Well, I assume best excerpts. These are my favorite quotes from the quotes rediff pulled, but I don’t have the actual book, there could be other fascinating bits they didn’t include in their article. But I doubt it, because it is a veeeeeeeeeeery long article.
I was ready to buy this book, so I could give you the full picture. But then I found out it isn’t available in America yet, and also $99 for pre-order. So I will wait until the next time I know someone going to India, who likes me well enough to pay over-weight charges because they are lugging a 10 pound coffee table book home in their checked bag (and not the people who already brought me the Amar Chitra Katha collected editions a few years back, because they are still a little mad at me). Oh, and also who isn’t too embarrassed to go into a store and purchase a massive coffee table book on Shahrukh Khan (again, see the ACK story. Whatever, it’s easier to learn Indian history/religion in comic book form! It’s a perfectly respectable thing to purchase and they shouldn’t have been embarrassed!)
(Complete respectable! And only slightly larger than two bricks. And heavier.)
But this book, this one I really really need! Because the idea is so interesting. Samar Khan, who is one of those film industry guys that any official filmography or bio just gives half the picture (journalist, directed a couple movies, wrote a couple movies, worked at Red Chillies, just generally been around), decided to write about Shahrukh through the lens of his directors.
The idea is, Shahrukh has said that there is a little of himself in every character he plays and ever film he does. So let’s consider Shahrukh the Artist, but talking with every director he has ever worked with. Isn’t that interesting? And also, there’s a lot of faux-painted pictures of him in character to make the book pretty.
Rediff was also interested in this book and so attacked it from 3 angles. The book itself, obviously, but also an interview with the author and coverage of the book launch. I’m going to start with excerpts from the author interview, because that’s where the book starts, right? In his head?
Here’s my first favorite quote:
If an actor has done 65 films and has played some 30, 35 characters, then all of those characters today make Shah Rukh Khan.
Interesting thought, art and artist, and…WAIT!!! He’s done 65 films and played 30.35 characters? We’re not even going to pretend that he came up with an individual character for each film? We’re just acknowledging up front that, yeah, he basically just played the same “Raj/Rahul” in about half his films?
Samar said he was able to get all but 3 directors, one of them had died and the two others couldn’t be tracked down. But his biggest get was Aditya Chopra, because of course:
it’s rare that he talks about Shah Rukh or even meets a journalist. He was the last person I interviewed.
I went to Shah Rukh and said that everybody had been spoken to, but we can’t have a book without Aditya Chopra.
So he requested Adi, told him this was a book on 25 years of his career, that he would like Adi to be a part of it.
That’s kind of interesting for what it says about Shahrukh and Adi’s relationship, and Shahrukh’s sense of responsibility to his friend who is writing this book. But it becomes really interesting once I get into the book excerpts because people DID NOT like working with Shahrukh! And yet he was committed to getting this book published, even if it had bad things in it, to the degree that he arranged for Adi to give an interview. Or, more cynically, he knew Adi would only have good things to say and wanted to get him in their to balance the vision.
Speaking of Adi, here is what Samar remembers as the most interesting thing he said to him:
Aditya Chopra says the only time Shah Rukh acts is when he laughs.
According to him, he can’t laugh.
I never realised this, but when I see him, I realise that he has never laughed.
So I asked him why doesn’t he laugh. He said that he didn’t know, that he never thought about it.
Somebody pointed out that his eyes are very sad. I never realised it.
That is both a really interesting observation, and justification for this book! This is Samar’s whole idea, that directors see Shahrukh in a way no one else does, including Shahrukh himself.
Shahrukh is also interested in this vision of things, and this vision of looking back at his career. And is super nice at the book launch about all his directors for giving him a chance (even though presumably he has read this book and knows they didn’t have very nice things to say about him)
Director duo Abbas-Mustan gave him the career-defining Baazigar, while Kundan Shah directed him in the sweet romance, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.
“They looked after me as a child. I had Gujarati food for the first time at Kundan’s house,” he recalled
Hema Malini was not present at the book launch but SRK did not fail to thank her. “Who gets an opportunity to sit across the Dream Girl and listen to her say she likes your nose because it is very aristocratic and gives you a film because of that? Woh naak jisko main chupata phirta tha, woh naak Hemaji ko pasand hai (I used to always try and hide my nose but Hemajiactually liked it)!”
Shah Rukh also thanked Rajiv Mehra (Chamatkar), Ramesh Sippy (Zamana Deewana) and Shimit Amin (Chak De! India).
Awww, Hemaji! Humoring this poor little struggling actor!
Shahrukh should be nice about these people, because his directors didn’t just give him good roles, they really took responsibility for him, this poor orphan trying to make it in Bombay. I wonder if the industry still works like this? I think it depends on how you get your start. Ranveer talking about Aditya Chopra, or maybe Sooraj Pancholi about Salman, they seem to have a similar attitude. But I’m not getting that vibe from, I don’t know, Sushant Singh Rajput. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just that some of the actors feel like they made it on their own merit, and some actors needed a ton of help to get that first big break.
When he first came to Mumbai to shoot for Aziz Mirza’s Circus, he did not have house to stay in, so he stayed at Aziz and Kundan’s office in Bandra.
Later, when he got married, Aziz gave him his house but SRK had to move to a rented apartment when Aziz needed the house back. When he could not afford the rent, Rajiv Mehra gave him the money.
“I am sharing these small instances because I had said, ‘I will own Mumbai one day.’ I had the guts to say that because of these people who helped me in the beginning. They are not just filmmakers; they are life-makers,” a grateful Shah Rukh said.
Shahrukh can afford to be grateful, and humble, and not mind what people say about him, because he has been around long enough and is big enough to be like that. Which is how the real stars always are. Which is a lesson Shahrukh learned early on, and one I suspect most actors learn early. That the bigger you are, the little you care about seeming big. Or, if they don’t learn it, they don’t last long in the industry.
In the early days of his career, he recalled, he gave an interview that was headlined: Hema Malini does not know how to direct.
Shah Rukh said he doesn’t remember whether he actually said it, or maybe he had been that arrogant. “But I didn’t mean it and I didn’t feel it. What I do remember is that when I went on the sets the next day, I tried to avoid Hemaji. I thought she would kill me. But she called me and said, ‘Either you are very famous or I am very famous. I have stopped acting which means that you are famous and, when you are famous, people write all this nonsense, haan… you go and get ready.”
He said a bunch of other stuff, you should really check out the whole article, but I want to end on his super romantic statement:
Shah Rukh also thanked his actress who helped him dance and romance. “There are instances when I was doing a duet with an actress and she was the one twirling me. They were all so beautiful that it was easy to love them… I respect and love them.”
“respect and love them”! Yes! Oh Shahrukh, that is why you are the best.
And finally, the book itself! As excerpted by rediff and further excerpted by me!
First, the bad stuff. Mostly couched in a way so it doesn’t sound that bad, BUT IT IS:
Rohit Shetty:
I think that after so many years in the industry, he has the right to expect his directors to keep him in his comfort zone. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.
If you have to film a shot that can only be done early in the morning, he will be there, but otherwise, he wants to work in his comfort zone and I don’t think anyone can grudge him that.
Oh Rohit! I am picturing many mornings spent loitering on set trying to rationalize why Shahrukh is keeping everyone waiting.
Yash Chopra:
I have to call Gauri if it’s urgent and tell her to trace him and get him to call me back.
She is his only connection to the outside world while he’s working.
It take sometime to get used to it; to understand that he’s not insulting you by not answering the phone, that it’s just the person he is.
Poor Gauri! Constantly fielding phone calls from people, and then having to run around and figure out where he is and hand him the phone. On the other hand, I bet Yash Chopra is one of the few directors who has Gauri’s phone number available to him. Wouldn’t be surprised if Shahrukh’s phone number is fairly available, but Guari’s is the real golden ticket one to get.
Anubhav Sinha:
For the first 15 days, we did daily six hour sitting to discuss the script and characters.
Then on January 17th or 18th, Shah Rukh won the bid for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. Our next meeting happened in July.
For seven months, he didn’t reply to even one of my text messages. At first it was frustrating. It was jarring too, and I admit there were times when I felt insecure.
But as I got to know Shah Rukh better, I realised that he’s just that kind of man.
When he gives you time — whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes — he’s all yours.
See! He needed Gauri’s number!
Nikhal Advani: The thing about Shah Rukh is that while he is working on your film, he hates your film and loves the other one he is working on!
So while shooting Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, he was all praises for Dil Se….
While shooting Mohabbatein, he constantly spoke about Hey! Ram and during Kal Ho Naa Ho, it was Devdas this and Devdas that.
He kept comparing his death scene in Kal Ho Naa Ho with the one in Devdas and said that our scene was rubbish.
He kept telling me that it needed more drama, that it was a comma, not a full stop.
“This isn’t a death scene, you should see what we’ve done in Devdas.”
All I have to say to this is “The Kal Ho Na Ho death scene is SO MUCH BETTER than Devdas!!!”
And then the real killer, the one with the worst things to say:
Subhash Ghai: When I went to London with the script and narrated it to him, he said it was one of the best scripts he’d ever read and said “When should we start?”
I got inspired and signed Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta for it and trust me, after lot of perseverance I assembled this mammoth cast.
I signed A R Rahman for the music and recorded three amazing songs.
I booked a 5,000-soldier unit in Delhi and travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for research. It was all done in good faith.
But he kept delaying the start of the film. He was getting busy with his clan and his group of friends.
I was a senior director, so I couldn’t be going everyday, landing up on his set and saying, “Hi! Are you Shah Rukh?” because I didn’t belong to his generation.
I began to gauge the ebb in his interest for my film. Finally after nine months of excuses and delays, he called me one day and said “Let’s start the film next year.”
By then, I had lost my patience. I said, “No, thank you, Shah Rukh. It was lovely meeting you.”
And then I heard that he was making Veer Zaara with the Chopras. I guess he had never intended to be a part of Motherland.
I had worked for two years on this script, recorded three songs, Rahman felt so bad, everybody felt disappointed.
I don’t think I had ever been more hurt in my life.
Sheesh, Subhash! Why don’t you tell us how you really feel? Now, here’s what I think about this. First, I think a big star can’t turn people down flat. A plain “no” would have massive reverberations, word would get around, sides would be chosen, etc. etc. But a “I’m interested!” followed by a lack of contact, or a “The dates just aren’t working” kind of response, that is acceptable.
Reading between the lines, what I am hearing here is that maybe Shahrukh was interested at one point, but it wasn’t his top priority, he didn’t have much faith in the script. Especially if we are talking around the era of Veer-Zaara. Ghai’s last film was Yaadein, which had a so-so reception both critically and commercially. And that was the last movie he made that even approached being a commercial hit (Black and White got some critical acclaim, but it wasn’t a real mass-y film). You could say that Shahrukh’s stringing him along irreparably hurt his career. But I think it is more likely that Shahrukh saw the writing on the wall and knew that Ghai just couldn’t cut it any more and this film was never going to turn out well. Because Ghai didn’t have the pull in the industry, didn’t have the drive to succeed, wasn’t hooked into today’s audience, all of those reasons.
(Ghai was so out of it when making Yaadein, he didn’t even realize moths had gotten into Hrithik’s shirts! HA! I crack myself up)
Ghai complains that he can’t spend time hanging on set, he isn’t “part of today’s generation”, but another way of putting that might be “he wasn’t committed enough to involving Shahrukh in the process the way a Star should be involved, and wasn’t able to talk the language of the audience Shahrukh was going for.”
And, by the way, pretty sure the rest of the cast was stringing him along too. Because all those people he rattled off (Saif, Preity, Amitabh) kept working pretty steadily through out the early 2000s, a lot of them with Shahrukh. I’m just not seeing what it would look like if they were all seriously setting aside their dates and resenting Shahrukh for making it fall apart.
There were a few directors who had good things to say, mostly ones who were good friends with Shahrukh anyway. Which I don’t think made them say nice things, but I do think it probably made Shahrukh easier to work with so they have better memories.
Karan Johar:
You catch his theatre training while directing him because of his unique way of deconstructing the scene and the character.
He has a walk for almost every character he’s played. But that walk and that nuance that he brings to every role is something he doesn’t license.
He doesn’t share it with you because those are his own notes.
He’s not one of those people who make their homework apparent to the world. It’s all done in his head.
Well, that was nice. Although, now that I think about it, the “not one of those people who make their homework apparent” comment might be to address the issue of Shahrukh arriving late to set seemingly without doing any preparation.
Farah Khan: I will never forget the first time Shah Rukh walked on to the sets (of Main Hoon Na) in Darjeeling.
As usual, he was two, three days late. But the day he arrived, it was exactly like a scene from the movie.
My 100 dancers rushed to the gate and started cheering, whistling and clapping.
I was so happy that I started crying and ran away from there because he makes a lot of fun of me when I cry.
I don’t ever remember being so happy in life, except the birth of my kids.
(So, exactly like this)
A mixed bag from Farah! First, he was 2-3 days late. That doesn’t sound so great. But then he made her as happy as the birth of her kids! Although even there, there is a possible background of a little bit of a “because I honestly wasn’t sure he was ever going to show up until he finally did”.
Generally, what I am getting her is that I REALLY REALLY don’t want to direct Shahrukh Khan! The man is late, disrespectful, dismissive, and doesn’t seem to do any preparation. Oh, and he is impossible to reach for months at a time right in the middle of film prep. And is routinely 2-3 days late to location.
But, on the other hand, Anubhav Sinha said:
“When he gives you time — whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes — he’s all yours”
I think that’s the problem, he has 110% focus on whatever he is doing at the moment he is doing it. And he does way way too many things! I suspect all the biggest stars are like this, their lives are so crazy, and there are so many things that only they can do, that stuff just gets put off. So maybe he is late to a film set, because he is rehearsing for an IPL opening ceremony and he won’t leave until the choreographer is satisfied. Or he keeps putting off an interview, because he is in the middle of shooting. Or he is late for an ad shoot, because he is discussing a business plan with his Red Chillies department heads.
Or he is doing a book launch for this book that, frankly, doesn’t make him look so good. And meanwhile Aanand L. Rai is off somewhere waiting for a script meeting with the star of his next movie going “BOY! I wish I had been asked to contribute to this book, I would have LOTS TO SAY!”
dontcallitbollywood 
These are really interesting excerpts!
But I think you are defending Shahrukh just because your’re a fan about the whole Subhash Ghai situation. The guy had to cancel the project himself after spending two years on it just because Shahrukh wasn’t showing interest in the project. Just because Shahrukh is a star doesn’t mean he can expect someone to wait for him as long as he wants to make a movie with him. I feel like a star should be the one who would actually tell the director that he can’t work with them at the moment for whatever reason. Didn’t we just talk about how Salman suggests other actors that the director should approach when he can’t do the film, that would be more respectful.
Here’s a similar example: way back in like 2012, Mahesh Babu was supposed to work with a filmmaker named Shekar Kammula (I really like his movie, Anand). Due to his other movies being delayed and other commitments, Mahesh told Shekar Kammula not to wait for him and make the movie with someone else. After making another movie in between, Shekar Kammula is now making the movie he was supposed to do with Mahesh with another upcoming actor. Even though I don’t get to see Mahesh in the movie, I may have the chance to see another good movie right.
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Hmm. Let me see if I can be objective (always hard when it comes to Shahrukh). I guess my baseline is,considering we are only getting on side of the story, I am going to err on Shahrukh’s unspoken side. Not just because I love him (I do! So much!), but because I believe he couldn’t have gotten to where he is in the industry if this is all there is to the story.
I’m going with a “the proof is in the pudding” policy. I honestly don’t think anyone can reach and stay at the top of their field without a little give and take and building of relationships and general trust between people. So I can’t imagine that Shahrukh would have been foolish enough to treat Ghai as badly as it is portrayed. I mean, I can believe all the facts, but I can also believe that Shahrukh thought that by saying “delay delay delay” he WAS saying “No, move on to someone else” or even “The script’s a dog, give it up.” And Ghai just didn’t get the message.
Maybe he just has a hard time giving people a straight out “no”? Maybe that’s part of what caused the problem with him and Farah too, that he put off Happy New Year when she thought they were ready to start? Having now seen Happy New Year, I have to wonder if it was a combination of Shahrukh being busy with other commitments, and reading the script and thinking “this is terrible, I will gently suggest that Farah explore other projects by telling her I’m not ready right now and then waiting for her to give up on the idea.”
Sure, it would be much better in the long run to just say “upon reflection, I don’t think I am right for the project, go to someone else or a different project” instead of trying to imply it through behavior. So in that sense, definitely his fault. But I don’t think he was trying to string Ghai along or something, because that just doesn’t seem like it is behavior that would fly if he is to keep the position he has. Like, Shahid Kapoor for instance, almost never works with the same directors, even Sooraj Barjatya wasn’t willing to work with him a second time. I don’t know what kind of unprofessional behavior he has on set, but it must be TERRIBLE. Shahrukh, it’s the opposite, even before he got big, people really liked working with him.
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First of all, I want to give you some context for this comment. When I first commented back in December, I really believed in my argument and I was totally ready to debate with you on this. For some reason I never saw your reply and I ended up assuming that you were offended or something.
Anyway, now that I think about it, I think that you may be right in that Shahrukh probably doesn’t know how to say no. Or maybe he doesn’t even want to say no. My theory is that Shahrukh probably gets excited at a lot of different things and he wants to do everything but he just doesn’t have to time to do everything. I feel like maybe he just tries to delay projects because he doesn’t want to let go of them and maybe he tells himself that he’ll get to that project later. Salman seems more chilled out and he never seemed like the type of person who would be bothered a lot if he loses out on a movie. Like, he never seemed to be unhappy when Varun ended up replacing him in Shuddhi for whatever reasons. Shahrukh is such a complex person that I have a tough time understanding him. He’s intelligent and witty for sure. But it really confuses me on how he’s humble at times but then he sounds so arrogant at other times.
At the end, I still feel bad for Subhash Ghai but I don’t think I really fault Shahrukh for what happened. I do agree that Subhash Ghai was outdated, but maybe Shahrukh should’ve handled the situation in a better way.
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I like your theory! That makes sense. It matches with one of the other directors, maybe of Ra.One? He talked about how he had this great long meeting with Shahrukh going over all the details of the project, and Shahrukh was super excited and said they were definitely going to do it. And then he didn’t hear from him for 6 months and just kept holding on to that promise. And then Shahrukh called out of the blue and said that okay, let’s get to work.
Which fits with your idea, that he was super excited about the idea, but he forgets that he is already booked, so he jumps on these ideas and commits, and then has to focus on a million other things while the other idea sits on the backburner until he is finally free.
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Yeah, it was Anubhav Sinha that said that. I’m sure that like he did with Anubhav Sinha, Shahrukh was probably unavailable to Subhash Ghai for larger periods of time. Unlike Sinha, Ghai is a more established director who has given blockbusters in the past so he probably got offended that he had to wait for a star. Ghai probably thought that he only needed to make a phone call to sign some other star up for his movies and that Shahrukh was insulting him by making him wait for so long.
By the way, are you asking your sister to bring you this book from India? 🙂
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I AM NOW!!!!!! That is BRILLIANT!!!! Thank you thank you! Forget obscure Tamil cinema DVDs, I’m using all my sororal luggage space for a ridiculous Shahrukh coffee table book.
On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 10:23 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Lol, that does look like a quite heavy book.
By the way, have you read this recent Shahrukh interview?
http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/shah-rukh-khan-i-can-t-wait-as-i-like-to-keep-working-i-can-t-sit-at-home/story-oTvejYWeg98mKqRfoyeToI.html
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Thanks for the link. Definitely one of his lighter interviews, not much meat there. But still fun! And it was interesting hearing about how he works out characters in advance and then brings them to the directors fully formed.
On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 10:44 PM, dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Karan did a long sit down interview with Anupama Chopra at LSE, and she prodded at him about how he is so particular about punctuality but he’s made so many films with Shah Rukh. Karan answered – “I cracked the code. I befriended the wife!” – He literally befriended Gauri initially to have easy access to him. I find it fascinating – what Yashji said about calling Gauri.
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I don’t think that is necessarily limited to Shahrukh. Maybe not in the same way, but in general it seems like the Indian film industry functions more on these personal ties than on any “professionalism” kind of standard. Do you remember the story about Karan trying to get Salman on set and in costume for KKHH? Salman was taking his time, and not excited about getting out of his cushy vanity van and his comfortable clothes, Karan went to talk to him, and when Salman said he didn’t want to wear the costume, Karan burst into tears because he was sure hsi first film would be a disaster and no star would do what he wanted and so on. And Salman felt so bad, he gave him a big hug and promised to do whatever he was asked from now on. the contract and payment and so on wouldn’t have gotten him on set, but the personal touch did.
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Awwww! I did not know that. Also, I love and adore Karan. Awwwww.
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I cracked up at the conclusion of your post. It really might not be that funny but I am dying of laughter. Anand L Rai. HA HA HA.
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i am really curious how they are working together! Aanand seems like such a kind of experimental and improvisation based director, he needs a lot of time from his actors. And Shahrukh just doesn’t have that time. Although he also loves experimenting and improvisation, so maybe he is making the time.
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It will soon be a year since the gigantic silver book called SRK: 25 Years of a Life was published. Shahrukh himself liked the book and attended the launch. Because I am super fan in California, I ordered the book right away – and waited many months for it to arrive. It was big, heavy, beautiful, silver, full of pictures and expensive. So the chances are you have not tasted from the banquet of essays each of his directors shared in this exquisite coffee table book. For my own pleasure, I lifted out special parts from each – making up only about one eighth of each essay. So you see, there is plenty left to help you decide to purchase your own copy. I share as one fan to another – and thank Margaret for the space to do so – don’t miss the surprise Snippet #31 and #32. Enjoy!
Snippet #1 from the gigantic silver book – SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Fauji 1989 – I am known as the man who made Fauji and by default Shah Rukh. I didn’t make a superstar; I simply chose the right man for a job I had. He wasn’t the typical good-looking boy, but he had a distinct quality to him that the camera loved. I think every superstar’s journey begins with a strike of lightening, like a touch of divine intervention. That gift seemed to come to Shah Rukh in the devotion of his mother. I met her twice and both times was awestruck by her unconditional love for him. For her, the whole world, even her own existence was on one side and Shah Rukh was on the other side. When you have such intense blessings on your side, it has to make a difference. He works so hard and with such single-minded focus that success was inevitable. Still years, age and success will wear you down. The rarified air that you breathe will eventually thin and sooner or later, you’ll have to come down to earth. It’s the coming down part that the true test of your character. That’s the one thing I pray for superstar Shah Rukh – a happy life even when he climbs down from Mount Everest.
Snippet #2 from the gigantic silver book – SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Dil Aashna Hai 1992 – Shah Rukh worked with me on my first film as a director. I remember thinking he had these really large, soulful eyes. They’ve got this burning anxiety, very restless, needing to do something new. His eyes are stormy with so much energy and passion that it’s difficult to look away. On first meeting, Ravi dada caught hold of him and began the endless process of taming his hair. He continued to be Shah Rukh’s makeup man til his dying days. So Ravi dada was my gift to Shah Rukh for all his help on our shoot. I remember he was really intense and grasped things at lightning speed. My young daughters would sometimes give me stress and Shah Rukh would say, “You go home, I’ll take care of it.” So there were actually some scenes that he himself has directed. His thinking is so sharp that often his dialogue delivery is too rapid. Slowing down for the work to catch up has become second nature to him now. He’ll always be 10 steps ahead of everyone!
Snippet #3 from the gigantic silver book – SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Raj Ban Gaya Gentleman 1992 – I’ve known Shah Rukh since he took his first baby steps in the field of acting. The thing I found most appealing about him then was that he knows he’s this really good actor, but he never puts himself ahead of the people around him. He respects other people’s expertise and knowledge as much as he respects his own. By accident I’m on such intimate terms with such a super star. I’m friends with the dreamer in him, not the star he is today. When the whole world sings your praises, it’s hard not to believe in your own greatness. But he maintains a very healthy balance. Shah Rukh is like family. When he bought Mannat, I was so happy for him and Gauri because I knew they were a couple who deserved to see that success. It wasn’t about the money; it was about seeing the faith of a couple in love paying off. No one but Shah Rukh has made Shah Rukh and no one should take that credit away from him.
Snippet #4 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Baazigar 1993 – Shah Rukh wasn’t our first choice. But no hero would touch such a negative role. It must have been fate, because once we started shooting, we realized that a newcomer was exactly what we needed for the role. At narration time he said he wanted to hear the story the way we visualized it and only then he’d be able to understand whether he fit into the vision or not. We had just begun talking and he started performing. In his mind, he was already playing the part – with five variations for each character. He was unstoppable! It was like jumping on a speeding train! That is how Shah Rukh came on board. His emotional range is spectacular. He spoils the director as well as challenges him. For a new-comer to walk the fine line between the hero and villain right till the end of the film is more than can be expected from anyone. You ask for one variation, he’ll give you seven. He doesn’t leave things to chance. He calculates and then works very hard to eliminate all possible risk. He works so hard and with such single-minded focus that success was inevitable.
Snippet #5 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Maya Memsaab 1993 – One word describes him and that is firework. He just exploded onto the scene. SRK radiates this force field, this kind of magnetism that you can’t stop yourself from being drawn into. He actually thrived on the challenge of presenting the sexual overtones in the film. Once you’re a big star, your stardom can absorb the gambles that don’t pay off. But to start your career with a gamble takes nerves of steel. In the middle of the shoot, his mother fell seriously ill. He juggled between Bombay, Delhi and Shimla on an everyday basis without complaint or losing his commitment to a low budget project. As he took up three dark films, I think it was his huge risk appetite that got him notices and set him apart. Those were magical days when the two of them were madly in love and gaining in popularity. When you work with Shah Rukh, you realize how much he loves his work. He loves cinema beyond everything else. And because he loves what he does, he never stops learning or listening. He brings exuberance, electricity and charge to a project.
Snippet #6 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Anjaam 1994– There’s just something about him on screen…This quality that you can’t quite define or put your finger on. More than a good actor, Shah Rukh is a powerful actor. He makes you want to believe in him. While shooting he was living in this small room as a paying guest. One day I was in his house and through the window, he showed me this Parsi bungalow and told me that he’d bought it. I thought he was joking. It was an expensive house and there was no way he could have afford it. He wanted to pay for it in full within two years and take possession. With Shah Rukh, you just knew he would make it happen. His confidence is stunning. He came to Bombay with a list of 20 directors he wanted to work with, and went about checking off each of them. He gives you the respect of a personal relationship even while saying no to your offer and dealing with people in a professional capacity. Now that he has this wealth of experience, he should go crazy experimenting with new subjects and shades. Sometimes, I feel that his stardom comes in the way of his evolution as an actor.
Snippet #7 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa1994 – Neither Cirus nor Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa were planned for him, yet it was his destiny. I can’t say that I had any part in his success. I was to become the vessel through which he’d travel his first few miles on the road to success. When he started getting all these film offers, I kept advising him toward all the wrong films! He was coming to Bombay to become a star. Acting was simply a means to the end. Even when he had no money, he behaved like a star. When he is on your sets, he’s there 500 per cent. There’s nothing he won’t do, and do over many times. He works on faith completely – in himself and his director. That’s a God-send for the director. Every choice an actor makes either opens or shuts certain doors. Shah Rukh made the choices that made him a super star. He has maneuvered his career in such a way that when people go to the theatre, they go to see him, not the character or the film. They react to Shah Rukh and his personality
Snippet #8 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Ram Janne 1995 – Signing Shah Rukh was an instinctive thing. We didn’t do an audition, but I wanted to see how he perceived his character. The minute he read the first line, I knew he was it. He reacted to the script. He didn’t act out the lines, he spoke them. When pitted against veterans, he took on the responsibility of perfection onto himself, when even seasoned actors didn’t do that. It is ironic that the man who has become a brand unto himself today once stuck out like a sore thumb in a crowd because he couldn’t be bothered with image management. Even as a newcomer he had a very clear understanding of what he was being offered, what he wanted and what he could deliver. His success was a combination of vision, maturity and talent. What astonishes me that being the driver in his vast world of important things, it’s up to him to keep the car running. But no matter how full is gets, the old passengers are never asked to leave, and there’s always space for new ones.
Snippet #9 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of DDLJ 1995 – When I decided to make DDLJ, I knew I had to have Shah Rukh. In those days, he was two people at once. Most of his roles were about this brash, arrogant and aggressive person – all the things he isn’t in real life. In real life he was an honest, well-read, kind boy. That was the side of him I wanted to bring out in Dilwale… I wanted the reel Shah Rukh to make the transition to the real Shah Rukh. Initially he wasn’t excited about the role. He was expecting an action hero’s role and I was asking him to play a soft, romantic character. But his respect and reverence for my dad, Yashji, wouldn’t allow him to say no. I had come to know that his ultimate goal was to become the biggest superstar in the country. I told him that he’d have to become every mother’s son, every sister’s brother and above all, every woman’s fantasy to realize his superstar dream. As an actor, I think he is the best actor in the whole world and that we’ve seen only 10 per center of his talent. That 90 percent is still to come and blow us away.
Snippet #10 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Zamaana Deewana 1995 – I was struck by his very captivating personality. His warmth is infectious. People were saying that he was going to be the next Amitabh Bachchan. But I always told them, No, he’s going to be the first Shah Rukh Khan. He seems to have unlimited reserves of energy. He has so much energy packed in him that it can be very easy to go overboard and overact but he had learned to rein it in and give just what the character required. He showed me respect by not smoking in front of me. I couldn’t be happier for him as I’ve watched him evolve as an actor. But I do feel that somewhere He has gotten trapped in his own image. My sum up is that he came on the scene like a volcano and has kept going like a whirlwind. There is a madness in him that only truly gifted people possess.
Snippet #11 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of English Babu 1996 – Working with Shah Rukh is a bit addictive. He’s a bad habit that you can’t kick. I’ve never met a man like Shah Rukh. He had stardom written all over him. Even as a newcomer, he only did things his heart was convinced about. Once he agreed to do the film, he became my pillar of strength. It was like everything he touched turned to gold. He is professionalism personified. He swims against the tide. He’ll continue the shoot even when injured. He is one of the kindest people I’ve had the misfortune of knowing. Misfortune because once you get used to that, the bar is raised too high for you own good. He’s a very quick actor. He understands what he had to do and delivers at lightning speed.
Snippet #12 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Pardes 1997 – I love Shah Rukh and I hate him in equal measure. When you’re with him, you will think that you are his closest friend. The moment you go away, he is closer to someone else. Again within minutes you’ll be fall in love with him all over again. He has that kind of charm, which is essentially the trait of a Delhi boy to seduce. Back then he made the decisions he needed to achieve the kind of grandeur he has today. He converted his craft into a business model of a 600-million-dollar brand. In that sense, he showed a path to other actors that they could not have imagined. He proved them all wrong by showing them that he could keep his place as the king of Bollywood despite all his peripheral activities.
Snippet #13 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Koyla 1997 – He had a very sharp understanding of what his director wanted from him. When you find actors who understand you, you don’t feel like leaving them. He’s not traditionally good looking, but there’s something about his eyes that pulls you toward him with serious charisma. For Koyla we shot for sixty days at 20,000 feet about sea-level. It was difficult; he gave his all and never complained. When I was set to launch Hrithik, Shah Rukh was thrilled. Time has not changed the man I’ve known. Success has only changed his external world, not his internal being or his soul. He is a combination of talent, star power and genuine goodness of being. That’s the real reason why he will continue to rule the hearts of the country.
Snippet #14 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Dil Se 1998 – I had heard of his dedication and commitment, but experiencing it first-hand was something else. He is like a blank canvas for his directors. I was amazed with his willingness to do just about anything that the film required. He doesn’t act in a film, he makes the film with you. He is willing to give a shot over and over without complaining. That reduces the director’s stress substantially. But his fans make shooting in public places very difficult. There is no stealing a spontaneous shot with him around. I was also impressed with his constant attempt at innovation. As a film-maker you start feeling that you have a responsibility toward his fans. So unless you have material that justifies a star of his stature, you don’t take it to him. He knows how to use his charism to enhance his persona on screen. That is hard to resist in an actor.
Snippet #15 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Duplicate 1998 – I first saw Shah Rukh when I was giving an interview. He was overhearing, yet listening with complete absorption. He was greedily taking in everything with a look of intelligence. Intelligence is hard to find and harder to forget. That’s my first memory, years before he became King Khan. I’ve come to know him as a man of many contradictions. His thoughts are a tangled mess of intelligence and courage, but his approach to life is deceptively simple. He received death threats from the underworld during our shoot, but there was no panicking or hysteria from his end – only humor and grace. And though both my films with him were flops, he gave me the same respect as he gave to directors who had given him blockbusters. It’s this charity of thought that has made brand Shah Rukh Khan what it is.
Snippet #16 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Josh 2000 – Shah Rukh has that magnetism that can hold the audience – even through the shades of a complex character like Max – that are difficult to understand. Even before he came on sets, he had worked out Max’s mannerisms, his walk, his thought process exactly as I had visualized it. I was told he and Aishwarya would not be accepted at siblings. That is the part I enjoyed the most in Josh, breaking norms and boundaries. Once Shah Rukh has the character frozen in his head, all his energy is spent in refining the nuances of his performance. Watching him do that is beautiful. And he does so many things at the same time. It’s not that he can’t handle it, but the other actors struggle. He can pick up a scene from exactly where he’d left it weeks ago. Working with Shah Rukh is like being swept away by a whirlwind.
Snippet #17 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Asoka 2001 – Shah Rukh is different from other actors. His questions were endless about the whole movie-making process. I’ve always felt he was on a constant exploration, a discovery trip, always eager to experiment. For some unfathomable reason he lights up the shot. That’s a very exciting thing for a director. He is like a blinding sun. If you’re his friend, he’ll bring madness with him. When he walks onto the sets, something changes in the air. It’s a really positive change. He doesn’t say no to his directors. He is literally the face of Bollywood and has specific ideas about what he wants the body of his work to show. He works at keeping the explorer inside himself alive.
Snippet #18 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Devdas 2002 – Shah Rukh was always my first choice because he has the most expressive eyes in the industry and personally I think he carries tragedy the best. I was very happy to see that he had no problem adjusting to being one component in a complex machinery instead of being the engine around which the car was built. He became part of the journey instead of making the journey of Devdas about him. I think that was one of his biggest contributions to the film. He never once got impatient with the many hours it took the women to get costumed. That gave me the freedom to focus on getting the best possible shot instead of cutting corners so he could leave. If you get into the pattern of not going that extra mile, it will show in the end result. I was never put in that spot and I owe Shah Rukh for that. I am a quiet person and Shah Rukh is a talker. He is very well-read and can talk about almost anything under the sun. So when I meet him, he is chattering away at top speed, showing me his latest gadgets with childlike enthusiasm while I listen and laugh.
Snippet #19 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam 2002 – Getting Shah Rukh on board was Madhuri’s idea. He had seen my Tamil version. But I didn’t understand a word of Hindi and my English was all broken. Still he agreed to do my film because he knows he is a possessive husband himself. I couldn’t believe my luck to be working with three big stars. But slowly, as we started shooting, my fears evaporated because all three of them are the most dedicated, unegoistic people I have ever worked with. It took us 5 years to complete because of financial troubles with the producer, but not once did Shah Rukh lose faith in the project or give me problems with dates. In those five years he became an even bigger superstar, but he was still the same humble, unassuming self.
Snippet #20 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003 – This movie had to be postponed for 7 months while Shah Rukh had back surgery because we didn’t believe anyone else could have said the dialogues the way he did. Saif initially was anxious about possibly being overshadowed. But Shah Rukh is someone who goes out of his way to help his co-actors push their limits. He already knows that he was going to do a fabulous job, so he does everything he can to make his co-stars look good and do better. He’ll read with them and give them tips to try out, always managing to add that little extra that isn’t in the script but takes it to another level, as if to complete a scene. What makes other actors edgy is this innate ability to own the scene. Still we disagreed about the death scene. Since then I’m happy to see his fire from afar
Snippet #21 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Main Hoon Na 2004 – When I decided to turn director, there was no doubt in my mind that it had to be with Shak Rukh. I like idiosyncrasies and eccentricities in his characters because that’s how he is. He’s a mad man. I don’t see him as a romantic actor. But waiting three years for him to begin shooting was tortuous. And we’ve had issues between us over time. You must know I didn’t and still can’t see him as my cash cow. Those difficult days are the foundation of our friendship. He has spoilt me for every other person I worked with after him. He taught him to do whatever it takes for a shot. I had the discipline, but he gave me my work ethic. Everything else aside, he is someone who will give his all for my film.
Snippet #22 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Swades 2004 – Mohan has an intimate charm to his character. It’s different from the blinding charisma that Shah Rukh the superstar exudes. Tapping into that uncharted part of his personality and funneling it into the character was what made Mohan special to me. Shah Rukh has this ability to learn and rehearse his lines at record speed. After he learns his lines, all his focus is on using his entire body to emote. It is fascinating to watch and that’s what makes him magnetic. I’ve known Shah Rukh long before his stardom. But the actor-director relationship between us wasn’t clouded by our early friendship. Shah Rukh is unique in his obedience to the director. Each take is with equal enthusiasm, making him a pleasure to watch and direct. I know there are still come elusive parts of his personality that some storyteller someday will tap into.
Snippet #23 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Paheli 2005 – The lead role in Paheli was very intricately layered and I felt only Aamir or Shah Rukh would be able to do justice to it. Working with him reaffirmed my belief that he is a fine actor with complete mastery over his craft. He slips into his character’s persona very fluidly and very willingly adapted to all of its demands. As a producer, he made some things very easy and was a dream to work with. It had to have been outside his comfort zone, but he let me stay true to my identity as a director and my dream for the movie. I think he is a wonderful producer, a fascinating actor and above all, a wonderful human being.
Snippet #24 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Chak De 2007 – Shah Rukh owns the room when he walks into it. His offices were a living, breathing embodiment of the person he is. So many people love him. He carries that knowledge with so much grace. There’s no arrogance, just a comfortable acknowledgment of that fact. He isn’t a superstar on the inside. He doesn’t live or behave like he’s God’s gift to mankind. When shooting, he gets into the character and then the character takes over. So many times he’d come up with these little gems that would take the scene to another level altogether and you have to trust him to make the character come alive in his own way. For the duration of Chak De he was the center of my universe. When you enter the sun’s orbit, there’s little chance of you looking at anything other than the sun.
Snippet #25 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Billu the Barber 2009 – For me, it’s very important to like the people I’m work with. And it’s impossible not to like ShahRukh. He takes care of the people around him, regardless of whether they can further his career or not. We both are people that invest in relationship as much as we invest in our movies. He never uses his star status to put himself above the director. While shooting I realized that he doesn’t really act, he just behaves the way he believes is right. I think it’s his spontaneity that’s made him so popular. In my opinion, there are only two things that he can’t do. He can never play a poor man – because his body language, his demeanor, his carriage everything is that of a star. The second thing he simply cannot do is reach for shoots on time. Our film didn’t do well but that hasn’t affected my relationship with him. To continue trusting someone takes intelligence.
Snippet #26 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of My Name is Khan 2010 – I truly believe Shah Rukh is a man above words. It is ironic that he was the most reluctant romantic hero I’ve ever encountered. I learned that Shah Rukh is very emotionally intelligent. You’ll see that a lot of his career decisions are made from his heart. His is one of the most unplanned careers I know of. We’ve done so much work together that there is no need for me to direct or instruct him. I write scenes knowing how he’ll act them. He acts them out keeping in mind my sensibilities. When I say cut, he knows whether I’m happy or not. At some point, I think Shah Rukh will definitely become a director – and a superb one – at that. First, he needs to structure his mind which is like an over-active machine of ideas and he needs to order them and follow one path so that he can really channel his genius.
Snippet #27 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of RaOne 2011 – Just being around Shah Rukh, you learn so much about, life, the industry and the burden of stardom. He is many different personalities rolled into one person. You need to enter his world and become a part of it to be able to work with him at such close quarters. When he gives you time –whether it’s 30 seconds or 30 minutes- he is all yours. You’re the most important person in the universe for him in that time. Whether it’s an award-winning director or a fan, he treats them with the same attention. He is too dynamic to fit into any one box. As a person, he’s one of the best I’ve come across in the industry.
Snippet #28 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Don I & ll 2011 – Both Don and SRK have immensely magnetic personalities, they radiate a force field that draws you in. Considering the amount of preparation he does beforehand, he is surprisingly easy to work with. While he is a director’s dream, his DoP’s love him even more. He is the most non-fussy actor I know. He has no preferred angles or side and doesn’t rush to the monitor to see every take. He doesn’t care where the camera is or what he’s being made to wear. The best thing I liked was his uninhibited way of making the character his own. At this stage I think he’s not taking full advantage of his power and position. He should. That is part of the reason I have no immediate plans for Don 3. I don’t want to take him to a place where he’s already been to, twice before. That would be against what I hope for him.
Snippet #29 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Jab Tak Hai Jaan 2012 – Shah Rukh acts with his eyes. The audience feels it with him. That’s why they love him. The romance is visible, but not audible. He understands my vision of love. He has so many layers to his personality. He can start out as one person and by the end of the film, he is a completely different person. But he takes you along on the journey. For the duration of the film, you feel like he’s given up all his inhibitions and bared his soul to you. But he’s an enigma. If he’s not in the room with you, he’s not yours. He belongs to everybody and nobody. The audience is hungry for him even after they come out of the theatre.
Snippet #30 from the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Director of Chennai Express 2013 – His biggest and best quality is the conviction with which he does everything. Shah Rukh is the best producer to work with. He was with me every step of the way. When he comes on the set, he doesn’t come as a huge star with an entourage, he comes alone and is excited about everything. We never had a bad day; Shah Rukh just wouldn’t let us! He loves what he does and he never wants to stop doing it. Very few people can make you feel special. Shah Rukh has that ability in him. He will charm his way into your heart.
Snippet #31 – Samar Khan, author of the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – My interviews with 30 of the directors who have championed Shahrukh over the years have enabled me to cover an aspect of his personality that I hadn’t perceived before. And each time I saw him through their lens, a new Shahrukh Khan would emerge. He is the sum of all the characters he has ever played. It was this statement by him that launched the journey of this book: “I leave a part of me in every film that I do. A part of my soul stays behind.” What makes him the superstar that he is? Is it a chemical formula, the elusive X factor, his undying passion? Or is he, as he himself says, a fluke? These directors shared his journey, saw his weaknesses and encouraged his strengths. Yet he comes up with new pieces of his puzzle every day!
Snippet #32 – Shahrukh Khan’s forward to the gigantic silver book SRK: 25 Years of a Life – Sometimes I’m not sure whether I gave form and shape to the characters I played or whether unwittingly they gave me more facets than there ever had existed. Each character took a piece of me and departed, leaving behind a little of themselves. These characters gave my life a direction that I wasn’t in complete control of. Now, too, these characters continue to propel me forward with a force so surreal that I can hardly believe this is anything but a fantastic dream. The business of dreams is a scary one. One false promise, one unconvincing trick, and the dream ends abruptly. The charm and success of these characters took masterful storytelling. This book is a spirited reminder of the blessings I have received in the form of all these characters. If you read closely, they tell a great deal of my own life as Shahrukh Khan.
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Thank you so much! I may borrow your content and add on to it information about the background he has with each of these directors and make it an official post. Would that be all right with you? I would of course name you as the source.
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