strength is the way he conducts himself with the media. Perfectly open to listening to what the fourth estate has to say, he lets you believe that what you say really matters. Oddly enough, there are such few people out there who listen, that when you meet a successful man who does you kind of take to him.

When I meet him at his Andheri office, Aanand settles in front of me comfortably, striking the crossed-legged yoga pose and insists we both sip on ginger chai before I switch on my dictaphone. His current obsessions are his December 21 release Zero, which is the talk of B-Town and its hero, Shah Rukh Khan, whom he fondly calls Khan saab. The award-winning filmmaker gets candid about finding new friends in Anushka Sharma as well as Katrina Kaif and why he feels each film is his last. Excerpts…

Technology is gaining so much importance in our movies. VFX has a huge role to play in Zero as well. How important is it to marry content with technology?
We’re now an aware lot of filmmakers in Indian cinema. We are using technology to tell stories and to enhance them. However, we are not compromising on the actual storytelling bit. Whether it is 2.0, Zero, Brahmastra, or any of the other films that are being mounted on huge scales, one thing is for sure, we haven’t forgotten to narrate a good tale. Whether you like it or not, it all boils down to ‘What story are you telling?’ And since the last five years, we’re using technology to do so. Before that, we wanted to experience it, woh ek phase tha, jo hamare yahaan bhi aaya. Now we’re writing plots where technical know-how is necessary.

How do you react to observations that say, ‘Today, Aanand L Rai has become a brand.’ Is it flattering?
It’s flattering only for a little while. After that, you start to feel immense pressure. It never gives you the ease that ‘Chalo yaar, aap ek brand ho’. When I was a nobody, tab aisa nahin lagta tha. However, I can sense that there is a certain kind of responsibility. I’ve a feeling that right now, I can enjoy this phase; when people are talking about my films like someone else is making a small-town progressive film or an Aanand L Rai-kind of a film. But trust me, I’m seeing it as a red alert that, maybe, I’ll become predictable in the next couple of years.

It’s actually calling for a change, it’s telling me to expand my storytelling. Jitni khushi se yeh baat aaj boli jaa rahi hai, tab nahin boli jaayegi with that kind of excitement. So, when you say this, it alerts me.

Going by Zero’s trailer, one feels that you’ve started moving away from your earlier movies. It’s a combination of many factors — casting a superstar, using technology without forgetting your own brand of storytelling...
After Tanu Weds Manu Returns (TWMR), people started saying that ‘Yeh toh Aanand achha kar leta hai... take him to a small-town and the lanes of Benaras, Haryana or Kanpur, etc, and he comes out with these tales beautifully.’ One way was to see that I could do this. The other way was, ‘Is this all about me? Can I expand in my storytelling?’ I’m not saying just for the sake that I know I can do this. Zero is an extension of where I belong. For me, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Bimal Roy are filmmakers. Main badi mushkil se apne aap ko director maanta hoon. These are small steps in the journey from a director to a filmmaker, from TWM to Raanjhanaa, TWMR and now Zero. In my forthcoming film, maine kuchh halka sa orbit chhodte hue kiya hai. I’m taking a small flight, ek confidence dikhake. A filmmaker has to do that, otherwise you will say that you know what I’m going to write in my next scene. It’s a scary situation, when people can read your storytelling, ki humein pata hain yeh yahi karega. I’m not doing this to prove that I can do this also, yeh woh overconfidence nahin hai. I’m learning from my films and moving ahead. It’s from the same book, but a new chapter.

While you change chapters, you have one constant, your writer, Himanshu Sharma. How do you challenge each other?
We started together, he was assisting me and he discovered the writer in himself. Humne struggle ek saath kiya, we know our weaknesses so well that we complement each other. We don’t function as two individuals, he has his identity, I have mine, but together, we become one different identity. We’re mentally secure, there’s no problem that I think like this and he thinks like that. Somewhere that bond is reflected in our films.

Also, a superstar is on board. There are so many dimensions to Shah Rukh Khan, but having seen the trailer, one notices a new spark in him, too. And it seems he has enjoyed doing this film.
I’ve known him through his movies. Over the last 25 years, we’ve seen him as a big star. But strangely, after meeting him I’ve realised there’s a certain simplicity hidden in him. I can read that man. He allows himself in front of you ki yahi hoon main. When we went on floors, I was yet to meet the superstar who we’re so used to seeing. I got a great friend, guide, philosopher and a fantastic student who is ever ready to learn, despite being so experienced and knowledgeable. One doesn’t expect that from a star, but yahi hua. That also helped make the film. As a person, I can only direct a movie if I know someone very well. You can see it as my strong point or a weakness. If I’m not in love, I won’t be able to work. Technique, craft hoga, I’m not aware about that. What I’m aware of is that human connect. If that happens, then I can understand SRK and everything else. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m very mediocre. I’m fortunate that I’m able to find the connect and that’s why I have survived. Main issi ko apni filmmaking maanta hoon. My films are all about my connect with people.

Even though you’ve discussed so many aspects of SRK, you always feel he’s the kind of person who has something more to him…
You’ve known him for quite some time. I met him about three-four years ago. We talk for hours. I enjoy talking to him, he’s very witty. Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki he’s misunderstood at times because of his sharp humour. In recent times, it seems his wit is not taken the way it was taken earlier. For me, these two-three years with him have been a great learning experience. Knowing such a legendary man is a great feeling. He is such an intelligent guy, you can talk to him about anything. He knows what he is doing. The best part is (I’m not talking about the actor but about the person) that he understands when he’s touching excellence. He knows exactly that this is mediocre, this is average. He is aware of everything. The conversations with him are great, sometimes you feel that itni baat samajh rahe ho, but he hasn’t applied them for some reason or the other. There are so many things you want to know and understand about him.

Going by the expectations, we will get to see something novel — technology and SRK in a new avatar in an Aanand L Rai kind of a film..
You have seen a lot of directors, actors, films.. toh koi bhi technique dekhke nahin jaata. You go for the story.

One feels afraid of a film when there’s nothing to market it. At that time they talk about budget and technology, etc.
How does it matter if Zero is made on a budget of Rs 20 cr or Rs 200 cr, if the audience, to whom I’m telling the story, can’t feel it! If we can talk about the character, the world where he belongs, how does it matter whether the movie is made in X or Y budget? It is irrelevant. Someone might say this is a Rs 1,000-cr film, but if I’m not feeling it, why will I watch it? Audience ko farak nahin padta. The main question is are you entertaining them or not? It’s as simple as that.

I remember Brian Lara (former captain of the West Indies cricket team) giving his retirement speech, just after his last match. In his concluding line, he asked, ‘Did I entertain you?’ It didn’t matter how many centuries or runs he scored, that’s on record. But what matters is entertaining your audience.

Do you ever ask yourself that at the end of every film?
Yes, I do, always. I may not get to see my audiences, but I can sense that they are there. I make my films only for them.

At some places in the trailer, SRK’s dialogue seems as if it’s Aanand L Rai talking...
To be honest, in fact, it is more of Himanshu than me. Besides, Himanshu and I are so much together, it reflects on our actors. We’ve had a great journey and enjoyed working together. It’s a difficult story, more than the technique. If anyone says ‘Kyun difficult hoga’, unke dimaag mein technical hota hai, mere dimaag mein emotional hota hai. This film’s story is in a commercial space, it’s about incompleteness. The male protagonist is vertically challenged, the female leads are incomplete one way or the other. For me, it’s a tough film, but I’m so excited and I’m really trusting my audience.

Tell us about your experience of working with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.
Brilliant. Maybe I’m working with them at my right time, maybe I had my own journey to reach to these big stars. Mujhe unmein dost hi milein. Whether it’s Katrina or Anushka, I don’t have to think twice before talking to them. I’m very comfortable with both of them and vice versa. I must be able to express myself from the core of my heart and I can do that with them. As a director that is required, and I feel, they gave their best for me. Both of them have delivered brilliant performances.

It’s too soon to ask, but you may be having a pitara of stories to make into movies.
Not at all. Every time, I feel that I don’t have more than two stories within myself. In fact, just the other day I was telling Khan saab (SRK) that each time I make a film, I feel as if it’s my last. When I’ve finished it, I’m so empty that it’s a good state to be in. It seems I’ve given it my everything and that’s a great feeling. I felt that during Raanjhanaa and TWMR. I didn’t know what I had in me next. It’s the same with Zero. After this, I can relax. But there is a story, which was there in me earlier. It will resurface again after Zero releases.

Priyanka Roy (THE TELEGRAPH; November 12, 2018)

Wry wit. Fun lines. Deadpan humour. Life lessons packed into every answer.

Shah Rukh Khan is always a delight to talk to. On Saturday, King Khan was in Calcutta for the inauguration of the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival, at which he’s been a regular for some years now. His work commitments wrapped up, the 53-year-old superstar — dressed cool in black cargo pants and olive green jacket — made time for a chat with t2 in the presidential suite at The Oberoi Grand. On the chat agenda — his December biggie Zero, son AbRam’s priceless reaction to the film’s trailer and why the actor doesn’t have a low day. Accompanying SRK during the half-hour chat was his Zero director Aanand L. Rai.

Congratulations for the Zero trailer, which has more than 100 million views in a little more than a week. Did you think it would become so big so soon?
Aanand L Rai: Sir (Shah Rukh) ko toh aadat hai of big numbers, for me it’s a big thing. I’ve always told everyone that mujhe numbers se matlab nahi hai, mujhe sirf pyaar samajh mein aata hai. But now after being with sir, numbers bhi samajh mein aa rahe hain. Now I am understanding what 100 million means (smiles). It feels very nice.

Every time I watch the trailer and the film, I feel ki meri aukaat se bahut badi hai yeh film. Not in terms of mounting, but in terms of emotion. The thought that I wanted to tell this story gave me strength. It’s been a very tough process of making the film, but it’s been rewarding because I’ve made it with the people I’ve wanted. When people ask me now that how was the process of making this film, I tell them, ‘Bas Ludo khelte khelte bana li film’.

What’s the most enduring feedback that you’ve got for the trailer?
Shah Rukh Khan: The film stems from what the director feels in his heart; then we all think it through. We are the thought process for it, the heart always comes from the director and that’s how it should be. If that happens, then the film more or less gets made the way you want it to… how well or not well, that of course, comes from the audience reactions later.

He had made the trailer a long time back… he showed it to me about two months ago. The first reaction — which I think Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan) also had as did a lot of people — was ‘Arre yaar, kuch emotional sa ho jaata hai’. That’s nice to hear because the trailer is not cut like that and the character (SRK’s Bauua Singh) is definitely not like that. We were very clear that while portraying this character, who is specially abled, we will not ask for sympathy. We only wanted to celebrate and tell people that it’s all right to be incomplete, in whichever way it is. That people are finding it emotionally touching is a very nice thing.

When I saw the trailer, I found it funny. And because I am a bit of a materialistic man, I found it big (smiles), which is what I like in cinema…
Aanand: Achha, yeh aise hain nahi… he just likes saying these things (looks at SRK and laughs).

Shah Rukh: I liked Katrina’s (Kaif) entry in the trailer… I liked how Anushka (Sharma) was subtly introduced… it’s a very major character and people didn’t know what she played before the trailer came out. But yes, I found it thrilling too, especially last mein when the rocket comes in… I told him ‘Yeh bahut solid lag raha hai’.

A big takeaway from the trailer has been the paisa-vasool dialogues…
Aanand: The full credit for that goes to Himanshu Sharma who’s written them and Khan saab who’s delivered the lines.
Shah Rukh: There are many nice scenes and lines in the film, but invariably there will be two-three things that an actor will develop an attachment to. I have an inherent sense of humour and an appreciation for irony, so there are some lines in the film that I find quite magical.

However, when we sat after the edit, I realised that my three favourite lines from the film are no longer there (looks at Aanand L. Rai and laughs). So I keep threatening Aanand sir that if you don’t put them back in in some form — even if it’s in a voiceover — I will tell the whole world! (Laughs)

At the trailer launch in Mumbai on your birthday, you had said the line, “Le aa apne teen Khan, yahin khada hoon meri jaan” was your favourite…
Shah Rukh: Arre, woh bhi nikaal diya hai, yaar. But don’t worry, it will make its way into the film (smiles and winks).
Aanand: For all the films I’ve made, I have had a couple of lines in each where I’ve thought, ‘Agar Shah Rukh Khan yeh line bolta toh uska impact kuch aur hota’. And now that I have made him say so many lines in my film, it’s honestly been a dream come true.

What’s been a hit is also that line where Bauua underlines the side effects of chewing gutkha…
Aanand: I knew that line (where Bauua says that his father’s habit of chewing gutkha had affected his sperm count and therefore, Bauua was born a dwarf) would stick. I think they should run this instead of those disclaimer ads before films. Male ego bahut hurt ho raha hai! (Laughs)
Shah Rukh: For me, it’s the funniest line of the film.
Aanand: Sir was always doubtful whether everyone would understand the line.
Shah Rukh: I even told him that I would emphasise it more in the dubbing so that people understand it. I told him that if people don’t understand this line then mujhe bahut dukh hoga.





Bauua Singh seems to be a unique character; he’s cocky and endearing, which isn’t an easy formula to crack. How would you describe him?
Shah Rukh: It’s nice when we can turn a character into adjectives like this (smiles). As an actor, I never figure out ‘how to do’, for me it’s always ‘how will I feel like doing this’…. I have said this about Bauua (takes out his phone and reads from it), ‘Main Saharanpur hoon, main Jaisalmer hoon, main Trichy hoon, Indore hoon, Amritsar hoon… main desh ka har chauraha hoon, kasba hoon, paan ki dukaan hoon… aapke saamne neele suit pehenkar baithi huyi ladki hoon aur laal shirt pehna hua ladka hoon. Aap sheher hai, main gaon hoon, aap badshah aur main fakir hoon’. All this and a little more sums up the character.

A character is a little difficult to define, yaar. I feel that once you define it, it becomes two-dimensional. What I want to tell everyone is, ‘Can you find yourself in the character?’ That will be my victory. Today, when people see the character, we get to know what they like and don’t like about him. It will just take an edit change for us to rectify what they don’t like; but every day we quietly agree with everyone, but we want him to be left undefined. Let people take what they want from the character. The actor Michael Caine had once said, ‘I never show myself. I walk on to the stage or a film set and then hold myself in so that the audience can see themselves in me’.

What I like about the character is not all commercial Hindi films allow you to be someone like that. In most of my films, I am ‘hero type’… that’s also nice because I feel it’s difficult to be ‘hero type’. This character is like a mirror in which you will see yourself or someone you know.

Would you say that taking on this character has been a risk?
Shah Rukh: Everything’s a risk. I treat every film as a start-up, it could go right or wrong. If it’s not a risk, then it’s not worth it. God has been kind to me. When I came in, a lot of what I did no one had done before and it became a success; and God is kind to me now also because I do a lot of things that no one has done before, and it fails (smiles).

Shah Rukh, you’ve said in the past that working with friends keeps you in your comfort zone. Aanand L. Rai wasn’t part of your circle. What clicked between the two of you?
Shah Rukh: I think who I mean as my ‘friends’ is a little misunderstood. It’s not true that I only work with the friends I have. Of the two very close friends I have, one is a pilot and the other is in the business of steel. They don’t make films at all, but they have actually acted in my films… you will find them in Farah’s (Khan) films….
Aanand: Oh, really?!
Shah Rukh: Jo director tha Om Shanti Om mein woh mera dost Vivek Khushalani hai, aur jo hero tha jo Deepika (Padukone) ko bolta hai, ‘Milenge raat ko, kya kar rahi ho aap?’ is my pilot friend Raman Sharma. They were also there in Main Hoon Na… peechhey ID card ya kuch bhar rahe thhe (smiles).

What I mean is that the people I work with, I hope they become my friends. It just makes the process of making a film nicer. I hardly remember the last time I was ‘professional’ when I made a film — I don’t mean I’m unprofessional — but it’s never been, ‘Hello sir, chalo… okay, bye bye’. I can’t function unemotionally.

This process of writing the film took five-six months from the time Aanand sir told me about it. In those six months, I decided that this is the only film I’m going to be doing. It’s a very simple idea and it’s simple ideas that attract you the most.

Pre-production took about three-four months and during that time, we got the opportunity to become friends even before we took the first shot. So much so that by the time we came on set for the first time, a lot of people would have got the impression that we had been working together for a long time.

What’s your son AbRam’s reaction to the trailer?
Aanand (to SRK): Maine aapko bola tha ki sabse bada acid test iss film ke liye AbRam hai…
Shah Rukh: Arre sir, maine AbRam ko poochha tha. Just pretend you are Shah Rukh and I am AbRam and now ask me how did I like the trailer…
Aanand: AbRam, kaisa laga trailer?
Shah Rukh (looks away pretending to be busy and waves his hand): ‘Too good… too good’ (laughs). He doesn’t have time for anything!



Is he normally so dismissive?
Shah Rukh: I don’t know! I assume that at age five, you become a little sensible and so this will be my first film that could probably appeal to him. (Jab) Harry Met Sejal was a little adult for a kid and Fan was probably scary for him… he was just three then. So maybe Zero will be the first film of mine that he will like or dislike. Someone asked me if AbRam thinks that Bauua is him, but I don’t think he thinks like that.
Aanand: He’s too smart for that.
Shah Rukh: Ya he must be thinking, ‘I’m much better-looking!’ (Laughs)

Is the pressure of being a Khan now more than ever?
Shah Rukh: In 27 years, I have performed as Kumar, Raj, Rahul… the only thing that I haven’t performed as is a Khan. I don’t think I will ever do it, and neither will the other Khans. Kya pressure, yaar? Bhagwan ne itna de diya. The one thing God hasn’t given us is pressure; what he’s given us is opportunities, a chance to work with someone like him (points to Aanand). Now he’s a friend, so it seems awkward to praise him.

But I am lucky that I get to do the films I wish to do. Every year, I am thankful that I get the opportunity of at least two films… ki yaar, yeh bhi kar sakte hain, woh bhi kar sakte hain. What more can an artiste ask for?

I remember, in my early days, I was working with Saroj ji (Khan, choreographer). In those days, I would work three shifts and would be like this (leans back on his chair and sticks his tongue out). I told her, ‘Saroj ji, itna kaam hai, thak gaya hoon’. She would be very motherly towards me and she slapped me on the cheek, pyaar se, and said, ‘Kabhi yeh mat kehna ki zyada kaam hai’. In this area of work, there is never too much work. I just feel fortunate that I have so much to choose from. So, no pressure.



What does love now mean to a 53-year-old who’s been the King of Romance for the last 25 years?
Shah Rukh: I told someone the other day that I am no longer the King of Romance; main khud hi romance hoon. Toh agli baar jab kisiko bolna hai ki ‘Mujhe tumse pyaar ho gaya hai’, then people should say, ‘Mujhe tumse Shah Rukh Khan ho gaya hai!’ I am love... main seriously bol raha hoon (laughs).

There’s been talk that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is signing you and Salman Khan for a film together...
Shah Rukh: Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a fantastic director and he always has lots of stories to tell. He loves both me and Salman. He comes and tells me all his stories, lekin yeh waali abhi tak bataya nahi hai usne (smiles). The only film that I have committed to doing right now is Mr Mahesh Mathai’s Rakesh Sharma biopic (tentatively titled Salute). If there is an opportunity to work with Salman or Aamir, why wouldn’t I jump at it? For me, it’s going to be a big deal. I have done a film with Salman (Karan Arjun), but not with Aamir….

Your recent selfie with Aamir that you captioned as ‘Hug from the Thug’ went viral…
Shah Rukh: Toh socho picture kitni hit hogi! (Laughs)



It’s been a unique year at the movies with seemingly small films like Stree and Badhaai Ho hitting Rs 100 crore and a star project like Thugs of Hindostan struggling to stay afloat. Do you always have a box-office target in mind with every film of yours?
Shah Rukh: Not in hundreds, but in thousands! (Laughs) Main dhai sau, teen sau crore mein believe nahi karta… ab toh seedha thousand crore!

Jokes apart, I would like to say something. It’s a little personal and I don’t know whether it’s right to say it or not. This is something that’s saddened me and so I want to share it. When it happened to me personally, I wasn’t so sad, but this time I am. There are people who have given excellence to cinema for years. A film can be good, a film can be bad; none of us can ever claim ki maine duniya ki sabsi achchi film banayi hain. Mr Bachchan and Aamir have been people who have constantly contributed to the excellence of cinema. The greatest contribution to Hindi cinema in the last 10 years has been from Aamir, and with Amit ji, it’s been even longer. Now if a film of theirs (Thugs of Hindostan) doesn’t reach the level that you expected it to, does it take away from what they have done for cinema?

I think some people have been a little too harsh. It’s heartbreaking. It doesn’t mean that their spirit is broken, they are all amazing artistes who will bounce back. But one needs to be a little less harsh. I think Stree was fabulous and we need to make 20,000 films like that. But I also think that Thugs of Hindostan is fantastic. Sometimes we do go wrong, but Aamir has never done a film in which he hasn’t put in his best… I’ve known him for 20 years. And if there’s anyone who can put in even more effort than Aamir — which Aamir will also agree — it’s Amit ji... and at this age! So they’ve come in with good hearts and great talent and tried to make a film which tries to open up a new genre.

I may be speaking out of turn, but just like we have embraced Stree, we need to give some leeway to films like Thugs… that attempt something different. An adventure film has not been made in India in decades… probably Parasmani (1963) in black and white was the last one. Thugs… has tried to introduce this genre and kabhi kabhi upar neeche ho sakta hai. But the fact remains that in our cinema, we haven’t made an Indiana Jones and screw the comparison yaar, humne Pirates of the Caribbean bhi nahin banayi. So props to them for the attempt.

I have faced this with Ra.One… woh galat bann gaya, but at least mera effort tha to introduce superheroes into our cinema. Effort can’t be derided like this. If it was my film, it would seem like I was taking it personally, but yes, I am taking this personally.

I let people down with Jab Harry Met Sejal, which was an utter flop. But I didn’t want to let anyone down; I just liked the fact that koi story nahin thi, sirf ek ring ke chakkar mein the two people (SRK’s Harry and Anushka Sharma’s Sejal) kheechey chale jaate hain… it was very organic, slice-of-life thi. The other day I met a director who mentioned the term ‘slice-of-life’ and I said, ‘nahin, poora pumpkin do mujhe iss baar’ (laughs).

What I am saying is that we need to give everything a chance. If Zero works, it will give people encouragement to make films that are even bigger in scale and story. And if we keep doing it, then maybe one day we will be able to make a good Mahabharat too. Nahin toh sirf bahaar waale hi hamari stories banate rahenge. Aur hum dekh ke sochte rahenge ki humne Gandhi kyun nahin banayi?

You have the energy of a 16-year-old. But are there days when even SRK is low on energy and maybe just wants to curl up in bed and shut out the world?
Shah Rukh: Physically, I never have days when I am low. And when I am mentally down, ab toh mere paas bachche itne hain that I can play with them (smiles). I have days when I don’t want to meet anyone, but that will be an emotional down, not a physical one. When I am down, I teach my kids wrestling techniques aur saara gussa main unpe nikaal deta hoon! (Laughs)