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This is an archive article published on December 14, 2003

I146;m Not Sure it146;s Readable

8226; They say you8217;re the most powerful actor along with Amitabh Bachchan. You must feel like the Last Samurai?Personally, I feel quit...

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8226; They say you8217;re the most powerful actor along with Amitabh Bachchan. You must feel like the Last Samurai?
Personally, I feel quite powerless. I am just trying to get it right every time. I leave the film the day I watch the final cut. I8217;ve also started thinking that maybe someday I8217;ll have nothing to offer.

8226; Is that because of your back? While watching Kal Ho Naa Ho, one felt the pain was very real.
I8217;m in pain right now. Many people have said that Kal Ho Naa Ho looked very real. I don8217;t know what to say, I think since the last two years, I8217;ve made acting very simple. I observe my kids. They emote the most complicated emotions in the simplest way. That8217;s what I8217;ve been trying to do.

8226; And your back?
The back8217;s good. It8217;s given me a lot of trouble but it8217;s been holding up well for the last 10 days. I have three doctors looking at me and I do take lots of care. I think my body has accepted that however much pain we give him, he won8217;t stop working.

8226; But isn8217;t that foolhardy? Must you do a Mahi Ve? Can8217;t you just act, not dance?
Either I shouldn8217;t be shooting and if I am then I will do my bit to make my film immortal. That8217;s what Gauri says, either you don8217;t work and if you do then do your best. I have a 40 feet jump in Main Hoon Na. If I don8217;t do it then I8217;ll feel that I8217;m cheating my audience. So I8217;ll do a Mahi Ve always.

8226; There are rumours that because of your back, you aren8217;t doing Ashutosh Gowarikar8217;s Swades.
It8217;s very unfortunate that some stupid people will say all kind of stupid stuff. I begin shooting for the film in January.

8226; Will you take a break?
After Swades I8217;ll take six months off. I have to undergo physiotherapy.

8226; What8217;s happening with the memoirs that you are currently penning?
It will be complete by January-February. The only secret about it is its title and I8217;ll tell you that. It8217;s called, Twenty Years of a Decade. I am not even sure it8217;s readable. It8217;s a very simple book.

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8226; Is it true that you never used to drink water and only had Pepsi?
Now I drink Aquafina because my doctors have told me that I need to have 8 oz water every day, which equals about eight small bottles. But yeah, I8217;d completely given up water and used to have 20 cans of Pepsi a day.

8226; Is there really a war with Aishwarya Rai?
There8217;s no war from my side, it8217;s just that we aren8217;t working together now. I took a stand as a producer and I8217;ve already apologised for that. But she has her point of view, I guess.

8226; What about Salman Khan? Are the two of you still friends?


To be honest, I share a certain awkwardness with Salman. I think we both are a little shy of each other, but give us some time

I8217;ve been very close to Salman and his family but somewhere down the line, we lost the discipline in our relationship. It8217;s really sad. He8217;s a great guy and in spite of all the little troubles that he8217;s got into, I wish him well. But to be honest, I do share a certain awkwardness with him. I think we both are a little shy of each other and feel a bit odd with all that we8217;ve gone through. But give us some time.

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8226; They8217;ve named an orchid after you in Singapore. How does that make you feel?
I think it8217;s very sweet. Initially, I felt it was a little girlie but apparently, it8217;s a huge honour in Singapore. I8217;d never seen an orchid before and I bought it home for my daughter. They8217;ve called it Ascocenda Shah Rukh Khan. Now you can buy me at a rose shop.

8226; Your hair has started looking really good. What have you done?
I think it8217;s a stronger gel. When I came into films, everyone made fun of my hair but lately it8217;s improved. But it8217;s only in films. Personally, I have a bad hair day all my life.

8226; Do you still think I8217;m the best?
Oh yeah, every morning I need to say that to myself so that I can do my best. But people need to realise that this is a humble statement of a very complicated and insecure actor. Remember that those who are really good, won8217;t ever say something like this. But I guess, it8217;ll always be taken against me so the best thing is to keep up to it. I8217;m the best.

 

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