Shah Rukh Khan, who grew up in the capital, on his undying love for the city and how it takes the cake when it comes to festivals
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; October 27, 2019)

Even though he has a lot of Diwali parties to attend in Mumbai, Shah Rukh Khan wanted to make sure that he also absorbed Delhi’s Diwali vibe on his recent visit to the city. With his youngest son AbRam accompanying him, SRK said he was there for some “love and friendship”. Speaking about his love for the city, the actor also recalled how every time he is in Delhi, everyone treats him “like their own”. He said that showing AbRam how Delhi celebrates Diwali was one of his priorities while in the city, adding that when it comes to festivals, nobody can beat the way Delhi celebrates.

On Thursday, Shah Rukh Khan attended an event in Saket (Delhi), where he was two hours late. The actor apologised, saying, “Sorry, I’m late. It’s because of the traffic, but I’m not complaining. It’s our city, jaisi bhi hai achchi hai... I come here for friendship and love.”

Revealing his Diwali plans, SRK added, “I would love to celebrate Diwali in Delhi. Par humare Mumbai mein Diwali ki badi-badi parties hoti hain. Toh wahan jana lazmi hai. Woh ek culture sa bann chuka hai. I have to rush back, but I’m here till Diwali. I’ve got my little son (AbRam) here with me. So, I’ll be taking him around the city, showing him Dilli ki Diwali. Mujhe aisa lagta hai Diwali, Dussehra aur Holi jaise Dilli mein hota hai, kahin aur nahi hota. Ya phir mera yeh apna lagaav hai ki mujhe aisa lagta hai.”

‘EVERYONE TREATS ME LIKE THEIR OWN HERE’
Shah Rukh said, “I remember, initially, one of the big things for me was ki main Dilli wala hoon, aur main dil wala hoon. A few days back, I was in Delhi, and my team was walking with me, sadak par jo bhi milta hai, woh aise hi baat karta hai ‘Oh ji... twade naal’. My team asks if I know them and I say, ‘I don’t, but 100% I am related to him somehow because everyone treats me like their own in Delhi.”

Whenever SRK is in Delhi, he hopes to take out some time to visit his parents’ grave. He said, “As much as I can’t leave Delhi, Delhi can’t leave me. My parents are here. For me, my biggest memory is here. Kabhi kabhi main lazy ho jata hoon, nahi jata hoon wahan par (parents’ grave), dur se hi dua maang leta hoon, because parents will understand. I understand that when my kids don’t meet me very often now. But honestly, when I land in Delhi, and I am roaming around, the only thing I get really nostalgic about is going and seeing them.”

Meena Iyer (DNA; January 22, 2019)

Over the last three decades, Shah Rukh Khan has become a household name across the globe. While his interests cover film and sports, one can’t help but notice that despite having such deep knowledge about cinema, the Bollywood superstar has never evinced interest in direction.

When an opportunity posed itself, we asked him why he hadn’t ventured into filmmaking. To which SRK replied candidly, “Not yet yaar. It’s difficult for me to get into direction. I can imagine what the story is going to be like. However, I don’t ‘really know’ it. I believe that if you are going to helm a film then you should be aware of the plot. You’ve to be able to say confidently ‘this is what my story is’. My thing is I’m assuming the possibilities. But sometimes, I haven’t tied up all the loose ends.”

Contemplating a bit more, he added, “Direction is a lonely job. That’s why I’m so in love with my directors when I work with them, so that they don’t feel alone. For me, it’s not important to act well for them as much as it is to let them know that in the final stretch of the film’s release, the last man standing with him or her, will be me.”

He also said that he loved having his youngest son, AbRam, around. Referring to him, he stated, “I’ve a little one right now. So, if I became a director, I would be locked in a room for two years, which is not a good thing to do at present. Sitting with AbRam and trying to write a story will be impossible. I don’t want to miss out on his growing up years.” Guess, direction will have to wait!

For these leading men, whose older kids have left/are leaving the nest, nothing spells throwback as well as reliving parenthood after a gap
Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 16, 2019)

Shah Rukh Khan
SRK and Gauri’s youngest child, AbRam, was the original paparazzi darling before his retreat into privacy coincided with Taimur Ali Khan’s debut in the public domain. Now, he is being credited for accentuating his actor-father’s paternal instincts, especially in public. “Weekend Research: A survey has found One in Three men are just as lazy as the other Two”. We are the other two and we don’t agree mom,” SRK shared cheekily with the latest picture of himself with AbRam last weekend.

In 2018, he had marked Eid with another photo-op with his son, noting, “Love is always only in the eyes… here’s all of ours to you...”


Aamir Khan
With Ira and Junaid, his kids with first wife Reema Dutta all grown up, Aamir is reliving the joys of parenthood with Azad, his seven-year-old son with filmmaker-wife, Kiran Rao.

After planning an Asterix-themed birthday party, which was much talked about for the painstaking attention to detail, Aamir let his followers in on the goofy side of his world recently. For a picture of Azad perched on his shoulders as he appears deep in thought, he quipped, “Gehri soch,” suitably appending it with a smile emoji.


Saif Ali Khan
The 48-year-old actor makes up for the lack of a social media presence with rather frequent public appearances with his youngest son, Taimur Ali Khan. Would it be too cheeky, or too far off the mark to say that his cherubic toddler has been instrumental in raising his equity with the paparazzi by several notches?

Given Saif’s sense of humour and the fact that it was he, who, while on a chat show, brought up the premium prices Taimur’s pictures command in media circles, it would be safe to assume that the actor would agree.

Akshay Kumar
If the Khiladi Kumar and his witty wife Twinkle Khanna’s documentation of their daily lives are anything to go by, the former revels in keeping up little traditions with their six-year-old daughter, Nitara. The duo celebrated Makar Sankranti on Monday together. “Meet daddy’s little helper… Continuing our yearly father-daughter ritual of flying kites soaring high in the sky,” Akshay exclaimed.

On September 25 last year, he marked his li’l girl’s birthday with a heart-warming post. “My baby girl, you have given me love I didn’t know existed… Please don’t grow up just yet, I’m not ready for you to swim without me,” he had shared.

Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 29, 2018)

HAIL THE HERO
In January, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was grappling with nation-wide resistance from fringe groups towards Padmaavat, when it emerged that the film would be clashing with Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man at the box office. The actor called a press conference with SLB to reveal that he had graciously decided to move his date. “I can understand that his need for this date is more than mine,” he said, while a visibly restrained SLB expressed gratitude and avoided questions pertaining to the Padmaavat row. In the end, his film sprinted past the Rs 200-cr mark.


SILENT PROTESTS
In May, a day before honourees at the 65th National Awards were to be felicitated, they woke up to the rude shock that President Ram Nath Kovind would present awards in only 11 categories out of 140 awards. Over 60 awardees wrote him an open letter in protest. The ceremony continued as scheduled with then I & B Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State, I & B Rajyavardhan Singh Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and Secretary, I & B Narendra Kuma Sinha presenting the rest. Over 50 winners stayed away, as evidenced by the seating arrangement at the do.


DOING TIME
In April, Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case in Rajasthan and fined Rs 10,000. It was to be Bhai’s fourth stint in Jodhpur Central Jail — he had spent a total of 18 days there in 1998, 2006 and 2007. And while uncertainty loomed large over his bail plea, the then-52-year-old actor-filmmaker’s body language, as he lounged in a chair at the Jodhpur Central Jail, was in sharp contrast to the media chatter and legal wrangles.


AAMIR WITH AN ASTERIX
In November, the usually elusive Aamir Khan broke character for his son Azad Rao Khan’s themed birthday party by not just dressing up, but also sharing outtakes from the do. While he was Obelix to Azad’s Asterix, his filmmaker-wife Kiran Rao was Getafix the druid and their pet dog, Dogmatix. Fans of the French comics were awed by the attention to detail -- AK had also shared a picture of his Obelix, just as in the comics, lining up for his share of the magic potion and was refused because, as any Asterix fan knows, he fell in the potion as a baby.


A-LIST COUPS
Dressed in an eye-popping shade of green Sabyasachi and with then-rumoured beau Ranbir Kapoor as her arm candy, Alia Bhatt momentarily stole Sonam Kapoor’s thunder at the latter’s wedding reception with Anand Ahuja in May. In the past, there had been surreptitious spending-time-with-each-other’s-families and low-key dates while shooting Ayan Mukerrji’s Brahmastra in Bulgaria, but this picture was proof that the couple was seemingly ready for the long haul. Is another high-profile wedding on the cards in the new year? Let’s just say there’s no force mightier than two approving matriarchs.


Ring-side view
In August, Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora caught the eye with their front-row seats at designer and close friend Kunal Rawal’s fashion week show in the city. The couple, who sat next to the actor’s sisters Janhvi and Khushi, have since followed it up with regular dinner dates, joint turns at family soirees and subsequently, intensifying reports that they are headed towards matrimony early in the new year.


TRIAL BY IRE
Tanushree Dutta was away from public consciousness for a decade, only to return in September this year with a TV interview in which she revived her sexual harassment accusations against her Horn OK Pleassss co-star Nana Patekar. The veteran actor pleaded innocence again and all but scoffed at the claims. That would have been it. Only, it wasn’t 2008 anymore and as fate would have it, India was on the cusp of its own #MeToo movement. Flash forward to a few days later, the public outcry refused to die down and Nana had to pay the price for his unchecked male privilege by being axed from his next film, Housefull 4.


Hi-five alert
Saif Ali Khan had let it slip during a chat show appearance in November that paparazzi pictures of his younger son command premium price. And Taimur Ali Khan was, quite unlike Bollywood films at the box-office, consistent through the year in dishing out poses that would instantly spike traffic on the world wide web. In 2018, he learnt to walk without assistance, sprint at will, ride a horse and cheerily wave at the photographers, his biggest cheerleaders, with a rare and beguiling familiarity. Special mention to his nanny, who became one of B-town’s most recognised faces in the process.


STAR TREK
Hollywood actor Will Smith, who partied with Akshay Kumar at the actor’s Mumbai residence in 2016, and returned to promote a movie in 2017, was back in India this year to attend a summit. This time, he kicked his India experience up a notch by getting choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D’souza to direct him in a Bollywood song — he will be seen shaking a leg with ‘Students’ Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria — and taking over from the driver of an autorickshaw in which he was riding as a passenger. Onlookers would bet good money that the adrenaline junkie in the Men In Black hitmaker will remember that ride for years to come.


When A met B
AbRam Khan, whose public outings have been few and far between lately, was a picture of shock and awe when he met Amitabh Bachchan. It was Aaradhya Bachchan’s seventh birthday on November 18, and Shah Rukh Khan’s youngest child was among the many guests at the party, when the duo came face-to-face. The Big B documented the moment, noting that the tot, who was wide-eyed as he looked up to him and shook his hand, “thinks, believes and is convinced beyond any doubt, that I am his father’s father... and wonders why Shahrukh’s father does not stay with him”.

NOW YOU SEE THEM...
For some reason, Farhan Akhtar and Shibani Dandekar’s hide-and-seek with the world has continued even after they came out in the open with their relationship. The couple had first raised chatter around a potential romance by sharing pictures of themselves together on trips with friends and tiresome treks. Then, Shibani let the cat out of the bag, only if partially, in September, with a picture of herself holding hands with a mystery man. While industry watchers were certain it was Farhan, the actor-filmmaker confirmed the romance by sharing the same picture on his feed a month later. This month, they turned up together for the DeepVeer reception.

Shah Rukh Khan on his idea of romance, giving undivided attention to his next, the connection between stardom and innate goodness, and why his younger son AbRam makes for the best travel companion
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 12, 2018)

He is expected to arrive around 9.30 pm. I’m on my way to Mehboob Studio a little before 9 pm, when I get a frantic call informing me that Shah Rukh Khan is already there. Later, he jokes that he took everyone by surprise by arriving on time. The interactions are expected to continue till around 2 am after which he plans to meet his Zero director Aanand L Rai who has been, for days, working all nights on the film’s post-production. It’s going to be a long night’s work but that’s routine for SRK, who settles down on the sofa in his vanity van and turns expectantly. Excerpts from an interview:

In our first conversation about Zero, Aanand L Rai had confided that he wanted to take the biggest superstar and cut his height by a couple of feet. How did he present the idea to you?
Aanand with Himanshu (writer Himanshu Sharma) came to meet me late one night with a one-page story idea. He narrated the opening sequence which had the dialogue, “Gutka khate ho gapagap, sperm chhota padh gaya tumhara, aur kya!” and I was instantly hooked. It wasn’t important that the character was vertically challenged because when I was acting, I wasn’t four foot tall. On screen, I often don’t recognise myself because Bauua is so different from me but it makes me happy as an actor. What I liked was that here’s a person who’s aware that maybe he is not the most complete of them all, yet he doesn’t give a damn what the world thinks of him. (Smiles) That’s the best way to be, particularly in today’s world where everybody is telling you how you should be or shouldn’t be.

My mom wanted me to become an actor but three-four people from Mumbai whom we knew well told her I’d never become one because I wasn’t good-looking enough. She was hurt but it didn’t bother me because all I wanted to do was act and I assured her “main kaam karta rahunga”. At that point I wasn’t interested in films, I was doing well on stage. Then, TV happened and, 30 years later, I’m a poster boy!

You just have to believe in what you want to do despite what others may think of you or even if you yourself feel the lack of something, material or otherwise. Through Bauua, Anushka’s (Sharma) Aafiya and even Katrina’s (Kaif) Babita, who is emotionally incomplete in this flight of fantasy, we want to convey the message that this is how God made us and since we have just one life, let’s live it to the fullest.

You’ve always come across as a confident person. Is there something that makes you feel incomplete as a person?
Everything! But I don’t think of weakness or fallibility as a shortcoming. I have never been confident but at the same time, I’ve never felt bereft of something. This is who I am and my best quality is that I can tell people I don’t know certain things. Even now I tell all my heroines, even the younger girls, that I can’t dance and that they should either stand in front of me or hold my hand. When Aanand would ask me how I wanted to do a certain scene, I’d admit I had no idea and asked him to share if he had one.

I’m very emotional and sensitive to people unless I am angry, then I don’t give a damn. And if people are insensitive to me, I grow very quiet and go away. My wife and children know my weaknesses so even if they know something is crap, they will tell me so gently because I get a little taken aback by directness. When the kids were young, Gauri would tell them, “Don’t talk like this, papa gets disturbed.”

What disturbs you?
When it’s family, I’m not offended by anything. But sometimes I get hurt if they refuse a simple thing. I don’t ask for much.

Has your sensitivity ever been misread?
Sometimes because of it, I may come across as a little formal as a younger actor pointed out when I called to ask his permission to use a shot taken at the Filmfare Awards. Since he wasn’t aware that he was being filmed, I thought it was only decent and dignified to ask him. He was very sweet.

Stardom comes with a lot of responsibility. How difficult is it to be good to people all the time?
I’ve never thought of stardom and goodness as being mutually exclusive. You are either good, or you’re not. I’m always nice to people. When I’m with people, I love them, and when I’m alone, I love myself. If you’re my friend, you are always in my heart and I’ll be there just in case, though I hope it never happens that you need me. But I don’t have any social etiquette.

I can’t be ‘in touch’, chat and text. I don’t take phone calls, I don’t answer messages properly and I’m okay if you don’t either. My family and best friends understand that I love them and that when I’m on my own time, I’m gone. But it can offend some people who take it as lack of love.

Being a star has never influenced who I am and how I behave. I’m awkward doing and saying a lot of things in real life, but I’ll do it in a movie if the character demands it. The only thing I still can’t do is address someone as “Tu.” I request the director to change it to “Tum.”

Ever since Aryan entered his teens there’s been a lot of talk about him being groomed for stardom. And now Suhana is catching the eye with her performances on stage. What is it like to have two growing actors in the family?
Neither my son nor my daughter have been groomed to be actors. Suhana has an inclination towards wanting to be an actor. She finishes school in six months after which she will go to an educational institute for three-four years to train in acting. Aryan doesn’t want to be an actor, he wants to make films, become a director, and is training for it in the US. AbRam I don’t know, he’s good-looking enough to be a rock star.

Gauri and I never told our kids that they have to grow up to be actors. People around would say handsome hai, tall hai, body achcha hai, but if looks were a criterion, I’d never have been an actor. Genetics too has nothing to do with capability. If I can be of help as someone with 30 years of experience in the field, I will, but I don’t think I should because acting is not just a job, it has to be a turn-on every second. It is about how happily, longingly, desperately and crazily you want to act. Don’t do it if you only want to wear good clothes, look nice and drive flashy cars. Get into banking then, it’s much safer!

You’ve got into the habit of going off on little vacations with AbRam…
My other two kids were not so social but AbRam enjoys spending time with my friends and me. Once Gauri dropped him off at Mehboob Studio for an hour. Now, he’s happy to come here, watch movies, play football, play with the cat and hens… He doesn’t need you to be with him. He goes to sleep at 9 pm, wakes up early and if we’re in London, wants to go to Hyde Park to play. If I can accompany him, great. If not, he’s okay!

He’s an easy and happy traveller and since I get lonely on long outdoors, I enjoy his company. During the shoot of Jab Harry Met Sejal, Gauri dropped him off for four days. He stayed on for 32 days, going with me to the Netherlands, Portugal and Hungary. In Hungary, we had a party one night, and since the production guys had always seen him with me, they cordoned off a portion of the nightclub we were visiting as a no-drinking kid zone and invited him along. He was happy to play there and dance with Anushka. He’s a cool kid!

You’ve been a romantic hero since Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. What’s your personal take on love?
I believe it’s a fuller, more complete word for respect. If I respect your space and still encroach it, if you can respect my individuality and can still be a couple with me, then that’s love. And the beauty of love is that you don’t need to ask for it, demand it or beg for it, it flows naturally. If you are in a relationship where respect even when unasked is given, it’s love. Otherwise it’s liking, which is also nice, or companionship which is brilliant.

There’s been speculation that you have given the nod to the Rakesh Sharma biopic, Saare Jahan Se Achcha, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali too is planning a film with Salman and you…
I talk about my film when I’m making one, if I haven’t made it yet, there is no point in speaking about it as it only misleads. Apart from these two you mentioned, there are six other films that I have heard, some really exciting stuff. But it’s only after I’ve finished Zero, that I can take a call on my next as only then can dates and casting can be locked. For the moment I just want to stay with this film and have requested everyone else to give me some time.

Saare Jahan Se Achcha I’ve heard, it’s beautiful, I’d love to do it and I will, eventually. But the timing has not been decided and it is nice to announce a film with the whole cast and crew. Sanjay and I have been talking about a film for the last two years but not specifically about this one. I’d love to work with him again but since nothing is specified yet, it obviously means Sanjay is not ready yet and it will take us some more time.

I’ve spoken to Aanand about another film, but he’s not even done with Zero yet, how will he start a new film. There is another idea that I’ve really liked which someone narrated to me. Some friends wanted to announce a film eight-nine months ago, but I convinced them to hang on as I wanted to give Zero all my time for now. So, at this point I don’t have another film to talk about.

Did you watch Rakesh Sharma on TV when he responded to then-PM, Indira Gandhi’s question about how India looked from space with the unforgettable words, “Sare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara”?
I did, growing up, he was one of my biggest heroes, along with Milkha Singh and Sunil Gavaskar. It was an amazing moment which gave us a sense of what an Indian could achieve at a time when our space programme wasn’t as strong as it is now. In fact, a lot of people still think he went to the moon rather than into space.

It was endearing to see you shake a leg with Gauri to the tunes of “Dilliwali Girlfriend” at the Ambani pre-wedding celebrations. But someone changed the song to “Paisa Pheko Tamasha Dekho” online and trolls got into action.
I do what I feel like doing and it’s made me the person I am. I have never worked for an image. If someone does something mischievous and others are stupid enough to believe this is the asli song, God bless them. We’re in the nascent stage of social media and there are many who don’t know that such things can be done. There’s a need for video literacy not just in India but in the US too.

How do you react to such mischief?
You can feel bad about it, but you have to accept that social media is a virtual social reality. What I don’t get is people trying to be socially relevant by saying you shouldn’t say this or that. You have to retain your sense of humour and not take such criticism too seriously. In the end, it’s each to their own. If someone gets a kick out of doing this, you have to live with it. I’m not going to reply to a message on it or clarify because I know which song I danced to. And my knowledge is more important than someone else’s take. I have a system in place. If I go to a party and there are three groups, one gossiping, a second abusing people and a third discussing films, I’ll join the third group. On social media too, I alienate myself from the gossips and gaalis, block trolls, and express myself the way I wish.

You said earlier that you can’t dance but you were in sync with your wife.
My wife trained with Shaimak Davar and his young dancers were with us that evening too. She was dancing on stage after 10-20 years, it was very sweet of her. I don’t rehearse with my heroines, but this time I practised my steps backstage. (Laughs) With the wife you have to, especially if she is a trained dancer.

MID-DAY (November 17, 2018)

Like every year, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are pulling out all stops for daughter Aaradhya’s birthday. Since the tiny tot turned seven yesterday, we hear the couple is hosting a grand bash — with the theme of ‘Lucky number seven’ — at their Juhu bungalow this evening.

Says a guest invited for the do, “Aishwarya has been planning the party for days, looking into every detail, including the invites, the cake and decor. The theme of the bash is seven, so the decor is along the lines of the seven wonders of the world and the hues of the rainbow. The cake too is in the shape of the numeral.” The do will serve as the perfect occasion for the star kids to catch up.

On the guest list are Aamir Khan’s son Azad, Shah Rukh Khan’s son AbRam, Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna’s daughter Nitara, Farah Khan’s triplets — Czar, Anya and Diva — and Sanjay Dutt’s twins Shahraan and Iqra, among others.

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)

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 3, 2018)

It was late at night but with his Bandra bungalow, Mannat, lit up and fans lined up outside to wish him, sleep was the last thing on everyone’s mind. At midnight, Shah Rukh Khan turned 53 and stepped out onto the terrace in a blue hoodie to wave to his fans.

“Fed cake to wife...Met my family of fans outside Mannat...now playing Mono Deal with my lil girl gang! Having a Happy Birthday,” he wrote on the social media, adding that he believes ownership makes one very small and he is the luckiest man that he no longer owns his birthday. “It belongs to all these beautiful people who love me and my family,” he asserted.

During the day, more fans waited on the Bandstand promenade that overlooks SRK’s residence, when a few hours later, the birthday boy returned, this time with his lil’ boy, AbRam, to wave to them again. And all hell broke loose as they forced their way through the barricades and towards their demi-God.

The theme for the fans this year, in keeping with the actor’s upcoming film was ‘zero’ and many of them were wearing ‘Zero’ tees. Later in the day, Shah Rukh launched the trailer of his much-awaited film, along with director Aanand L Rai and his two leading ladies, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. The former’s character is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from cerebral palsy in the film, while Katrina plays an alcoholic superstar.

When the trio arrived at the Wadala theatre, fans started singing “Happy Birthday” for the actor who was greeted on the stage with the same song. Kat was wearing a denim jacket with “The Bad Guy” embroidered at the back. SRK took a fancy to it and took it away from her, saying charmingly, “Khoobsurti chupi rahe... achcha thodi na lagta hai”, before going on to flaunt it in his trademark style.

When a scribe asked him about cricketers promoting his film by getting out on zero, he quipped, tongue-in-cheek, “If I say anything against the Indian cricket team, I will get a slap from the girl sitting beside me, Mrs Cricketer.” Anushka who debuted opposite him in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, pointed out that this year she will be completing a decade in the Hindi film industry with another SRK-starrer in December. “Life has come a full circle,” she said.

BOMBAY TIMES (September 8, 2018)

This weekend, the iconic Karan-Arjun jodi of Bollywood will come together on one platform. Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan will be seen together on the Dumdaar Finale Weekend of Dus Ka Dum tonight and tomorrow, and joining them will be Rani Mukerji. With their camaraderie and wit, the trio will be seen disclosing their hearts’ desires and many personal secrets on the show.

During the conversation, SRK mentioned how his younger son, AbRam, is just like Salman Khan. While the little tot expresses his love for his parents quite often, he also doesn’t shy away from saying ‘I Love You’ to any girl he meets.

Hearing this, Rani commented, “Salman, I wish you have a daughter. She will be the prettiest girl. She will be blessed with all your features. We can actually look at a rishta for your daughter with AbRam.”

To which, SRK was quick to add, “We shouldn’t have called Rani on the show. She is at it… she is getting people married, making them plan their children, all on this show. She should be called Shaadi Mukherjee.”

With glamour galore and fun unlimited, SRK and Rani will add to the befitting finale of the popular show. Also, don’t miss out on Sunil Grover’s (right) rendition of Kaun Banega Crorepati, as he proclaims himself ‘Duplicate Amitabh Bachchan’ and quizzes all the three stars on exciting questions.

Watch Dus Ka Dum- Dumdaar Finale Weekend tonight and tomorrow at 9.30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television

TV czarina gets the actor-filmmaker to announce the arrival of her Anurag and Prerna 2.0
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 23, 2018)

Shah Rukh Khan’s tryst with TV seems to be coming a full circle. The 52-year-old actor-filmmaker, who started out as Captain Abhimanyu on the show Fauji in 1988 and returned to TV intermittently to host game shows, is back again, this time for a telly soap.

Mirror has learnt that Ekta Kapoor has roped in the actor to kick off her reboot of Kasautii Zindagii Kay, her iconic romance show from the 2000s, which is returning to prime-time after 10 years with Erica Fernandes and Parth Samthaan taking over from Shweta Tiwari and Cezanne Khan who played Prerna Sharma and Anurag Basu respectively.

A source associated with the show revealed that SRK and Ekta met at a party recently and he agreed to announce the reboot’s arrival with a promotional video. “Following a brainstorming session, Ekta decided to join in and the two discuss timeless romance on camera with SRK playfully prodding Ekta about her love life,” adds the source.

Mirror had earlier reported (August 13) that Erica and Parth started shooting for the reboot at Mumbai’s Killick Nixon studio.

Next up, the show’s team is headed to Kolkata to film a special track since the male lead’s family is Bengali. Hina Khan who plays Komolika in the reboot, will also join them. Kasautii Zindagii Kay is the story of star-crossed lovers, Prerna and Anurag, who end up marrying different people due to certain circumstances.
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MEANWHILE... Shah Rukh Khan and AbRam's Eid date with fans

On Wednesday, Shah Rukh Khan colour-coordinated in white and blue with his younger son, AbRam, to keep their annual date with fans on Eid. Quite the festive treat for the gathered crowd.

DNA (December 12, 2017)

Kareena Kapoor Khan recently shot an episode with Shah Rukh Khan for a talk show, prior to an awards night. During their conversation, Kareena told SRK how she feels that the Baadshah has not worked that often with the men from the Kapoor khandaan.

While SRK has romanced both Kareena and Karisma Kapoor in films, he has only done one film with Rishi Kapoor (Deewana) and a cameo in Ranbir Kapoor's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. To this, Shah Rukh said, "Since you are complaining about me not doing films with the Kapoor men, we should make sure that the next generation of our families work together. Hum log AbRam aur Taimur ko saath mein kaam karayenge." To this, Bebo laughed and said, "We have to make them work together someday. And they are both very, very good looking anyway."

Going by how popular the two kids already are on social media, we might get to see them doing a film in the next 20 years. Another Kal Ho Naa Ho, maybe?

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 11, 2017)

The rooftop lawn of an Andheri studio was converted into a toy-themed wonderland for Rani Mukerji and Aditya Chopra’s daughter Adira’s second birthday on Saturday evening. Shilpa Shetty described it as “The premiere of a magnum opus,” congratulating host Rani for pulling off the kiddie party of the year that came with one clear instruction — there would be no pictures of the birthday girl.

Karan Johar’s twins Yash and Roohi bonded with Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan’s son Taimur, while Shah Rukh Khan obliged Neil Nitin Mukesh’s wife Rukmini, Raveena Tandon and Vaani Kapoor with selfies and binged on “whatever AbRam was eating”.

When asked what job he’d take up if he had all the money in the world, SRK beamed, “Babysitter”. Katrina Kaif and her upcoming actress-sister Isabel held hands and hopped into wonderland, excited to be at the bash and once inside, hung out with KJo and Alia Bhatt. And Bhumi Pednekar stole Rekha away from her time with the tots for a picture and some fan-girling.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 7, 2017)

Rohit Shetty and Karan Johar will record a rap song for their upcoming talent hunt reality show, India’s Next Superstars this week. The video will be shot later.

A source associated with the show reveals that the song, “Manzil Badi Hai”, is about how it isn’t easy to become a superstar in Bollywood. The idea is to convey that only hard work can get the contestants to the top. The winners will be launched by the filmmakers.

A set resembling an amusement park is being built for the shoot. While Karan will be suit up as usual, Rohit will be more casually dressed. His brother-in-law, fashion designer Navin Shetty, has been roped in to work on his look.

Meanwhile, Mirror has learnt that Karan’s twins, Yash and Roohi, are all set to make their first public appearance at Rani Mukerji’s daughter Adira’s second birthday on December 9 at the Chopra home. The doting daddy has been planning their outfits carefully as he wants their first outing to be eye-catching.

A huge bash is being arranged with lots of kiddie treats in store. Shah Rukh Khan’s son Abram and Aamir Khan’s son Azad are also expected to attend.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 20, 2017)

After bringing in daughter Aaradhya's sixth birthday with an intimate family dinner at a suburban five-star on Thursday, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan threw a bash at the family's Juhu bungalow over the weekend. Among the star kids in attendance were AbRam with father Shah Rukh Khan, Azad and Aamir Khan, Viaan Raj Kundra escorted by mom Shilpa Shetty, and Shahraan and Iqra, making an appearance.

Aaradhya and Aishwarya, colour-coordinated in pink, chose Manish Malhotra and Gauri and Nainika creations respectively. A source reveals, "The theme for the evening was 'At the garden'. The party featured a bouncy castle, a puppet show and a Ferris wheel that was a huge hit with even dadday Abhishek, star guest Shah Rukh and buddy Bunty Walia among the adults lining up for a ride. The menu included South Indian dishes, pizza and chaat, with the kids making a beeline for popcorn and candy floss."

Today is Ash's late dad, Krishnaraj's birthday and she will bring in the day with kids from the Smile Train India.