Game changer

That’s Khan for you,a superstar who refuses to take his superstardom lightly. Work is a habit with him. One that can sometimes assume unreal proportions. Presently,his schedule is frenetic—Delhi,Hyderabad and Mumbai before a few foreign visits and then back to promoting his ambitious home production RA.One till Diwali.

“An IPL team,a production house,a VFX studio and endorsements,my wife tells me I work too much. Actually,I like working. I love new ideas but right now I would like to devote time to my children. They are growing up—my son is 14 and my daughter 11— and I want to be there (for them),”

But obviously in SRK’s world,there is seldom a lull moment. After more than 20 years of being a star and clocking a decade as a producer,he is still teeming with new ideas. Enterprise,an appetite for risk and the ability to make profits for his allies have always made Khan a gamechanger in the industry. By his admission,he was the first to make endorsements a regular and legitimate source of income for stars. He also made hosting shows and dancing at weddings respectable and defining features in a star’s brand value maintaining that all earnings from peripheral activities are ploughed back into his home productions. A sum of many parts,the diversification gives Khan the opportunity to turn his interests outside films into business. Sample this,Khan a gaming enthusiast,now has a game based on his film RA.One. Games based on movies are not new but in partnering with Sony Computer Entertainment he has taken it to another level.

Also in the pipeline is a 26 per cent stake in KidZania,a children’s amusement park.

“My father used to be in the restaurant business so once upon a time I was thinking of that. I wanted to get Starbucks but somebody else has got it. At present what I am going to start is a children’s amusement park called KidZania. I have partnered with Chandaria family from Singapore for the venture. It started from Mexico,and is very popular in Dubai and Japan too. It’s a fantastic concept. My kids liked it. So this one will be in a mall in Ghatkopar,Mumbai. If it does well,we will start some more.”

The more remarkable part of Khan’s multiple ventures is that they are all aimed at servicing the venture closest to his heart —movies.

“ I only work when I have to make a film. I have quite a hand-to- mouth existence as far as filmmaking and my other work is concerned. You pay me for a four-hour show and I know I have made some money which I can put in my films.”

Khan,since the very outset,has been synonymous with enviable energy that he brings to a project and enterprise. Co-star Kareena Kapoor says that Khan is 200 per cent dedication which comes from his passion for films that most actors can just dream of.

Director Anubhav Sinha who has helmed RA.One and lyricist Javed Akhtar both describe him as a generous producer who will pump in the resources necessary for a film even if it’s a tad extravagant. It’s true. Khan,since the time that he turned producer (with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani under the Dreams Unlimited banner),despite flops and hits has never scaled down film budgets for his own production. Instead,he’s upped the ante and signed up for more work outside to finance his filmmaking fantasies. RA.One being produced under his own Red Chillies Entertainment banner with its 140 crore budget is no different. In order to make India’s first world-class,superhero film,he gave Sinha a free hand to rope in talent (across departments) from across the world.

The actor had once said,“I am an employee of the film star Shah Rukh Khan.”

And in keeping with his duties,the employee is busy at work ensuring that Shah Rukh Khan the star lives on and prospers.

Excerpts from a freewheeling interview with Shah Rukh Khan,the star employee.

There’s an international look and feel to RA.One. Is that cause for worry at a time when desi films like Singham and Dabangg are being touted as the flavour of the season?

Even before giving the food to people how can you decide ki usko achcha nahin lagega? We need to keep giving the audience different kinds of films. I’d rather fail creating something new than keep doing the same thing even though I am the one star who is blamed for doing the same thing all the time. I do try to push the envelope in my own way and I put my money where my mouth is because I owe it to myself and the audience. It’s like when a typical film does well,people will say,“Arre yaar woh sirf single screen mein chal rahi hai.” It’s really sad that we start making goods for a particular shop.When I see a film like Dabangg I think it is fantastic but people will take a single thing and start analysing. In their oversimplification of things they complicate matters.

People tell me,“Kya hai na bhai,aajkal,single screen mein na bahut public aa rahi hai. Phir se waisi wali picture karte hain.”

Given the present scenario when Hindi films are widely released across markets around the world — Gulf countries,Europe,Far East etc,how important is it for an actor to create an awareness about himself through film festivals or international projects?

I think you can get globally recognised through your work here in India. I hear a lot of actors say they are going to work in Hollywood. It’s wonderful because it’s high time that someone from India worked internationally but I am not one of them. I am very happy if I can be a cultural ambassador,for my country. I think I can speak nicely and make a favourable impression for my country. For example,there was this whole three-day Shah Rukh Khan conference in Austria and I went for it. But it was not to get myself globally recognised. Usually,I go for film festivals though we did go for Golden Globe (awards). I have this feeling that before the end of my life I will make one film as an actor,producer or director,which will go global.

You could start with Germany where you already have a following?

(Laughs) In Europe,they may not recognise me,but they know who Shah Rukh Khan is. But yes,Germans like me and I have fond memories of Germany. We shot Don there and I did a couple of shows in Dusseldorf with PZ (Preity Zinta),Rani (Mukerji) and Juhi (Chawla). I enjoy that.

Is a project in collaboration with international actors on the cards?

Akon has sung for us so in a way we have already done that. I also know some of the actors like Hugh Jackman and Gerard Butler. Actually I would have given him (Butler) the role of the other bad guy in RA.One,but when we started,the story was set in Japan so this Chinese-Japanese character was the baddie and I couldn’t have changed that. But,I don’t think that is a problem in the future.

Considering Peepli [Live a satire on the media was so well received would you say that your maiden production Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000),a light-hearted take on the same subject was ahead of its time?

I don’t know,but I hope RA.One is not ahead of its time. If it is,I will be working like the labour class doing all kinds of television shows and films. Among my movies,I thought Badshah was sweet-funny,but it didn’t do well. Generally speaking,the audience is changing very fast— Dostana got accepted by the viewers and even Delhi Belly,though it was in English,did well. I don’t know if such films would have been acceptable a few years back. I guess Indians are beginning to laugh at themselves a little more.

Which is more attractive to you,box office bonanza or critical acclaim?

Stars are impressionable. We are insecure— all of us— so we start thinking “Achcha so that’s(box office performance) important,my performance isn’t.”

Sure,a film should make money,but don’t kill a good movie just because it hasn’t made big money. I have worked for 30 years but I have never asked a distributor about the business my movie is doing. Mere poochne se zyada nahi chalegi,mere na poochne se kam nahi chalegi. Chalegi to woh bata denge,nahin chalegi toh bhi woh bata denge. Like when RA.One releases Kishore (Lulla) will tell me kaisi chal rahi hai.

I am shocked that even young actors and actresses are on the phone talking figures. If you enjoy making the film and it is good,what more can you ask for?

Do comparisons irk you?

Films are not a commodity. It’s a little more artistic. What are you comparing my film to — the last big hit of someone else? Or the last big hit of mine? You can train the eyeballs to like what you serve them. I think that’s what filmmaking should be about. I don’t know how many people thought Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Delhi Belly would be nice films but people liked them. Neither of them was Sholay but they were not meant to be Sholay. We even compare actors and actresses. “Usme Madhuri wali baat nahin hai.”

Par woh Madhuri hai hi nahin to woh baat kaise hogi?

There is no other country in the world where they say Brad Pitt is number one and Tom Cruise is number 2,Tom Hanks is number 3,Angelina Jolie is number 4 but she is the number 1 star on the Internet!

Actually it’s in our nature to standardise — we want to give everything a tangibility.

There’s also a lot of attention being paid to the youth audience- does that mean a season of high school musicals and teenage romance?

Some time back,my son and I watched a film called Limitless. It is not about youth but my son stayed awake to watch it. My daughter loved it. And yes,my daughter likes a 14-year-old Hannah Montana. Youth audience will like youth likeable films but you can’t generalise. Youngsters will like cool,world class films and not just movies about youth. Yesterday Karan was saying that youth film banani hai. And I was like,“Does that mean youngsters won’t like the other movies you are making?”

I think they will love Agneepath. I loved it when I saw it in my youth. What I saw at the age of 20 was black and white television just turning to colour. Today youngsters are watching the world at the click of a button. They are discerning. They have choices. They are more media literate. They want to see things that are a little better but that does not mean they want to see a teeny bopper film. To say that is absolutely challenging their intelligence. Will they like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai again? I don’t know. The orientation and the language is important. Raajneeti,which is Mahabharat in modern times,is a fantastic example. It had thoughts that youngsters can identify with. Youngsters are not all about pool side parties. Kaun karta hai aisa? Woh hamara point of view hai. We cannot make our youth sound so stupid. You give them Inception or any interesting film and they will love it. They want to see a movie they can be proud of.

Is there competition for the reigning 40-something actors from the young brigade?

If the youngsters only liked high school musicals,why would a Ghajini or Dabangg or My Name Is Khan or Ready or 3 Idiots work? The actors are all over 40. In the last decade the biggest hits have not just been films with young actors. It’s not like a teeny bopper movie has come and killed all other types. A teeny bopper flick could become a huge hit but it won’t be because it is about young kids. My son loves to watch Manchester United matches but that does not mean he wants 14-year-olds to play them. He likes Sachin Tendulkar.

Do stars provide bang for the buck?

We should use the money that we are getting to make better films. Not to take it back home. Put your money where your mouth is. Make a spectacular film and the money will follow. I made no money from Deewana for which I got ‘ 10,000. I made no money from Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and very little money from Baazigar or Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge compared to what one asks for now. But the films made me the star that I am. I earned more money because the movies were nice. We get so absorbed in this race for monies that we forget the core. I love being rich. I never have any qualms in telling people that you should be well-to-do according to your own standards. I don’t like owning a Rolls Royce,I am not a car person. I don’t like bikes. I am a house person and I like my house and I am happy with it. I have no extravagant habits except movies. My favourite waste of money is making films. I don’t waste money on anything else.

priyanka.sinha@expressindia.com