“It’s always wonderful to be in Delhi, I am a little injured but I love Delhi a lot,” is how Shah Rukh Khan opened the session at a recent event organised for the launch of real estate giant Mahagun’s “The M Collection” in the capital. Forbes once dubbed him (Shah Rukh Khan Inc, they said) as the biggest brand in the country and with crowd going gaga over this King of Hearts, SRK shared small anecdotes from all aspects of his life.
King of stardom
Khan was the only Bollywood star to feature in the top 10 international celebrity rich list for 2013 — compiled by Wealth-X — and was beaten to the number one spot by Jerry Seinfeld, which made him the second richest actor in the world. When quizzed what does he have to say about that, SRK intoned solemnly, “Everyone says that I am the second richest actor in the world but I think I have to recount a story that I have been telling everyone about this fact. During the last schedule of Happy New Year, when I was driving down Khar, I got a call from the producers that we don’t have a single rupee to go ahead with the shooting. So, I called them back and told them to find out if they could probably keep or arrange some functions where I could probably go and dance and earn some money so that we could continue shooting for the movie and finish the last schedule. And as soon as I hung up, I read on Twitter that I was the second richest actor in the world.
This is called irony,” he laughs and continues, “I called up my CA’s and enquired if this news was true and if yes, then why am I hearing it from the outside sphere? Well, they just told me, nope. On a serious note, I won’t deny that I am the richest actor in the world because I have so many people who love me across the globe. I have created wealth and I have created it genuinely in terms of the company that I have and through my constant striving to create some newness in technology. This is, for me, real ‘wealth creation’.”
He adds, “Also there are two ways to think that you are rich: one is by genuine value and wealth creation or creating something fresh, new and modern and the other is by hoarding money, and I don’t think I have that sort of money but I surely have wealth. I am also very old fashioned as I come from a background where we did not have a house. For all youngsters I would like to say that there are a lot of opportunities of investment, small time and big time and I give this advice to all the actors and actresses who are new in the industry — start off with buying a house for yourself. You should have a place where you can go back to in terms of happiness.” However, Khan is equivalent to all things regal and luxurious, so how does he maintain that he is middle-class? “I am not a very luxury-oriented person. I am actually extremely working class. Yes, when I come out in the public one does see me in the best of suits and attires and I get to live in the best of the 5 stars when I travel but in actuality I am a working class person. I am not given to luxury like that and I like things that are simple and neat.”
On fans
SRK who is currently shooting for Fan upon being quizzed on how it feels to be on the other side of stardom says, “To be really honest, I never really thought of fans as merely fans. I have always seen them as people who like my work and over the years have hung around me and stood by me. So, there is lot of gratitude and gratefulness towards the viewers. My Indian brothers and sisters across the globe have made me the star I am today and I am thankful, happy and humbled. The film on the other hand has a very different plot and I am not sure if I can divulge a lot about it as I have just finished shooting for it. All I can say is that it is an interesting and amazing film that has life’s teachings. Hopefully yet again people will like my work and I am eagerly waiting to see reactions from my own family because it is something new that I have tried through this movie.”
Younger Khans
His youngest kid, AbRam made his public debut with KKR’s first match, while the world went head over heels over this cute one, how did he as a father influence AbRam’s interest in cricket? “He shows interest in everything that I show him or everywhere I take him to. Poor guy, he doesn’t know anything yet! Yes, he really enjoyed the game and we didn’t know that he would be so interested to begin with. We thought that he would go to sleep during the game so we had actually set up a little table behind us so he can sleep but he was awake throughout and that too up to 2 am. He interestingly also learnt two new words: Yay and KKR,” he shares.
About the rumours that are doing rounds about him planning to buy the rights of Boyhood and featuring his kids in that project, SRK laughs, “Boyhood was actually an April fool’s joke that started on a social network. I have no idea how I will feature AbRam to top it all. As far as all my children are concerned, they are too young to decide on becoming actors. They have to finish their studies first and I am very serious and clear about that. Besides that I don’t think it is necessary for actors’ sons/daughters to take up acting when they grow up. They might as well pursue a career in journalism and I leave it up to them. Having said that as a parent I have to first make sure to provide them with the best of education and decision-making will follow in the later years.”
On regional cinema
What does he think about the news of Marathi films being made compulsory at multiplexes during prime time? “I think they have re-described or defined the idea of prime time, which is 12 noon to 9 pm. First of all, I just think that regional cinema has to be encouraged more. I have been living in Maharashtra for 20 years and I feel cinema region-ing needs to be encouraged be it Punjabi, Bengali or Tamil because they together form ‘Indian cinema’ and the credits should not merely be attributed to Bollywood. I am myself producing a Marathi movie and I love Marathi cinema so it is a great step. I would love to do Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil movies in the future too.”
Does he feel that there should be more educational Indian movies that focus on educating people, and not just entertaining blockbusters?
He says, “There are films that are educative and take real life cases/issues as their plots but I think one has to have a clear demarcation of what is known as a fluffy or a easier going film or entertaining cinema to the parallel segment. Apart from parallel cinema, I feel that there is a lack of documentary-making in our country hence that should be encouraged. I want to reach a position where all sorts of cinema compete with one another and we have the biggest revenue to create more art.”
Cricket and politics
On his team KKR defending their title and the rumours that if they win SRK will go and dine with CM Mamata Banerjee, he says, “They are defending their title and I’ll be happy if they win the third time. Actually, the fish dish with Mamta ji is regardless of my winning or losing. It is a fried fish dish that I relish every time I go to Kolkata. I really like it and I go and have it whenever I visit the City of Joy.”
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