MUMBAI MIRROR (October 26, 2019)

Shah Rukh Khan wants people to have faith in the power of dreams. Talking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi, the 53-year-old actor was quoted as saying, "Some of the things that you don't think about, will happen to you and they are the best things of life. You just don't know it yet. I don't want to show off, but I'm genuinely a dream come true. I'm a lower middle class boy without his parents bound to the city of glamour and become a movie star. The world has showered me with their love. This happens in only dreams, but I never thought of it.”

SRK went on to add that he never thinks of himself as a star in Delhi but must behave like one sometimes. "It bores me to be a star that way. I love my job and promise to everybody that as Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Kumar Bijli keep on making cinema theatres, I'll keep on making movies to fill them," he shared.

When asked about the first time he saw himself on the big screen, Shah Rukh said it was the rushes of 1992 film Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, directed by Aziz Mirza, at the R K Studios. "I found myself so ugly. I had such bad hair. I was doing such bad acting in front of Nana Patekar, Amrita Singh and Juhi Chawla. I took the late 4.15 am flight ticket that our producers used to get for us at 25 per cent off and went to the airport, thinking I can't work in films. Aziz and Juhi convinced me that it's not that bad. The final cut would be better. Just like Ajay Bijli lied and got Yes Boss to play at this theatre, those two lied to me. I never looked better, I looked just the same," he recalled.

BOMBAY TIMES (October 26, 2019)

It was recently announced that PVR Anupam, India’s first multiplex, will go under renovation. The property, introduced in 1997, has been an epitome of a modern cinema theatre in its era and has been loved for over two decades. The cinema opened with the screening of Yes Boss in 1997 and has mapped an extensive journey celebrating India’s cinema culture since.

The curtain was drawn in the presence of Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Bijli, the Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd, as well as Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, the Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd. Carrying ahead the legacy of PVR to offer a differentiated experience and modern cinema-viewing, PVR Anupam is set to come back with a new style for the capital’s movie enthusiasts. Addressing the media, Ajay Bijli said, “This shows we have come a long way and the journey would not have been possible without the love and support of our partners, the film fraternity and the audience. This theatre is extremely special as it is the first multiplex in India and marks the beginning of my journey in this industry. The cinema will come back with new and exciting features, living up to the expectations of today’s audience. It is a great feeling to be here today and to look back at the journey. We are sure PVR Anupam will continue to receive the same love when it reopens.”

Marking his presence at the event, Shah Rukh Khan stated, “It has been two decades of the theatre spreading laughter and entertainment among cinegoers. It is a great feeling to be here. Cinema has been an integral part of India’s entertainment ecosystem and as actors, producers, directors or exhibitors, it is the love for movies that motivates us to work hard and live up to the expectations of the audience.”

With over 800 screens across 170 properties, pan-India and a customer base of over 100 million annually, PVR’s unique and diverse offerings stand tall in the exhibition industry.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; August 2, 2019)

When Yami Gautam signed Bala, an upcoming satirical black comedy, she was well-aware that the comic genre is both challenging and novel for her. Though she hasn’t tried anything in the same vein earlier, Yami has been a big fan of actresses like Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Juhi Chawla, all of whom had an infallible comic timing. With Bala kickstarting the first of her three back-to-back comedy films, Yami found inspiration in her screen idols. She says, “An actor cannot replicate someone's brand of humour or comic timing, but they can internalise the larger approach by learning the nitty-gritty of how they performed. Films like Sridevi’s Chaalbaaz or Juhi Chawla's comedy scenes in Yes Boss or even something as simple as Madhuri Dixit Nene’s comic bits in Hum Aapke Hain Koun! (HAHK) have been a big part of my childhood. There is a method to their acts, a certain twitch of the eye to convey a certain emotion or a raised eyebrow to convey something else. Comedy isn't always about laugh-out-loud jokes; sometimes, humour can be expressed in a subtle manner. The actresses of the 90s set the bar high for us in terms of comedy.”

Ask her about her favourites, and Yami says, “Almost all of them. I have been a movie buff since I was a kid. I remember enacting some scenes from HAHK as a child. They have been such solid examples for our generation of actors. On days when I have time, I sit and watch my favourite films again, hoping that some of that magical work rubs off on me.”

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; December 18, 2018)

Shah Rukh Khan is self-admittedly ‘flawed’. Reminds us of the hand-made fabulous Persian carpet. One where the artisans deliberately leave a flaw, because they believe that perfection only belongs to the ‘Almighty’. The actor says that he’s far from perfect and emphasises, “My flaws make me the star that I am.” Rightly so. He is indeed our ‘flawsome’ superstar (awesome with all his flaws). He’s enjoyed tremendous success, but it’s not like his career graph has been devoid of faults and failure. Yet, he still remains the die-hard romantic on screen, and a bonafide mega star. And a ‘Zero’ only multiplies his power. With his next coming up for release this Friday, he engages us in a chat where he talks about stardom — the conflict, complexity and simplicity of it all, how his fans repeatedly expect an SRK type act from him, and the story about how a simple gesture turned iconic on celluloid. Over to the mighty Khan...

Most directors who have worked with you are always asked about how they look beyond the superstar, your larger-than-life persona and see you from the lens of their character. For Aanand L Rai, it must have been a bigger challenge, as he was working with a version of you that was visually many inches shorter...
I have not worked with any director in any different way than I have worked with the last one, or I will with the next one. Earlier, there must have been some directors who were probably wary of me, thinking that they would have to follow my diktat owing to my stardom. But that feeling was curtailed in the first few days of shoot and later on, I heard them say things like… ‘He’s very sweet and he doesn’t bring the star persona on set’. Why would I do that? I have never done that.

I don’t say this with any modesty, but I truly believe that I am an employee of the film. I do a lot of jobs as an employee and try to do them well. Also, I have never told anyone that let me be who I am. I say, ‘You tell me who you want me to be, and I will do that to the best of my ability’. Sometimes, I am different than me, sometimes I am not. But if the director is okay with it, I am assuming that he is happy. Unless, the director believes that I can’t do anything else and so, he leaves it at that. People keep on saying, ‘He is Shah Rukh Khan!’ Yes, I am and when you cast me you know that (laughs!). The director, writer and the actor create a character who is not bound by any limitations of the character. I am the character, so why do we say that he will not do this or that? The character will do what you tell him to do.

Aanand L Rai told me that there was never any conflict between him and you; it was between you (the character) and Shah Rukh Khan. He said that you have this amazing quality, where you can sit and look at Shah Rukh Khan (as a third person) and talk about him like he is someone else. That sounds extremely interesting and complex, could you elaborate?
People have a different expectation of me, and they have that expectation of me as a star who they believe I am. When I go to a public place, people know that I will come on stage and crack a joke, do a song for them or give a hug. This is what I feel like as a star, and this is what I do as a star, but I am not that star. I am not that person at all. It would be difficult for my wife and children to be living with this persona and it would be difficult for me, too. A few days ago, I was sitting with my team and I asked my stylist, can I just wear this (it was a simple shirt). They started pulling my leg saying, ‘No, no, you are a movie star! Dude, you gotta be like this’. Of course, when I am supposed to perform somewhere, or be in public view, then I leave it to my team. I don’t know how he (star persona) dresses up, they know that. It’s like in movies, generally songs are characterless (it is done more to play to the gallery), but I know that people like seeing me do a song, so then, there is a conflict. I also know that we have commercial parameters to adhere to and songs and dances are part of big movies. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is an SRK type song that needs to be done, and I understand that. If we are doing Jab tak jahaan mein mera naam hai (Zero), I know it is an SRK song. You can try and do it differently, but there are some tropes always. So often, my directors have turned around and said, ‘Sir ek Shah Rukh Khan wala kar do’.

So, there is no conflict between SRK the star, and SRK the real person?
There is no conflict between me and my star persona. As soon as I’m playing the star and being the star, I’m in a zone and I do all that’s expected of the star. I don’t even have to think about it. It’s not a lie or a hypocritical act, there are certain things you expect of me in public — good, bad, sweet, funny, larger-than-life and I do all that. The other day in Dubai, my team told me that I have to go and promote my film at some place. I went dressed casually in a T-shirt and when I reached there, I saw there were about a lakh people. I know that they expected a song and some dialogues from me and I did it. After that, I came back to my room and had a cup of coffee in my zone. Basically, what I am saying is that, I can slip back into my zone just like that, it’s not something that I even have to think about.

You play a vertically challenged character in Zero, but what remains unchanged is that we will see you falling in love and romancing on screen here, too. While talking to Aanand about this, he said, ‘SRK is not the King of Romance, he is romance. I told him that I am going to take away two feet from your height; now the arms that you spread out will be shorter, so let me see how you romance on screen’. Your response to that…
I never put my arms out to romance the heroine; I just did it and then it became a romantic gesture. I never walked in a certain way towards a girl, because I thought it was romantic. I never did romantic films in the beginning, as I didn’t think I was good-looking or sweet enough. I have always told people that it was a gesture to simply avoid dancing. Whenever I couldn’t do any step, I would tell Saroj ji (Saroj Khan), ‘Main aise haath kar loon, mere se yeh step ho nahin raha hai’. She would say, ‘Haan beta kar lo, koi baat nahin’. I could not do a lot of steps, even now I can’t. Sometimes, in these semi-romantic songs like Iss jahaan ki nahin hai tumhari aankhen (King Uncle), or Chaand taare tod laoon (Yes Boss), I found it odd to do steps, so I said, ‘Chalke bol deta hoon, haath aise kar doonga’, and it worked. Even my children tease me about it and I tell them that I didn’t do it for this kind of effect and I didn’t know it would become this thing; suddenly they have silhouettes of me in that pose. It’s happened to me on set, that I am shooting as directed and someone comes to me and says, ‘Sir aap woh ek kar do’. I don’t feel awkward doing it, as I’m aware that I’m doing it as someone else.

The film is about people who are challenged, flawed and they still find beauty in life and the strength to make the most of what they have. Do you acknowledge your flaws and try to work around and with them?
I am completely flawed. To me, that was the appeal of this film. I am no fluke… but I am an extremely flawed star. I think that the reason a lot of people like me to the extent they do is because they see my flaws and accept it. They think… ‘Here is a person who is not the best-looking guy, he doesn’t dance the best, he doesn’t even perhaps act the best, but overall, somewhere, he is celebrating that and he is trying to express a feeling. As long as he is celebrating, let’s celebrate along with him’. I am surrounded by beautiful people, physically and otherwise, and they all look like stars, I hardly look like one. Of course, I am smart, intelligent, educated, I speak well at times, but these are not the qualities that you normally associate with a star. I believe that I am an extremely flawed star and my flaws make me the star that I am. If I wasn’t flawed, I’d probably just be a perfect actor.

Have you ever wanted to or tried fixing you flaws?
No, maybe I should get a nose job done (laughs!). At the age of 42, I was sitting at home and casually chatting with my friends when I told them that I will work towards building the best body this country has ever seen. They turned around and told me, ‘No one likes you with muscles, don’t be silly. You don’t have to do what others do’. I said that I will do it, as it’s a thing in my head. I have never got tough roles to play and the general belief is that, you are tough when your body is tough. Unfortunately, even with my muscles, I looked lean, but I didn’t know it back then. All this body shaming is rubbish; I don’t think you have to be body perfect to express anything or to be the best person. And that’s why when I danced to Dard-E-Disco (Om Shanti Om in 2007) I made a joke out of it. I took off my shirt, flaunted a greased body, posed as a fireman in the song, and did all those things that you expect sexy men to do. And it was funny because my character was so non-macho that I wanted to spoof it. It was important that people don’t take it seriously. I have never tried to correct a flaw. I believe my flaws are me, my incompleteness is me. This is the only me I have got and I have to make the best of life with me. I am not being overconfident, but this is the best I have and there is no changing this. If you think it is less, I will still make the best of the less that I have. This is it. If the correction happens naturally, it’s okay. People tell me that I have started speaking very well now. Good then, it must have happened, but I didn’t sit down and learn to speak better with marbles in my mouth.

There has been a lot of talk about your daughter Suhana stepping into the movies, and someday, probably, Aryan will too. As a father, actor and filmmaker, what are your thoughts and concerns?
My son wants to learn how to make films and he is still doing that, he has two more years to go. I think that this expectation of a movie star’s son becoming a movie star is a little awkward. If an engineer’s son wants to be an engineer, he can’t just become one. He has to study for it, right? So, why do we assume that an actor’s son/daughter does not have to study to become an actor? I may be completely wrong about this and most of my actor and director friends tell me that I am wrong. They tell me that Suhana should be acting right now and that she will learn with me around. I reason with them saying that she hasn’t educated herself totally yet. I did theatre for nine years and I did Mass Communication, which was theatre and film-oriented. Then I got opportunities with shows on television (Fauji and Circus) at a time when the stakes were not so high. TV pe kuch bhi aaye toh logon ko accha lagta tha. Maybe, if my shows were running on TV today, they wouldn’t get as much appreciation. My first film was when I was 26 and soon after, I got a chance to work with some great actors that helped me even further. Of course, I truly appreciate some of the young people working today. My kids took this upon themselves. My daughter told me that she wanted to study to be an actor; similarly, when my son was in the tenth grade, he told me that he wanted to learn how to write and make films. I believe that you should not get into a profession to only ask what this profession will do for you. You have to get into a profession thinking that you can lend something to it. Aryan does not have any intention of being an actor now; I don’t know… it can change. My daughter has all intentions of being an actor, but that could also change. They have three-four years of education to complete and fortunately, genetically our family looks young even when they are older, so they have time on their hands.

Abhimanyu Mathur, Divya Kaushik & Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; October 12, 2017)

The RUSTOM vs MOHENJO DARO clash has just happened and another big clash is waiting to happen next year. The Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer (untitled) directed by Imtiaz Ali is scheduled for an August 11th 2017 release date and an Akshay Kumar starrer CRACK seems to be announced for an Independence Day 2017 release. This date falls on a Tuesday so it may not be clash in the truest sense but the dates are the same vicinity and the screens issue will be there if this was to happen and they release four days apart. It could be that CRACK is actually 11th August and the poster is not portraying the actual date. This year saw the Akshay Kumar starrer easily get the better of the Hrithik Roshan starrer MOHENJO DARO but to take on a Shah Rukh Khan starrer is a different ball game.

Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar have clashed twice before with DAAVA vs YES BOSS in 1997 and DON vs JAAN E MANN in 2006 with Shah Rukh Khan coming out on top both times. The last time that Shah Rukh Khan actually lost a clash was 2001 with ASOKA vs INDIAN and in those days Sunny Deol, the lead of INDIAN, had a huge initial pull. There was the DILWALE vs BAJIRAO MASTANI clash at the end of last year where the Shah Rukh Khan starrer DILWALE did less business in India but here the defeat was not Shah Rukh Khan's but of the film as far as domestic business was concerned. The clout of the star ensured a far bigger opening in India and Worldwide it was still a bigger grosser despite the film not being liked as to BAJIRAO MASTANI which was said to be hugely appreciated.

The Shah Rukh Khan starrer is an Overseas musical love story on a big canvas. So if CRACK was a potential action blockbuster a la ROWDY RATHORE this clash could have been a real battle but it seems a Neeraj Pandey film from the poster who has made films like SPECIAL 26 and BABY which did not find appreciation at the box office with 65 crore and 82 crore respectively and also found no appreciation on television being among the worst Akshay Kumar performers. They were targeted at the multiplex audience and so it will probably be the same again but it would be tough to survive on just multiplexes if it comes up against the Shah Rukh Khan film.

Though it has to be noted that the last two Shah Rukh Khan starrers Dilwale and Fan have also not done well at 140 crore nett and 84 crore nett respectively. But these are still way ahead of BABY and SPECIAL 26. In fact DILWALE is ahead of all Akshay Kumar starrers including ROWDY RATHORE in raw numbers though obviously not inflation adjusted figures. The Shah rukh Khan starrer has just gone on the floors a few weeks back while the Akshay Kumar starrer CRACK is yet to start shooting.