December 26, 2024 01:17 am (IST)
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Humour makes the life go around: Shahrukh Khan
His recent tryst in celluloid 'Dilwale', an upcoming cinematic venture 'Fan', the remark of 'Intolerance' and his love for Bengal; were among the few things that 'Badshah' of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan talked about when he was in the City of Joy recently with Kajol. TWF/IBNS correspondent Toorssa Banerjee catches up with the King Khan in Kolkata
How do you feel as you are back in Kolkata?
Whenever I bring my friends or co-actors to Kolkata, I feel elated. Kajol has her roots in Bengal but I feel Kolkata is my city. When I was talking to her at the airport, Kajol was laughing at me because, here people call me 'Khan dada' (laughs). I am thankful for all the love, respect, warmth and acceptance that I've got from Kolkata. I'm very happy that I've started Dilwale's post-release tour from Kolkata. So, Dhonnobad (Thank you)!
There is so much going on with Dilwale becoming a super-hit movie and the 'Intolerance' remark, what do you have to say about that?
You know what, I understand that I can't deny the fact that I've been reading messages on Whatsapp and I have been reading messages on social media. Perhaps, the film has been stopped in some parts of the country or not allowed to be the way it should have been released. After being an actor for 25 years in this country, I would like to say that I've received love from every corner of this country in spite of region, religion, caste, creed and gender. And the only way I can return that love is through my work and I try my best to do that. I succeed sometimes and sometimes I fail for the creative part of it, but I try my best to do that. So it saddens me that any of my work can't reach out to the people because I work once or twice a year and with lovely friends like Kajol and so many other people. So, it is saddening.
Has such a thing affected the film in any way?.jpg)
Yes, I understand that it perhaps extends from what I say or what I speak but to be honest, I don't know how often I can say it. Lots of things are misconstrued, misrepresented, or perhaps misinterpreted sometimes. I'm not someone who can sit here and say that this amazing amount of love from my country men and women, and I have an issue with it, in terms of tolerance or intolerance. I don't but, the other day, I saw that somebody has put a tweet which doesn't belong to me and I can't clarify it. I see news which says I'm related to an X person who is completely anti-us and my country. It's not true. I have no logistic way to explain all this because I can't at my stage and age. I'm a representation of my own country and I'm thankful to everybody. But, when it comes to the work of so many people in a film, I feel very sad and regretful that may be I couldn't make people understand my mind or may be it wasn't represented that well and it went on to hurt someone. As an Indian, I'm proud to have worked hard to make people smile and I want to say that all the people who wish to see the film, please go out and see it. Do not get misled or misappropriated by anybody who has misconstrued what I'm saying. I don't need to vouch for who I'm and what I stand for but it is sad that the kind of work that I want people to see because of the love they have given me, sometimes gets tainted. So, apologies, if someone got disturbed but please go out and enjoy something that we made with a lot of love. Not just for me, for the thousand people who make this. So, I hope they enjoy it now at least.
Release dates were delayed in some parts of the nation because of this, how has this affected the box office collections and was there any pressure on you to apologize for your statements?
I have not said anything that I should apologize for. I am who I am because of this country and I have no issues with that. But yeah, lots of places got affected and I don't know the exact records. To me those numbers don't matter, the sadness of the fact that I can't release a film once or twice in a year. It's very difficult for me to understand why something that we make to give happiness would somehow turn into something that becomes controversial and tainted. That part is sadder than how many theatres it was not allowed to show in.
You have been consecutively doing movies with an ensemble cast, what is the reason for that?
As an actor and as a star I have to play two roles. I have to make a film which people go out and enjoy and make it, what we call a regular blockbuster, happy-go-lucky and a family entertainment. They are inclined to a bit of a different kind of cinema. I need to keep up the vibes. Actually, 'Fan' was supposed to release now but visual effects have taken a bit long. That would have come between 'Happy New Year' and 'Dilwale', that's how the plan was and as they say the best plans are completely different from what you planned it to be. It's not about having an ensemble cast for the cause of the story, this is the design of the story. We needed a cast in this film having me, Kajol, Varun and Kriti, and of course, in Rohit Shetty's films there is always an ensemble cast. These are the two commercial film, that I participated in. Yeah, even in an artistic fiim.. 'Chak De' had 25 actors in it and just because they were not well known doesn't make it lesser than an ensemble cast, Chak De was ensemble too. In 'Swades' as well, there were so many people the sarpanch, the dadi, the nani and everyone... So yeah, it is based on the need and there is no special reason. 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' was an ensemble cast. The film requires what the film requires. If you require X amount of people, you like the story and so, you do the film. There is no other reason. It is for the call of the story.
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Dilwale has seen a huge response in Bengal...
Actually the highest response is from Bengal.
Do you think it is because Shahrukh Khan in itself is a brand and also the brand-ambassador of Bengal; or is it because of the entertainment factor of Rohit Shetty's film?
I think the city has adopted me, loved me. So yeah, thank you from Khan dada (smiles). But apart from that, I think the entertainment value and the understanding sometimes, to be very honest, Bengal is an extremely intellectual state and Kolkata is centre of the literary stuff happening in the country...and that's why, you understand all kinds of cinema. Not just the serious one, the fun one. Whatever reason it is for which the film has had such a response from Bengal, we will keep it up so that everywhere else we get the same response. We are thankful for that but I think the entertainment value, the family value, the family feel and the ease with which everyone, actually the whole East India, has taken up the film. So I can only say thank you and we'll keep on trying to make different films of different flavours.
Whenever I bring my friends or co-actors to Kolkata, I feel elated. Kajol has her roots in Bengal but I feel Kolkata is my city. When I was talking to her at the airport, Kajol was laughing at me because, here people call me 'Khan dada' (laughs). I am thankful for all the love, respect, warmth and acceptance that I've got from Kolkata. I'm very happy that I've started Dilwale's post-release tour from Kolkata. So, Dhonnobad (Thank you)!
There is so much going on with Dilwale becoming a super-hit movie and the 'Intolerance' remark, what do you have to say about that?
You know what, I understand that I can't deny the fact that I've been reading messages on Whatsapp and I have been reading messages on social media. Perhaps, the film has been stopped in some parts of the country or not allowed to be the way it should have been released. After being an actor for 25 years in this country, I would like to say that I've received love from every corner of this country in spite of region, religion, caste, creed and gender. And the only way I can return that love is through my work and I try my best to do that. I succeed sometimes and sometimes I fail for the creative part of it, but I try my best to do that. So it saddens me that any of my work can't reach out to the people because I work once or twice a year and with lovely friends like Kajol and so many other people. So, it is saddening.
Has such a thing affected the film in any way?
Yes, I understand that it perhaps extends from what I say or what I speak but to be honest, I don't know how often I can say it. Lots of things are misconstrued, misrepresented, or perhaps misinterpreted sometimes. I'm not someone who can sit here and say that this amazing amount of love from my country men and women, and I have an issue with it, in terms of tolerance or intolerance. I don't but, the other day, I saw that somebody has put a tweet which doesn't belong to me and I can't clarify it. I see news which says I'm related to an X person who is completely anti-us and my country. It's not true. I have no logistic way to explain all this because I can't at my stage and age. I'm a representation of my own country and I'm thankful to everybody. But, when it comes to the work of so many people in a film, I feel very sad and regretful that may be I couldn't make people understand my mind or may be it wasn't represented that well and it went on to hurt someone. As an Indian, I'm proud to have worked hard to make people smile and I want to say that all the people who wish to see the film, please go out and see it. Do not get misled or misappropriated by anybody who has misconstrued what I'm saying. I don't need to vouch for who I'm and what I stand for but it is sad that the kind of work that I want people to see because of the love they have given me, sometimes gets tainted. So, apologies, if someone got disturbed but please go out and enjoy something that we made with a lot of love. Not just for me, for the thousand people who make this. So, I hope they enjoy it now at least.
Release dates were delayed in some parts of the nation because of this, how has this affected the box office collections and was there any pressure on you to apologize for your statements?
I have not said anything that I should apologize for. I am who I am because of this country and I have no issues with that. But yeah, lots of places got affected and I don't know the exact records. To me those numbers don't matter, the sadness of the fact that I can't release a film once or twice in a year. It's very difficult for me to understand why something that we make to give happiness would somehow turn into something that becomes controversial and tainted. That part is sadder than how many theatres it was not allowed to show in.
You have been consecutively doing movies with an ensemble cast, what is the reason for that?
As an actor and as a star I have to play two roles. I have to make a film which people go out and enjoy and make it, what we call a regular blockbuster, happy-go-lucky and a family entertainment. They are inclined to a bit of a different kind of cinema. I need to keep up the vibes. Actually, 'Fan' was supposed to release now but visual effects have taken a bit long. That would have come between 'Happy New Year' and 'Dilwale', that's how the plan was and as they say the best plans are completely different from what you planned it to be. It's not about having an ensemble cast for the cause of the story, this is the design of the story. We needed a cast in this film having me, Kajol, Varun and Kriti, and of course, in Rohit Shetty's films there is always an ensemble cast. These are the two commercial film, that I participated in. Yeah, even in an artistic fiim.. 'Chak De' had 25 actors in it and just because they were not well known doesn't make it lesser than an ensemble cast, Chak De was ensemble too. In 'Swades' as well, there were so many people the sarpanch, the dadi, the nani and everyone... So yeah, it is based on the need and there is no special reason. 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge' was an ensemble cast. The film requires what the film requires. If you require X amount of people, you like the story and so, you do the film. There is no other reason. It is for the call of the story.
Dilwale has seen a huge response in Bengal...Actually the highest response is from Bengal.
Do you think it is because Shahrukh Khan in itself is a brand and also the brand-ambassador of Bengal; or is it because of the entertainment factor of Rohit Shetty's film?
I think the city has adopted me, loved me. So yeah, thank you from Khan dada (smiles). But apart from that, I think the entertainment value and the understanding sometimes, to be very honest, Bengal is an extremely intellectual state and Kolkata is centre of the literary stuff happening in the country...and that's why, you understand all kinds of cinema. Not just the serious one, the fun one. Whatever reason it is for which the film has had such a response from Bengal, we will keep it up so that everywhere else we get the same response. We are thankful for that but I think the entertainment value, the family value, the family feel and the ease with which everyone, actually the whole East India, has taken up the film. So I can only say thank you and we'll keep on trying to make different films of different flavours.
You recently made an appearance in a parody of the song 'Gerua', how do you get the drive to laugh at your own self?
I am cool like that (smiles). I'm very cool like that. I have a sense of humor. I make fun of me, I say a lot of things in jest that people also enjoy it sometimes. I am someone who thinks humour makes the life go around. The people who mimic me, even Varun and some other friends, do things that I've never done like that. I find it fun. I was on this television show, and (Sunil) Grover mimicked and danced on Gerua. I find it fascinating that people make fun of me and I can make fun of them too. When you are confident of yourself, you do not take humour to be derogatory. It is very, very flattering. When I’m on the set, all these boys and girls have so much respect for me. They call me Shahrukh Sir, but then I say “Don’t call me sir, Sir kuch sharif sa lagta hai” (smiles).
On being the brand ambassador of Bengal...
I just need the love of the people of Bengal. Whenever I come here for a match, the people from the city flood the grounds in a capacity of about 70,000 to watch the match, and if we win Mashallah, thousands of people come out on the roads, I don't want anything else. As a brand ambassador, whatever I am doing for this state, I feature in an ad, or I talk about Bengal a bit whenever there is such a platform, whether it is the international film festival, it will be always very small and I'm proud about it. It is my duty that I should be doing everything I can, not only for Bengal but for the rest of my country. So, it is a great honour that I am the brand ambassador of Bengal. It is a great honour. When I was small, I used to live in Delhi. In my twenties, I came in Mumbai to work and I became an actor. Never in my wildest dreams I thought that I would ever achieve something as big as becoming a brand ambassador for a state of my country. For me, it is the biggest honor. For me, It is extremely humbling and I just want to do whatever little I can do for Bengal.
I am cool like that (smiles). I'm very cool like that. I have a sense of humor. I make fun of me, I say a lot of things in jest that people also enjoy it sometimes. I am someone who thinks humour makes the life go around. The people who mimic me, even Varun and some other friends, do things that I've never done like that. I find it fun. I was on this television show, and (Sunil) Grover mimicked and danced on Gerua. I find it fascinating that people make fun of me and I can make fun of them too. When you are confident of yourself, you do not take humour to be derogatory. It is very, very flattering. When I’m on the set, all these boys and girls have so much respect for me. They call me Shahrukh Sir, but then I say “Don’t call me sir, Sir kuch sharif sa lagta hai” (smiles).
On being the brand ambassador of Bengal...
I just need the love of the people of Bengal. Whenever I come here for a match, the people from the city flood the grounds in a capacity of about 70,000 to watch the match, and if we win Mashallah, thousands of people come out on the roads, I don't want anything else. As a brand ambassador, whatever I am doing for this state, I feature in an ad, or I talk about Bengal a bit whenever there is such a platform, whether it is the international film festival, it will be always very small and I'm proud about it. It is my duty that I should be doing everything I can, not only for Bengal but for the rest of my country. So, it is a great honour that I am the brand ambassador of Bengal. It is a great honour. When I was small, I used to live in Delhi. In my twenties, I came in Mumbai to work and I became an actor. Never in my wildest dreams I thought that I would ever achieve something as big as becoming a brand ambassador for a state of my country. For me, it is the biggest honor. For me, It is extremely humbling and I just want to do whatever little I can do for Bengal.
Images by Sounak Choudhury
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