It’s 3am, I just finished watching the episode, I have 13 pages of notes, and I am going to try to write this review before I fall asleep again. Forgive any typos and spelling errors, it is very late!
Overall impression? This was designed to introduce Shahrukh to a new American audience. The Shahrukh being introduced is a charming lovely man, not a tormented artist or tragic soul. You watch this, and it makes you a little bit curious, makes you want to watch some of his films. All without being, in anyway, insulting to Shahrukh or India or the Indian film industry. Shahrukh gives a tiny bit of both film and television history of India, and a few stories behind the scenes, we see his fame and popularity, and we learn a little bit about him and his life. Nothing really in depth is covered, and that’s okay, I would rather an hour long introduction covering charming stories and superficial information than an attempt to go in depth that ends up unbalancing the story. For instance, we have only a brief reference to his parents’ deaths in the lightest way possible, no discussion of his sister’s mental illness, and in the same way no discussion of the details of the Indian censorship system beyond jokes about flowers kissing. That’s fine, you don’t want to reveal all your mess on a first date, you want to be your best most delightful self while still being honest.
For those of us who are familiar with SRK, I just checked my notes and out of 13 pages, there are only 5 things that are truly new. I’m not even talking about “I’ve watched every interview ever” kind of stuff. No, just a basic knowledge of a few in depth interviews would do it. Think of this interview as primarily a “greatest hits” compilation. If you’ve read King of Bollywood, you already know 80% of the stories he is going to tell. If you’ve read his Huffington Post interview from a couple years ago, and watched his interviews at Davos, you know the rest of it. Excepting those 5 things.
And that’s okay! Because again, this is intended to be a “first date” kind of interview for a new audience. 97% of what he says is his very very best stories, the ones that are proven hits and he can tell them really really well. The remaining new 3%, that is the 3% he is trying out for the new crowd, that works for this new crowd.
There are no new facts or stories necessarily, but one thing that stands out as remarkably different is the few minutes we get to see with him and Gauri. It’s really almost no time at all if you look at the overall length of the episode, maybe 5 minutes combined and it is all cut up and mixed. But you get to see Gauri relaxed, at home, talking to a guest at dinner. And more importantly (for me), you get to see Shahrukh watching her be relaxed talking to a guest. We’ve all seen over the years how he is with her in the brief glimpses we get of them together in photoshoots or candid shots. There is something about the way he looks at Gauri which is different from how he looks at any other person in the universe. And as a celebrity, it feels like you know every expression his face is capable of. And then Gauri starts quietly talking and Shahrukh watches her and it’s like a mask came off and suddenly you are seeing the real person and how he looks when he feels completely safe and happy and loved in the world. I loved seeing their home, I loved seeing Gauri being a quiet calm person in her home, but seeing Shahrukh’s face change like that was worth more than anything to me in this whole episode. I suspect if you are also a Shahrukh fan, that is, you know his face well enough to understand how it transformed into a different person in that moment, you also will find that more powerful than anything else.
Beyond that, this was just a very well-done interview for what it was. Dave had a series of points and questions to hit in order to present Shahrukh as they had both agreed he should be presented, and he hit them. He (or someone) had clearly done research, had read King of Bollywood and the Huff post article and the recent stuff, along with watching a fair number of films. And when Shahrukh’s mouth ran away with him a bit (for instance, making a joke about his mother not loving him), Dave was there to gently draw him back and clarify for the wider audience (“of course, you don’t mean that”). This was not about putting the interviewee on the spot, or enticing him to go too far in order to increase buzz or viewership. This was two accomplished professionals working together to present the best and most accurate view possible in only an hour.
Now, the details! And by the way, if you haven’t seen the interview yet, this is where I would put a SPOILER bar. Everything above gives you a sense of what it is like, this is going to be a minute by minute discussion. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILERS
First thing to discussion, it is only an hour long. Which is too bad, we know from the people who were at the taping that the interview alone was over 2 hours. They chopped that up to include bits in India meaning we only got maybe 30-40 minutes of the 2 hour interview. You could feel the cuts as well. Each interview section had one specific topic to cover, they edited together the best possible question-answer exchange on that topic, and then they cut away, and back for another topic. It didn’t feel like a conversation, it felt like a series of questions.
The India section, however, did I think add something. Seeing the crowds outside Shahrukh’s house, and seeing him with AbRam and Gauri, that was vital to introducing who he is in the world. Dave wandering through a market and onto a Cricket field was less important, but still valuable (I think). If we are establishing Shahrukh as the most important star in India, we have to establish what India is, that it isn’t just the crowd outside his building but a place with markets and people and everything else. So, as a Shahrukh fan, those sections were boring for me, but at the same time I am glad they were included because this would not have been a full introduction to Shahrukh without them.
The opening shot of the show sets the tone, that this is about Shahrukh but about more than him. And that this show will be respectful and knowledgable even if most of the audience won’t grasp the full level of it. The very first shot is of a wall poster of Mughal-E-Azam. Which is both one of (if not THE) most important Hindi films of all time, and the movie that Shahrukh’s father came to Bombay to be in, the movie staring Shahrukh’s idol Dilip Kumar. For the general audience, it is just an interesting image. For Indian film and Shahrukh fans, it is a perfect blessing before the show starts.
Along those same lines, after seeing the poster we go straight to Shahrukh talking to AbRam about if it is time to go outside and see the crowd. He carries AbRam out, Dave goes with them, jokes about how this doesn’t happen at his house, and they wave to the crowd. Again, two levels. For a new audience, we see Shahrukh the charming father and get a sense of his superstardom. For the existing audience, we know who AbRam is, we know what is happening, and we are excited to see Dave’s reaction.
And only after that do we cut back to the interview filming, starting with a shot of an “SRK4Life” license plate, than the excited audience waiting outside (almost all desi), and finally Dave coming out and starting to fumble around about the introduction with the audience screaming before he even says Shahrukh’s name.
There’s two things I find interesting about this. First, based on what we know from the people who talked to me who were actually at the screening, it wasn’t like they reached out to fan groups or something to stock the audience up. This isn’t fake excitement, this is legitimate that if Shahrukh is going to be interviewed, the tickets are going to be snapped up by rabid fans one way or another. Does that make sense? He is a big enough star that it won’t be a matter of “we have to create excitement” or “a few fans will care enough to track down tickets but the rest of the audience will be random”, it is a matter of “every single ticket will be taken by a fan, they will care too much to let anyone else have a chance”. And the second thing, that the producers decided to lean into this phenomenon. They weren’t hiding that it was an almost all desi audience, and that it was an all fan audience. There’s no effort to establish him as a “crossover” star or something. No, his fans are Indian-American and they are passionate and they will climb mountains to see him.
Another choice the producers made, while the audience was screaming outside, we get a shot of Shahrukh calmly standing in the wings. This is a theme the show returns to over and over again, Shahrukh is so used to this, this is “normal” for him, and so it does not excite him any more. That is a greater statement of his stardom than anything else, and the producers know that.
Shahrukh comes out and does the adab to the audience. Isn’t that nice? Almost makes up for his folded hands “namaskar” at the beginning of his Ted Talk. I think the adab is what comes naturally too him, certainly he does it very gracefully, and he is just going to be himself in this show.
Letterman introduces him by calling him the biggest star for 3.5 billion people. And Shahrukh laughs and says that people always say that in these interviews, it is from an old Newsweek article that also called him the “Tom Cruise of India”, which people also always say. He doesn’t underline his point, but it’s enough. The western interviews have one fact and repeat it and hold on to it, and he knows that and it is okay. For a newcomer, it’s just a charming self-deprecating acknowledgement of media coverage, for an oldcomer it’s Shahrukh rolling his eyes a bit at these tone deaf interviews without saying that this interview will be like that (because he is honest enough to roll his eyes here). And then Letterman asks if he enjoys being a star, Shahrukh smiles and says yes, and there is the first cut in the interview, conversation over, from now on it is all question-answer.
Next section has the job of establishing Shahrukh’s personal history as an actor. He says he joined acting because there was an advertisement for a play, 90 girls and 10 boys. And he says he was in the Ram-Leela, gives a line and the audience responds to it. It’s all very light and fun, no discussion of Barry John workshops, no discussion of a burning need to perform and get love from the audience, or the bitterness of losing his first few roles. I do like that we get that audience response to the Ram-Leela line, showing both that Shahrukh is beloved by this audience and that they have a shared reference that Dave is not part of, and Dave is okay with that. Shahrukh politely includes him on the joke after, but there is no rush for Dave to be part of it while it is happening.
Dave moves from the early days of acting back to the idea of Shahrukh as a superstar, asks if any other level of success would satisfy him, he smiles and says “no”. And then explains that he realized early on he didn’t have the skill and talent to be a star, so he had to focus on being in the hearts of the people. How sweet! And what a COMPLETE LIE. Forget whether or not he actually has skill and talent (obviously I believe he has), it’s a lie because SHAHRUKH believes he has skill and talent. This is what he does in interviews, he makes fun of himself so people will like him and not fear him. This whole show is built on the premise of “Shahrukh as the lovable and beloved superstar”, not on “Shahrukh as the arrogant genius who went after what he wanted and got it”. So, fine, Shahrukh does his usual COMPLETE LIE and we all let it go. He never corrects it later either, which is what sometimes happens, he gives the “cute” answer and then later when asked a serious question will give the serious answer.
Dave moves on, gives him a prompt to tell the story of his mother taking him to his first movie. I’ve heard this story soooooooooo many times before, he has a lot of slight variations on it. He had a crush on Mumtaz, he remembers his mother buying the tickets, what was it like in the theater, and so on and so on. This time he chooses to focus on the idea of his mother getting him the tickets as a reward for passing his Hindi exam. And he admits that he cheated to get the last answer. It’s cute, and it’s universal. Who in America knows Mumtaz? Or understands Indian movie tickets and theaters? But a movie as a reward for passing a test, that works.
Dave gives him another prompt, this time to explain how he started in TV in Delhi. Shahrukh gives a quick explanation of Indian TV history, how it was all Doordarshan with no fun shows, and then in the 90s (actually 80s, that’s when Fauji was, but whatever) they started making dramas and he was in a fun serial about soldiers and young people. Shahrukh could have gone off on how he was from Delhi and the film industry was in Bombay, or how the show was shot in Delhi because it was the capital and there was an army base, or whatever he wanted from that opening. The idea was to give the audience background on SRK, and also some tiny sense of the Indian entertainment world. Not everything, that would be impossible, but whatever taste he wanted to give. That’s how all these prompts feel, SRK has to hit the main point (in this case, Fauji), but he can embellish around the edges as he feels is best and they can edit it down to what is most appropriate.
Next point, education! First Shahrukh’s education, he rattles off the science degree, then economics, than communication. Dave is suitably impressed, and the hordes of new audience members can all go “wow, this dude’s got some smarts even if he plays it off like he doesn’t!” There’s a bit of a weird transition from Shahrukh’s education to what Aryan and Suhana are studying. Shahruhkh says that Aryan is studying film “here” in UCLA, and Suhana is going to start at NYU. And then he talks a little about how Aryan doesn’t want to act, Shahrukh doesn’t think he can, but Aryan made the decision himself because he doesn’t want the comparison with his father. I think this is actual NEW CONTENT, at least I don’t remember him talking before about Aryan saying he doesn’t want to act and doesn’t want the pressure.
This whole section is just fascinating for what is left out, either by Shahrukh self-editing or what the editors pulled out. Aryan doesn’t want to act, but we all know Suhana does, it would have been so easy for Shahrukh to tell the Aryan story and then say “but my daughter is fearless, she plans to act no matter what” or something like that. Instead of just leaving it with her going to NYU. More importantly, the conversation implies that Shahrukh only has two children, which is super weird since we already saw AbRam. I’m going to assume that this was a longer conversation cut down to focus on the Aryan story and tie it back to Shahrukh’s own college years.
And then it moves on to Sharhukh talking generally about his kids and his relationship with them. There is no actual new content here, but there is an opening for it that is left hanging. Shahrukh says he wants to make sure his kids never miss him, like he missed his parents. This is where a different interview would leap in and ask more about that, about how he feels having now outlived his father, how he feels having a relationship with his grown son he never had with his own father, why he is still smoking and being so unhealthy if he wants to live for them, and so on and so forth. But that isn’t this interview, this interview is about the “first date” not the 30th. So Dave lets it go without exploration, and Shahrukh just tells funny stories about learning to cook so he can be around his kids and their friends at least when he cooks late night meals for them.
There’s something else Dave lets go that I sat up and noticed. Shahrukh talks about how he wants to be a part of his kids’ lives, but he hates it when he has to talk about their romances with them. And then he mentions his daughter asking advice on what to buy her boyfriend. If Shahrukh was telling this story in India, well, first he WOULDN’T be telling this story because the Indian public would judge Suhana for dating and he wouldn’t open her up to that. But second, he would overplay the “angry father” bit. In this case, he is still play acting “angry father” a little, but he softens it, more kind of “flustered father” than scary. I believe these cute stories, but there’s a lot of different ways you can “perform” this kind of anecdote and Shahrukh is fully aware that he is performing when he tells them. And he is also fully aware that he is opening his 19 year old daughter to a world of hurt by implying she is dating someone, I hope that decision doesn’t backfire on him.
After the cute family stories, we cut back to Shahrukh with AbRam in India, making him pancakes. It’s a good cut in that we just had a cute story about him cooking for kids, and here he is cooking for kids. It’s weird cut in that AbRam is still not introduced, I can picture the new audience watching it going “wait, didn’t he just say his kids were in college? Who’s this?”
And then we have our first section of Dave wandering around India, in a flower market, no one is interested in or talking to him until a guy comes up and greets him, he’s from New Jersey and recognized Dave. It’s a fine sequence for giving us a sense of India as a country with people who have their own concerns and aren’t going to drop everything just because a white dude with cameras is around, and also a sense of how meaningless Dave is here versus how meaningful Shahrukh is when filming in New York. If that makes sense.
And then we see Shahrukh and Dave cooking together in the kitchen and making small talk. There’s also a woman in the background, cook or maid maybe? Never introduced, which is okay, just gives a sense of Shahrukh’s house as a place with people around. Anyway, the small talk is fine. They make chicken, talk about cooking, talk about having a house by the see, talk about how they both work a lot, how they both like giving advice to other people but can’t take it themselves. It feels real, in that it is kind of boring. If someone I know a little came to have dinner at my house, I would have the same kind of conversation. There’s no forced fake intimacy, just general talk. And here’s the really interesting thing as a Shahrukh fan, this isn’t the Shahrukh we usually see in interviews. He isn’t “on”, he isn’t dropping into funny joke and faces, he’s just chatting lightly. For example, they talk about Shahrukh buying a house by the sea, and he doesn’t move on to the story of being from Delhi and not realizing people in Bombay don’t have houses, or wanting a house for his family, or any of the “usual” additions. He just says he wanted a house by the sea, and then Dave tells about his friends who have houses, and back and forth and back and forth.
Back to the interview in New York, totally different tone. Dave asks what gives him “hope” and he says the birth of his kids, it made him kinder, gentler, and feel things more. And FINALLY he mentions AbRam, his “small one”, only 6. No discussion of surrogacy, of why they decided to have a 3rd child, none of that. Just that AbRam exists. Perfect for a “first date”. From AbRam, he leaps off to his own childhood and talks about living in Bangalore until he was 5. It’s an odd thing to bring up, it’s not something he talks about a lot although it isn’t really new either. And it’s a very odd and strange thing to explain to a non-Indian imagined audience. Shahrukh and Dave both really struggle here. Shahrukh starts off treating it as a joke, that his mother wanted to get rid of him. Than says it was because his grandmother always wanted a boy. Then says his mother missed him and he came home. Dave asks if this is normal in India, Shahrukh says “no”, but then semi-reverses himself and tries to say that families are closer there. Dave touches on if he could imagine doing that with his own children and Shahrukh skates away from it. It’s just an odd odd section. As I said, this is the light “first date” kind of conversation, and Shahrukh being sent away until age 5 is not a first date topic. I don’t think they should have even brought it up. There is no way to explain it without talking about crushing poverty, depression, and the real serious reasons his parents had to send him away. Not to mention the psychological toll it must have taken on him. Just a Bad Idea, should not have come up.
And moving on to his parents isn’t much better. Shahrukh says his father was a freedom fighter, and Dave helpfully clarifies that this was against the British and India was a colony until 1947 (that was the moment that really confirmed for me that the imagined audience for this special is non-Indians). And then Shahrukh tries to joke around about his father being a failure because he was honest. He gets some good jokes in, but again it isn’t something you can really explain easily in just a few minutes. His father was an honest lawyer, but he worked at other things besides the law, and he had powerful friends and refused to use those connections, and (most importantly) he was cut off from literally every other relative by Partition. But all of that is too dark and strange and confusing for this conversation, so they leave it at “honest lawyer thus failure”.
Maybe because of that flopping around, Dave leads Shahrukh to tell the darkest saddest story of his mother’s death, and Shahrukh shies away and tells something else. Dave gets right there, says something about prayer and his mother, he expects Shahrukh to tell the “I believed if I did the Namaz enough times in the parking lot of the hospital, she would live. And inside, she was dying but the nurses didn’t want to disturb me at my prayers so I missed her death, and came inside to learns he was gone” story. That’s a real killer heartbreaker of a tale, the only humor there is of the smiling through tears variety. And Shahrukh completely ignores the lead in, to the point that I wonder what a new audience thought was happening with Dave talking about prayer and then his response. Instead, Shahrukh talks about how he tried to convince his mother to live by telling her that he would be a terrible son, she couldn’t go away yet, he still needed her. He tells it funny, all the things he threatened, making fun of his youthful idea of his mother reaching Nirvana and then sighing and turning back because her boy was being bad. But there is one line here that jumped out at me (NEW CONTENT!!!), “Death is extremely beautiful and alluring”. Good lord Shahrukh! TAKE THE ANTIDEPRESSANTS!!!!
Anyway, that story about his mother leads to Dave asking generally about learning from women, Shahrukh ducks it and makes a joke about his dimples which gets cheers from the audience, and instead moves on to talking about his childhood when his dimples got him a lot of female attention. It’s a weird cut, I assume they just kept it because they wanted the audience cheering on even a mention of dimples. Again, the narrative of “Shahrukh is a big beloved star”.
Anyway, “c-gang” stories! Shahrukh tells it as a sweet young stupid innocent thing, how they dressed the same, and had laminated membership badges. They wanted to be like John Travolta in Grease. All true, I am sure, but you could also talk about running free on the streets of Delhi, and getting into actual fights. Not to mention that “c-gang” may have been because they were in group “c” in school, but it was also because of the actual gangsters of “D-Company” that must have been making the news around then. But that’s dark and real, avoid it, talk about laminated badges.
Dave moves from the innocent c-gang story to saying “tell me about a girl” and leading Shahrukh to the “tracking Gauri down on the beaches of Bombay” story. He has been telling this story, and I have been reading/watching variations of it, for 25 years. There is nothing possibly new here. The only thing I find interesting is what is cut. They move into it from the “c-gang” story, so you have a vision of these very naive young men. Which is true of course, but I’ve also heard this set up by discussion all the passionate fights between Gauri and Shahrukh, the differences in their families, the real legitimate reasons behind their breakup, grown up reasons. Also cut, the reason his friends were “hungry” is because Shahrukh spent all their food money on cigarettes. That’s kind of dark. And he leaves the impression that it was one day of taking a cab around to all the Bombay beaches, skips the bit where it was 4 days and they ran out of money, food, and places to stay and were sleeping on the streets. Most of all, skips the moment when he looked at the lights of Bombay and declared he would rule this city. This is not the story of Shahrukh, obsessive passionate ambitious, this is the story of Shahrukh, sweetly naive and dumb and cute.
Best cut of the episode, we go from the story to Dave looking at Gauri across the table at dinner for her to confirm that it actually happened. So much more elegant and lovely to learn about Shahrukh the father of three, the movie star, the cute boy from Delhi, the naive teenage lover, and then get the reveal that his wife and the mother of his 3 children is that teenage girl he went looking for. So much more impactful too, to have it almost as a surprise twist in the middle of things.
This whole show really handles Gauri well. It doesn’t say “this is the heart of Shahrukh’s life, this is what makes it all work”, it just shows us that. We see how he is with her, we learn about him as a person and then are able to fit in all the ways she must make it work (the childhood sweetheart who really knows him, the co-parent who supports him, the one who keeps him calm and happy in the face of fame, and so on). Other interviews have him talk about how he loves her, how she is so smart, how he respects her, blah blah blah. He never talks about Gauri in this show. We just see it and that’s enough.
When Shahrukh and Dave were in the kitchen making small talk, he wasn’t “on” and he didn’t dominate. But when he is having dinner with Gauri and Dave, he barely talks at all. Gauri will say something and he will smile and listen, like what she has to say is far more interesting and important than anything he could possibly add. The only times he leaps in are when she fumbles a little. And Dave is respectful as well. Gauri comes off lovely here, like a lovely slightly shy person. Which is how she is described by those who know her well, but is a version that doesn’t usually come across in interviews or appearances. She is under so much pressure usually, so much danger all around, that she has to pretend to feel nothing. This time, she doesn’t feel relaxed, but rather comfortable enough to show that she ISN’T relaxed. She looks like a middle-aged woman trying to talk to someone important her husband brought home but not wanting to make a mistake.
She doesn’t make a mistake, because there are a lot of things she chooses not to say instead of trying to say them clearly. For example, when talking about her parents and Shahrukh, she says that she came from a “conservative” family. She didn’t, not really. Just conservative enough not to want their teenage daughter marry (or date) a Muslim unemployed actor. But she doesn’t want to insult Shahrukh with that description, or insult India by saying that her parents were actually the norm, so she says “conservative” instead. And then immediately shifts to earnestly saying that Shahrukh charmed her parents and her mother “loves him LOVES him” now. And Shahrukh smiles at her.
The bigger more interesting exception to me is when Dave asks about sending their kids overseas and if she worries. Gauri says “no”, Shahrukh gently corrects her, and she laughs and says now he is making her worry. One tiny moment but I felt like she completely relaxed for the half-second when she and Shahrukh were making eye contact and it was just the two of them in the room and then she remembered Dave and the cameras and froze again. Anyway, it’s not that, it’s that Dave goes on to say something about how his child is 16 and he can’t imagine sending him away. No one leaps in and says “actually, we sent our kids overseas when they were 14, not just for college.” Obviously too complicated to explain, and too strange for an audience to understand why parents would make that choice, but it’s left hanging there as a moment that (for an aware audience) allows a total inaccuracy to pass by.
Back to the interview, Dave mentions that he watched the movie Fan and it was “scarily autobiographical” and how does Shahrukh handle that kind of fame. Fan (available to stream on Netflix, coincidentally, how about that!) isn’t just autobiographical, it is an acting masterpiece. But Dave doesn’t mention that and Shahrukh doesn’t bring it up. An odd decision, to talk about this amazing film only in terms of the real life connections. But then, this interview is all about “show don’t tell” and it’s hard to show that someone is a brilliant actor versus just that they are super charming.
Anyway, Shahrukh immediately spins this into a lovely version of his real life, being a young star, and “imagine a young couple in the middle of all this”. Dave asks about his wife “allowing” him this kind of fame, spending his birthday out on the streets greeting fans until 5am. And Shahrukh says she has made it seamless, never let him feel like she is sharing him. He could have talked about her own career, her own friendships, their very difficult early marriage years, but that’s too dark and real. Just a quick comment about Gauri being supportive and move on. And a little joke about AbRam waking him up and saying “peoples are waiting!”.
There is a weird comment from Dave here about Shahrukh “transcending movie star status” which Shahrukh kind of lets go. Weird because, he HASN’T transcended movie star status. He’s one of at least 8 movie stars in India who have this exact same status (Amitabh, Salman, Aamir, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Chiranjeevi, others from other industries I don’t know). It would have been a moment for Shahrukh to leap in and say “actual, this is the status movie stars have in my country, let’s talk about Amitabh for a bit who has this many people outside his house every single week not just on holidays”. And maybe Shahrukh did leap in during the real interview, but the edit released chose to let that go and pretend Shahrukh is the only one.
Back to dinner with Gauri and Shahrukh, Dave asks Gauri how she feels about it and she says “They love him” so she doesn’t mind. So long as she doesn’t have to go out there. Again, this is a Gauri we don’t usually get to see, the one who just loves her husband and loves that other people love him. And then Shahrukh gives his “employee of SRK” theory about it, how he doesn’t like doing it, but for the sake of Shahrukh Khan the Movie Star, he has to. I still don’t fully buy this theory, by the way. I think Shahrukh Khan the Man and Shahrukh Khan the Movie Star aren’t as tidily separated as all that, I think the merge in those moments when he goes out to greet the crowds and both of them are enjoying feeling the love. But, it’s a nice theory and it sounds smart when he says it. And helps us like this sweet simple man who is puzzled by his own fame.
Back to the interview, Dave says that in every movie he has watched, it seems like someone is wet. Funny question, and smart question. He, or someone on his team, actually did watch those movies. And then, very important, we get a clip from DDLJ!!!!!!! It’s mentioned a few more times, plus clips, and I really really REALLY hope this is part of Netflix moving to buy up the YRF catelogue. Why would they promote a movie that isn’t on their service? I just don’t believe they are that altruistic.
Anyway, Shahrukh’s answer is a joke, to say that Indians just like to keep bathing all the time, and in fact he wishes a shower followed him everywhere, and he does a funny little gesture like he is soaping himself up. Cute answer, respectful to Indian culture (bathing is a good thing) and, most importantly, checks off the “Shahrukh gives a vision of himself naked at least once in every interview” box.
The wet answer moves on to a tiny bit of Indian film history. Not a lot, just a taste to tell people “this is a different industry with different rules”. Shahrukh mentions that Indian film began in the 1930s, there were a lot of rules and regulations back then, and uses the usual example of flowers kissing. He manages to be both completely inaccurate and, in a larger sense, accurate. Inaccurate because Indian film began in 1913, kissing was very present onscreen through the 1930s, and the rules and regulations came in during WWII as part of the British wartime crack down. But accurate because, yes, the Indian film industry really grew into something in the 1930s, yes shortly after there were rules and regulations, and yes flowers kissing is a nice example of how that censorship worked. He isn’t trying to compare Indian film history with western film history, and he isn’t making fun of it, that’s the important part. He is giving people a sense that it is different but worthy.
Dave then brings up DDLJ, again, describes it as a “rom-com” and that it has been playing for 20 years. Shahrukh does not say “24 years” as I would have because I am petty, but just let’s it go. Shahrukh says they were very young, didn’t know what they were making, mentions Adi and Kajol (who gets cheers). It’s a nice little easy intro fact “he made a little rom-com that turned into a surprise hit, that is why he is a star”. Goes along with the whole idea of him being an average talentless man who just got lucky.
Dave asks if there is anything he won’t do for a movie, Shahrukh gives his standard answer of not riding a horse (dropping the kissing part of the answer, since it’s no longer true). Dave actually contradicts him, mentions Asoka (I would have gone to Baazigar, but that’s just me). And Shahrukh tells a cute story about being afraid to ride the horse, carrying his sword, the stunt guy hitting the horse to start him off and Shahrukh not knowing how to stop him. He does voices, he implies his wig and sword with a hand gesture, it’s a very story kind of story, you know? Makes you like Shahrukh, but also helps you visualize the whole scene, the way movies are made. Oh and by the way, Asoka also just happens to be streaming on Netflix! What a coinky-dink!
And then, NEW CONTENT!!!! Dave asks if there are western stars who influenced him, and Shahrukh says yes, Michael J. Fox “the way he used space”. Isn’t that a fascinating answer? Specific in a way that says Shahrukh actually studied his work and understood what he was doing. Sad that he doesn’t go on to say “and that is why one of the first films I produced was a remake of a Michael J. Fox movie (Yes Boss and For Love or Money)”, but I can fill that in. He also mentions Peter Sellers, which is also interesting because his performance in Duplicate is definitely Sellers-esque. More generally, those two choices are so random that they tell me both that they are honest, and that Shahrukh has a depth and breadth of knowledge of actors that is quite impressive. You wouldn’t run across both Michael J. Fox and Peter Sellers unless you were really studying performances.
And right after this serious answer, there is another silly one. Dave suggests there are people who want to be Shahrukh, to surpass him. And instead of giving his patented cocky “no one can be me” kind of response, he backs off. Says that he just wants people to be happy and like him. Fine Shahrukh, we will pretend that is true.
And then more NEW CONTENT. Well, newish, because of the spin on it. Dave brings up the Maya Memsaab controversy. It’s an old controversy, and a kind of silly one, so if you need to tell a story to acknowledge Shahrukh’s media presence, it is a good one. And Shahrukh tells the story in a slightly new way, treating it as a funny foolish thing he did in his youth that he wouldn’t care about as much now. Even though, listening to the details of what he describes, I still hear it the same way I always have. This is an angry scary dangerous man who will pull out the knives if you cross him, or his family. No matter all the smiling and dimples in public.
One nice thing is that Dave sets up what Cineblitz actually said and says that it was insulting. As Dave describes it (which matches what I have always heard), the gossip printed was that the director had orders Shahrukh and his wife (the star) to have sex together in order to get comfortable before their sex scene in the movie. Which is just rude and bad and terrible to say about everyone all around, and Dave establishes that as the base line before moving in to Shahrukh’s reaction. What neither Dave nor Shahrukh brings up is that Shahrukh was married at the time, just married, and this story hurt not just him and the director and the actress, but his very insecure and lonely new wife. But that would be too dark for the light touch they want.
And then Shahrukh tells his version, about going to the offices and yelling at them, and then being arrested the next day on set, but foolishly not realizing what was happening until he was at the station (thinking the police just wanted to talk to him). And using his one phone call to call the writer of the story and threaten him some more. Finally being released and going to the writer’s house, charming his way passed the police stationed outside, and lighting a cigarette outside the writer’s window so he could see him and know he could get to him. Shahrukh tells the whole story with a tone of “foolish youth, thinking I was tough”. Even laughingly refers back to his laminated membership cards in the “C-gang”. But the thing is, this is a tough story. I’m not quite sure what the purpose was in telling it.
If I were an outsider, just getting to know Shahrukh, I think I might hear this story and hear a clever charming self-aware man who is way tougher and stronger than he wants to let on. Was that the purpose? Was it a story to make him look tough by making him call himself weak? Or was it a story to acknowledge his controversies and teach people to laugh at them and see him as harmless? It’s confusing, I’ll be interested to hear how other folks react to this section.
Dave asks if he would react the same way, and Shahrukh says no, he has been on medication the past 5 years. Dave asks if he is joking, Shahrukh says yes, Dave says seriously that he (Dave) really is on medication. Weird WEIRD exchange. I hope Shahrukh really is on medication (“death is beautiful and alluring” and all that), and I could believe it’s been 5 years. We all saw him publicly spin out around then (in fact, just here Shahrukh himself mentions the Wankhede Stadium fight), and he does seem so calm now. But he says it is a joke. Although Dave’s response says “don’t joke, it’s okay”. Anyway, I will hope that it is the truth.
Back to India for Dave to meet Cricket players and play Cricket. Fine, we get to see nice Indian people being nice and friendly and helpful, more sense of it as a place that is a real place with real people and not just a fantasy in movies. But also not much to talk about.
And we return for the one political moment of the show. By the way, I just updated the DCIB House Style guide to cover the “No Politics” rule in the comments. So I want NO discussion of the political side of this question and response. But YES discussion of the stardom and audience reaction side of it. Okay, I know that is hard and weird, this is just heads up that if you make a comment, I may reply to it saying “ease away from this topic” as needed. We all agree with each other here in regards to politics, no need to convince each other, and I don’t want to bring the blackness of the world into the happy space of the blog (“death is beautiful and alluring”-no one should feel that because of what they read here!).
Dave asks what Shahrukh thinks of the American president, and gives him the chance to duck the question if he wishes. This is Shahrukh’s response as I wrote it down:
All of us look up to America as the place to be. Now we are like..okay with you. Maybe you deserve it
What he is getting at is that America has been The Best, the global superpower, forever and ever. Maybe it is time we were cut down to size.
That’s a fine answer, but both the answer and the question are aimed at the American/Western audience, not India. Dave DOES NOT ask him about Indian politics at all. Which is weird, when you think about it. Why not ask him about the country he is from instead of the country where he is? I mean, if Will Smith is in India, do people ask him, “what do you think of our politicians”? Asking the question, and having a good answer to it, tells me 3 things about this interview: 1. It is aimed at the Western audience who cares about American politics and not Indian; 2. Shahrukh is intelligent enough and Dave and his fans expect him to be intelligent enough to speak on matters outside of what you would expect to be his knowledge base; 3. Shahrukh responds, but responds as an Indian, positioning himself as a member of the global community but one with a particular perspective.
It also confirms a 4th thing. One of the reasons I don’t want politics on this blog is that I know we all agree with each other. Being an English speaking/reading Indian film fan, especially one with a bias towards Shahrukh, means you are intelligent, caring, generous, empathetic, and all those other good things that also lead you to look at the world in a particular way. Shahrukh can say that, can be insulting towards the current American president, because there is a basic confidence that the people who are watching a Netflix special on an Indian movie star will feel the same way. It’s a self-selecting audience.
Oh, and then Dave and Shahrukh move on to the stupid portion of the answer. From America, they deal with India. And Dave says “it has the largest young population in the world” and Shahrukh says “yes, 65% under 35 and the largest English speaking population”. And I roll my eyes so hard they almost fall out of my head. Forgive me, it’s 5am and I’m on no sleep, but YOU IDIOTS! I hate that statistic! It is meaningless if you think about it for ONE SECOND. What you are saying is, “the average life span in India is 36”. If I walked into a family house and was told “one person is 50, three people are 25, and 10 people are under 10”, I would say “what is wrong in this house, why is everyone dying?” How is it an advantage to have many young people who will die before they become old people? At least the “English speaking” part Shahrukh thought about for a second and pointed out that speaking English doesn’t necessarily mean anything, it’s just important on the global market. Because, yeah. Being a country of people who speak English isn’t an innately great thing. Unlike being a country where no one lives past 35, which is an innately terrible thing.
Anyway, all of that was aimed at the non-Indian audience too. I don’t expect Shahrukh (or other folks forced into the role of representing India) to badmouth their country, I just want them to stop using the “under 35” statistic because the dumbness grates on me. Go back to “we have such an ancient culture” instead. Or “we invented non-violence”. Still not quite true, but at least not as obviously not true. But fine, Shahrukh gently insulted America and then he and Dave worked together to gently promote India. Followed by Dave very carefully guiding the conversation towards a big question that Westerners would have about Shahrukh as a movie star. We think of India as so poor and struggling (which of course it is, did you know only 35% of the population is over 35?), so how can we accept a very wealthy and powerful movie star from that country? As Dave puts it, “what do you do to help your country?”
Blah blah blah, Shahrukh gives the same answer he always does, women brought him up, his mother, his sister, his wife, his daughter, and of course his co-stars, so he wants to do something for them, Meer Foundation, acid attack victims. He’s polished it slightly since Davos, he both emphasizes more that lots of people are already doing this work and he just wants to support them, and that they are moving towards changing laws and not just helping women who were already attacked. But essentially it is the same answer as he has been giving for over a year.
And there is the same gaping emptiness in the middle that I continue to find fascinating, and admirable. The Meer Foundation doesn’t just help acid attack victims, it helps children with cancer. But Shahrukh isn’t going to sell out sick kids to promote himself, so he never EVER talks about them. Not to mention that you hardly need to convince the world childhood cancer is bad and we should do something about it, unlike talking about acid attacks which has a real purpose to it. Shahrukh also never, EVER, talks about his “personal” non-Meer foundation charity. Everything from hospital wings to random paying for surgeries of those who ask for it. Okay, obvious logical fallacy there, how do I know about it if he never talks about it? Well, a couple of charitable awards (from before the Meer Foundation was founded), and things mentioned in passing in other interviews about the daily charities. But so far as the official discussion of “Shahrukh Giving Back” is concerned, it is only acid attack survivors, and it is only through his foundation.
And now, the wrap up! First something fun, Dave mentions a story about how Shahrukh can’t dance so he taught himself to do the arms thing. And then shows DDLJ clips (seriously, Netflix has GOT to be courting YRF, otherwise this is just a big waste for them) to prove he can dance. Shahrukh laughs and recites an early bad review that said he couldn’t do anything (NEW CONTENT) and then jokes about how he memorized that so Dave could use it for an introduction. It’s such a witty thing, both that he learned the review, and that he set it up as a joke about needing an introduction on a show called “needs no introduction”. Maybe the funniest little set-up and joke of the whole show, right at the end. Anyway, Dave pushes the dancing, Shahrukh agrees, but no music playing. Dave does a little shuffle step, Shahrukh says “This isn’t Chicago” which is another one of those “so sharp you’ll cut yourself” moments. Because that kind of step is exactly the Fosse faux-tap that was used in Chicago, Shahrukh knows dance and knows showbiz. And then he tops it by doing a little hip thrust move and teasing Dave to do it too. Edgy, funny, tricky. It was the end, he was getting punchy, and he let himself be smart. Too much effort to keep playing the dumb innocent by now.
And then we go back to Gauri one last time. A conscious choice, to bring her back and make sure she remains the central important person in understanding Shahrukh. And here’s a funny nice thing, she contradicts a story Shahrukh has been telling in interviews for years. He talks about how Gauri makes fun of his acting, doesn’t like it, plays the henpecked humble husband. But here, Dave asks Gauri if she watches his movies and she softly says “I watch every one. I love watching his films.” Shahrukh points out that she doesn’t always say they are good, and she agrees with that. But while the Gauri Shahrukh sells in public is the tough woman who holds him to a higher standard (and maybe that is how he sees her in his own mind), the woman we see here just loves her husband and loves everything he does because he is the one doing it.
At the end of the episode, Dave is a little in love too. I was showing a co-worker some SRK songs yesterday and she asked me what I would do if I met him. And I told her I would completely fall apart, it would be too powerful. And then I told her that I know I would do that, because even professional interviewers always do that. And I promised that in this interview I was watching tonight, there will be a moment when you realize the interviewer is a little in love with Shahrukh because that’s what he does to people. And it’s true. The show ends with Dave saying that of all the people he has interviewed, who have taught him things and made him like them and learn about them, Shahrukh “would be at the top of that list.”
dontcallitbollywood 
Thank you for writing this extensive review and adding some of your own thoughts to it. I absolutely loved it. I know you might edit out or delete my comment on this but I will mention it anyway because I don’t see it that way: The way he describes death is indeed quite profound. I have the same fate as he does with his parents and I actually believe it is a life affirming notion to reimagine death as something wonderful instead of seeing it as something scary that we need to run away from at all times. I have studied Philosophy at Uni, so at a certain point in time, I would have reacted in a similar way, seeing what he said as something that is seemingly life negating and dark and gloomy. Due to my own traumatic losses, I have felt forced to open up and invite thought that wasn’t just logic / ratio based, that wasn’t inherently and solely based on the western school of thought. I have read and watched tones of ideas from the East, and when SRK made those comments, I felt reminded by what I had recently learned about Eastern philosophy and spirituality.m and thus didn’t take his comments to be dark. This is just an observation, not intended to be controversial or life negating.
I noticed some of the newish spins on some of the things he said as well. I did not know about the c gang. I have to find articles that talk about it.
The other thing I found super interesting—like you—was the depiction of Gauri. I must say that this was perhaps the most important thing I will be taking away from this interview session. It definitely made me appreciate her a lot.
Naive and Humble… See, I believe him when he says that he doesn’t feel he is very good or doesn’t think highly of himself. I also believe when he says he is the best and nobody can ever reach his level. Both are true. He’s a walking contradiction and the dichotomy he feels makes sense to me and rings very authentic and relatable to many. How many of us secretly think we are categorically smarter than the person we currently converse with? And in the same vein we will question our intelligence over and over and realize we may not be as smart as we think we are. He is showing normal behavior, it’s what we do. And given that he is more extreme, more obsessive, and clearly a lot smarter than the average person, he’ll exaggerate the cockiness / arrogance and humbleness alike. He is all that; an actor who has insane range and versatility and he has a genius level brain which can be deadly if he wanted to. I think, by and large, he is doing a decent job at coming off as somewhat relatable and normal. He isn’t normal, not by any meaning of the word. But he tries to appear that way, sometimes.
I sincerely enjoyed it a lot. I didn’t quite know what to expect as I had not seen a Letterman show before this and I am pleasantly surprised. It was great and I have watched it twice now and will watch it a third time later today.
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Your comment is lovely, of course I’m not going to edit it! To clarify, I just don’t want a lot of “the world is going to hell in a handbasket we should all give up hope” talk. Which is where political/current affairs stuff tends to go. But your discussion of philosophy and coming to an awareness of deeper meaning of life and death is not that at all, if anything it gives me hope, that there is a way to look at death as beautiful rather than tragic. Although I also still feel that using the word “alluring” in particular to describe death is a bit of a red flag from a general mental health warning signs first aid kind of way.
The c gang and his childhood isn’t one of the more common topics, but I know it was covered in Anupama’s book and some of her interviews, and I am sure in other places. I am very tempted to just buy the Anupama book and my book for you because they are like magic keys that will unlock so much you want to know!
I am so glad you also found yourself appreciating Gauri more! That was new to me, and it wasn’t exactly new content, there was no new story told or anything like that, it was just a new feel of her and of them together. I forgot their anniversary is also today, which makes the whole thing feel a bit like a lovely anniversary gift to them both.
I love your discussion of the two sides of Shahrukh, the humility and the pride, I think you describe it better than I did. What I have seen in other interviews is that he shows both, his first answer will be humble and then later he will own his own talent and success. In this one, either they cut that second version or he just chose not to say it. Your conclusion “He isn’t normal, not by any meaning of the word. But he tries to appear that way, sometimes.” That to me sums up not just this interview, but the struggle he has in all his interviews. To hide his intelligence above all, but also his power, his personal tragedies, all of it, to convince us that he is “just like us” when he really isn’t.
I haven’t watched Letterman since he had a talk show and I was a little bitty girl watching it with my Dad. But one thing that started coming back to me from then is that he would introduce a question by saying something like “during the break you were talking about ____ say more about that” or “before the show, you mentioned to me ____, tell the audience about it”. That felt the same as the way he lead Shahrukh to anecdotes here. A general philosophy of an interview that it is planned and and worked out together in advance between the interviewer and the interviewee, a collaberation instead of a competition.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 7:34 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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btw, I tweeted this article. I hope many get read it!
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Thank you!
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:55 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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sartrekid, I had the same thoughts abouth the way to see death (you’ll read in my comment) and what you write about the opposing traits/statements one can experience with ShahRukh, is exactly what I think, too (I initially wanted to give my first book about him the title “The Harmonie of opposites”, but did choose another one.)
Btw, he alluded to his acting twice in a ‘humble’ way…I think, it really depends on the where and with whom and which occasion how he talks about his acting. He surely prefers that others tell him what a good actor he is (best by giving examples why they think it).
I don’t know how much a Letterman interview is “prepared” with the interviewee…mostly Letterma seemed genuinely suprised and laughing (not only smiling).
I think the main time he got to know (and to like ShahRukh even more) was when being in India…there he got ShahRukh more as an Indian man and what it means to be an Indian megastar.
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Hang on, are you saying you have written a book about him?!
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I went to Mumbai with the idea of a very specific book about him in mind. What I lived there (and also before) made me write a book indeed, still with the focus on ShahRukh, but not only: about what I experienced there during 10 weeks, about Mumbai, Mannat and ShahRukh and his fans. Currently I’m writing the second which has equally the focus on ShahRukh but not only on him (although not on his fans anymore).
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Wow, that’s fantastic. So, another book to add to my wishlist!
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Thank you for comments from both of you. Much food for thought here. I enjoyed it but at the same time found it frustrating. Too much letterman wandering around Mumbai and some of the stories seemed to meander off into nowhere and were too long.
I wish Letterman hadn’t asked him about Trump. They obviously knew that he prefers to steer away from political statement and by answering this question he merely alienates either pro- or anti supporters. What does it matter what his opinion is, may as well ask who he supports in baseball. Why does it matter?
I felt the dinner with Gauri was lovely, truly felt like an intimate space. And I appreciated letterman calling him cute. A sweet moment.
It’s hard in such interviews – what’s real, what’s just a performance, what’s heartfelt, what’s the true ShahRukh. He is so many things. I hope a new audience sees this and gets it, feels some of the charm and depth we fans do, and which letterman obviously did too.
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On the flip side, Shahrukh chose to answer and to okay the edit that included his answer. He didn’t have to, this wasn’t live and it wasn’t a “gotcha” question, Dave gave him the option of gracefully declining. To me it felt like (as a said) an effort to position himself in a new way with the Western audience, someone who is aware of their world. I still don’t like it personally, because I was watching for fun escapism and SRK charm, but I can see a logic behind it even if I don’t like it.
With the meandering stories, do you think if there had been no edits it would have felt less meandering? Maybe the full version meandered and then landed somewhere that made sense but just giving part of it made it seem less logical?
So far me, plus two of you, picking out the Gauri dinner as something special! I feel validated 🙂
There is a discussion on some other interview post where I tried to describe how stars do the same thing Regular Humans do, you can’t possibly present the same face to everyone all the time, everyone has a series of masks they were. And this interview was definitely the mask of “Shahrukh the average person”. Which is a true face, just as all his other faces are true. But it’s not his full person.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I found it courageous to take the challenge (Trump question)…and in a rather sophisticated way he said less about trump but about what could result from the Trump experience…an Indian President (would say as much as an Afro-American President)…an immense progress to another thinking. And he did not spare the potential his own country could contribute to another approach to humanity and politics.
About the masks: he had make-up in the interview…at home he hadn’t, I think…at least his age was visible and he seemed okay with that.
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I personally think that SRK was implying that Nikki Haley could be the first Indian-American US president (the line about 5-6 years), which makes sense since I would bet a lot of money that his politics are pretty conservative (as were most people’s in that studio audience). I’d like to think that Kamala Harris could be the first Indian-American US president of course! I think it’s also hard to look at this question without acknowledging the problematic Modi presidency and how Trump and Modi get a long just great.
Anyway, not to get too political. I also thought the question was completely unnecessary.
Overall opinion of the interview was “meh.” Nothing that interesting was said and SRK is a pro at deflecting questions and using his humor to patronize his interviewer and audiences. I still thought he was adorable (don’t get me wrong), but I found his interview with the AIB guys to be much more revealing and fun to watch.
Credit to Letterman for making the effort and doing the research, but I think the show actually needed to introduce the career and myth of SRK better than it did. I actually think they needed one of those montages with the voice over to explain his stardom a bit more.
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(I won’t edit the comment, but for future reference this kind of specific political discussion is what I want to keep away from my blog, and I’d appreciate it if no one responds to it)
Interesting idea with the montage! What about maybe mixing in some interviews from regular people talking about what he means to them? I can understand the idea that the show wanted to focus on Shahrukh’s stardom from Shahrukh’s side of things, the hordes outside his house. But I think maybe what they were missing was the reason Shahrukh feels such a pull towards his fans, the reality of what they feel and expect from him and what he knows they expect from him. We heard that he goes out and spends hours meeting each of them. but we the audience never got a chance to meet them and see them as more than this crazed mob, to understand the reality of that connection which Shahrukh feels but can’t articulate. Perhaps a montage that included clips from his films with a brief voice over explaining his career in general terms, how many years, how many films, how much money, that he has his own studio now, owns a Cricket team, and so on. Mixed in with 5 second clips of statements from regular people about what he means to them. Heck, they could have asked the studio audience that came all that way instead of just showing them cheering!
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I also enjoyed it immensely! One thing I hadn’t known is that his parents sent him to live with his grandmother for a few years. This sounds like the same story of the central trauma of Alia’s character in Dear Zindagi. It made me wonder if he had a hand in the script there and if so was this event traumatic for him? It does explain why, on top of the early death of his parents, he has so many abandonment issues and is so possessive.
I agree that the dinner scene showed us a very different Shah Rukh. It gave us a look at the man behind the mask.
I had the sense that he was nervous while waiting in the wings and during the interview. You could see that the love from the audience was helping to bolster his confidence. Underneath the charm, you could sense his insecurities. This is something you don’t see in his interviews with Indian media where he knows what works.
It was an excellent interview!
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The grandparent thing I remember coming up the most when promoting Chennai Express, his credentials as a southerner. Otherwise he doesn’t talk about it that much, which makes me think maybe it was kind of traumatic? At least enough that he doesn’t tell that many funny stories about it.
I was so glad it was a loving audience! It made me feel better watching it too, bolstered my confidence in myself as a Shahrukh fan. Here is proof of his power, I don’t have to try to prove it myself.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:32 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I was surprised he said that it was not a normal thing because it definitely is, especially in that time period. My dad was also sent to live with his grandmother when he was very young and he still resents it even as a 60 year old man. On one hand, it’s true that there is enough love in Indian families that the extended family will take care of you when need be. I have heard stories of people growing up even with their aunts and uncles. Everyone pitches in if something is preventing the parents from doing it themselves. In my dad’s case, it was poverty and a very big family (including his father’s sisters still living in the same house). His mother felt he was being neglected and felt it would be better for him to be with his grandma who would take better care of him. It does leave it’s own trauma as my dad is as possessive as SRK and will not let me out of his sight. I had to call him every night even while in living in a dorm at college while none of my American friends had parents like that.
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It happened in various ways within my family as well during times of economic distress. It’s a hurtful thing for the kids, but it happens. And I can also understand the instinct on the part of the parents to protect them from how bad things are, to phrase it as “we thought you would have fun with Grandma and Grandpa” instead of “we literally could not put food on the table and weren’t sure we ever would”.
I do wonder if Shahrukh simply does not know. It’s the kind of conversation you can only have honestly with your parents when you are both adults, and he never had the luxury of honest conversations with his parents as an adult. He may still simply have a child’s confused concept of what happened and why.
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He has said in another interview that his first memory was from when he was 6 years old and he would sit on the wall of the house and say to girls walking past hey sweetheart and blow kisses at them. Perhaps he hasn’t talked about time before that because he genuinely doesn’t remember.
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Watching Dear Zindagi, I thought the same as you, docanitageorge. I really wondered how much it was inspired through input from him/his life or if it may be a traumatic incidence that may be rather frequently in India (for it is a fact that small kids, even babies are sold, given away or simply left in the field after birth- to die or get cared for by strangers).
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No, no, no! I will buy your book and that other one you mentioned. I have them on my list to gift to myself for Christmas! And I am super excited to get it, especially yours since I have a connection to you through this place.
True, the words he chose do give an almost longing kind of notion, as if it were a desirable thing to look forward to. You did allude to it in your article in that he is a chain smoker, doesn’t really sleep, doesn’t really eat, so he isn’t exactly taking the steps that we have come to deem helpful toward increasing one’s own lifespan… At the same time he wants to be there for his children forever… Yeah, sigh. =\
He certainly never struck me as a particularly happy or content person, so given his past traumatas and his general disposition, it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if he were to reveal that he’s trying out things, but I am not sure if he really was joking or not with the medication. If it was a joke, it certainly was quite a morbid one.
I liked how Letterman conducted the interview. What you described about his method reminded me of what it’s like to have a one on one with a psychiatrist. He felt like that to me, more so than a conversation between two people (for the most part). And I think it as a good choice to do it that way if the main intent was to introduce him to this part of the world.
Another thing I found highly interesting is that Maya Memsaab reference which only now made sense to me because you wrote the title. While watching the interview, I was trying to think what movie they were talking about and couldn’t figure it out. And I have seen Maya Memsaab. I had always wondered why on earth he did that scene. I mean, I do get that this film is artistically more ambitious and has some interesting abstract themes going, but I still thought that was a risky move by SRK and his co-star to go this far. And I wondered if it was brave or stupid, or both. Not because it’s not okay but more that I would have feared possible backlash or some kind of acceptance issue that may have impacted my career in a negative way. I am glad it has not harmed his career in the long run though.
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Shahrukh’s attitude towards life and health and all of that feels so strange, and yet familiar. That pull of “I want to be for my kids” conflicting with “I am afraid I will go away and I need to do as much as I can in the short time that I have”.
Yeah, Maya Memsaab! It was risky, but then back then I don’t think Shahrukh was thinking about long term stardom. Or he was, but at the same time wasn’t, that familiar “two people in one person” pull. Ketan Mehta who directed is an interesting director who had made strange interesting films that Shahrukh would have known about. I think he took the role as an actor, a chance to do an interesting part with a challenging director. Kind of shouted down the “star” side of him in favor of the “actor”. And then it turned into a whole thing. Come to think of it, it’s the same problem he just ran into with JHMS, An amazing role as an actor, probably not the smartest choice for the star.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:44 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Yeah, I do perceive him as being quite self destructive. And it’s not just his smoking and lack of sleep / food but also the fact that he does some those risky stunts, not to mention the number of broken bones he’s collected as a result. Not even Jackie Chan has such a long list of injuries and I consider him a great stunt man first and an actor second.
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And all of that feels familiar to me. Survivor guilt, sense that it would be wrong to try to extend his life past that of his fathers, and just general feeling that death is always present and it is exciting to tread close to it.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 9:23 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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During Dilwale promotions, he said something that shocked me. He ended up mentioning off the cuff that when he did stage plays in Delhi, he used to kiss in them. He had also played a gay man and mentioned how progressive theater culture was. So I think Maya Memsaab probably just wasn’t a big deal to him. I think he didn’t realize until he did it what a blunder it was and that the rules were different as a movie actor in Mumbai. That’s when he moved more into the more conservative direction and as the public mindset is expanding again, you can see that what he’s willing to do as an actor is expanding again.
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That makes sense to me.
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Thanks for the fast write up! I have only been able to watch the first 20 mins or so. Argh. Will have to wait for the rest until tonight. Just a quick comment to say that the woman in the kitchen while they are cooking, and generally in the background, is Pooja Dadlani. And that I think Shah Rukh and Abraham are eating mini-pizzas, which I find so cute!
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AbRam is so cute! In this whole thing, SO CUTE! And also not super embarrassing. I can’t imagine even at age 14 that he would be humiliated to have this out in the world.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:44 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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“Peoples are waiting “ Aaawwwwww. 🙂
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Yes and he wasn’t shy to aks his father (with the camera rolling) for a funny nose on the pizza. When seeing the respective trailer, I said to myself “but he will also make a nose with the ketchup, won’t he?”
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What an absolut joy to read your long comment to the show. It was on air here at 9am and we may have watched it about at the same time.
I agree with most of what you wrote…and I VEHEMENTLY hope that we get more input about what was cut from those who were present.(here or through twitter).
I always admire when ShahRukh – in an ovbiously kept-lightly interview – tells very important things (about his thinking) in just a line that is uttered seemingly alongside or as an afterthought. And I’m sure he did serious talk with Dave without people around (oh, boy, he LOVES talking, sharing his thoughts, knowledge and observations)…during the interview, he resembled indeed to what he called himself…a jester…saying in between some uncomfortable thruths.
It’s interesting for me that you tie what ShahRukh says about death to a (most probably inherited depression). I don’t do it, I just think, he figures what death can be aside from taking away bekoved people. In addition, he gives another positive approach to death (which he may have developped suite to his father’s (extremely traumatic) dying (I know the effects of oral cancer)…and a three month long dying would at least mean a month long agony when you don’t have the means for the needed therapy.
Contrary to you, I was grateful to Dave that he brought up the 5 years in Bangalore…I had longed for to ask it to him but circumstances were not favourable to ask such a question out of context. And I’m happy that ShahRukh said what he said. I had always imagined that (even considering that he had lovable grandparents and aunts) he would NOT understand as a small kid, why his parents took his sister with them and let him behind. The fact that they went to fetch him only when it was about time to get him into school, will not have added to the feeling that he was wanted enough to live (even in poverty – just like other children) with his parents.
The interview also confirmed to me once again that ShahRukh has a well-marked survival instinct (I think he had to with the kind of stress he had to get into this world alive)….and I simply love that he still leaves doubts in the truth of his answers (I deliberately write “truth” not ‘honesty’) and admits to cheating. So, taking medicaments is of no one’s concern (if yes or no) except of his’ and of those’s who have to deal with it.
The flack, Suhana may get after this interview would be the same she got after the Vogue shooting and still gets when there a photos of here in the Net. It’s a good moral preparation to what she may have to face when she wants to work in Indian movies…one doesn’t learn to deal with negativity overnight…and as ShahRukh rightly states: an artist generally (at least he himself) is insecure inside. That often is a source of great creativity and artistic skills.
I first was a bit taken aback when he said that Aeyan isn’t a good actor but then I just took the line at face value: he is too straight forward, not willing to play games…that’s why there are so many photos of him where he doesn’t smile (although he smiles and even laughs whole-heartedly in candid photos).
The interaction – in words and glances – in Mannat was fabulous! (the woman helping in the kitchen is Pooja, his personal assistant (and almost part of the family).
I’ll stop here…for another watch 🙂
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Ouff, during my writing up (I’m a slow writer!), so many comments came up. I will read them first!
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After Sartrekid’s comment, I was thinking about that way of looking at death (isn’t this amazing that “just a movie star” can give an interview that makes us all think about the nature of death?). I would think of death as a release, as a blessing, as peace, especially in a situation like oral cancer. But “alluring” is not a word I would use and made me want to ask him a follow up question.
I am so curious about those 5 years as well. I can imagine many good reasons for it, but none of them pleasant. Ranging from poverty so extreme they could not care for an infant, to family issues between his parents and grandparents, to medical issues that made it not feasible, to all kinds of things. And at this point, I also wonder if Shahrukh himself does not and will not ever fully know why it happened. His parents died when he was so young, perhaps he never felt fully comfortable asking them and they never felt fully comfortable sharing their adult worries with him?
I had the same reaction to the Aryan statement. Surprising thing for a father to say about his son, but also very obvious to anyone who watches Aryan. And of course, Aryan made the decision himself years and years ago, it would be like if my father said “I don’t think she would be a good doctor”. What do I care, I don’t want to be a doctor!
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 8:45 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I couldn’t resist and ended up seeing it for breakfast. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. For a longtime fan, this interview was strangely toothless and whitewashed which makes sense if you’re introducing him to a new audience but were they really? Netflix has not promoted this interview at all – only Netflix India has. It is not listed with the rest of the episodes. It has its own special page and I could not even find it without searching for SRK’s name. So what was the intent? It seemed more like they were trying to grab SRK’s audience and bring them over to Netflix rather than doing anything for him particularly.
It feels like SRK is actively in the process of defanging himself if that makes sense. I felt the same when he made that Zero video for being in the industry for 26 years. It’s like he wants to audience to now see him as this dumb dopey guy who got lucky – he’s not talented but he’s loving and cute. He only became an actor because he couldn’t be anything else and there were a lot of girls there. He’s not an angry, powerful man who will make you pay for crossing him – he’s just an idiot who threw a tantrum when a bad story was written about him and ended up having to spend a day in jail for it and he begged to be let out. His in-laws were “conservative” because nobody dates in India but now they love him – Huh? No mention of his wealth and the dichotomy of him being so incredibly rich in such a poor country. There is always a difference between a movie star and an average person but it India, that difference is so huge and stark that its unmatchable anywhere over the globe. But no, he’s just a dopey dad who sits up all night waiting for his kids to ask for food so he can cook for them. There’s a veneer of fakeness he’s applying to everything for the last 2 years at least. There has to be some kind of overall strategy behind this – maybe he’s just trying to avoid the tall poppy syndrome. It sounds like he’s trying very hard to stop calling attention to himself.
I sensed a bit of awkwardness after Dave said he would not be able to send his kids away to boarding school. It seemed like both but especially Gauri felt uncomfortable and tried to reverse herself a bit about how easy she was about them going away. This was one situation where they couldn’t play it off like they are just dopey normal parents – no he is a movie star and their lifestyle is not like yours and they don’t feel weird about it either.
Also interesting that there were no political questions about India (my guess is that it was banned by SRK ahead of time as they negotiated this interview) and no questions about him wanting to work in Hollywood. I was thankful for both not happening. Absolutely no reference to the impact he has on women and the way they react to him – no questions about how his wife and marriage deals with those issues. Which comes back to the toothless part. They wanted him to look as harmless and nonthreatening as possible while still showing how loved he is. It’s an odd combination.
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You definitely has a point here. Did not know about the lack of promotion for other thsn Indian audience.
From your view point and considering ShahRukh’s situation in India (political side) the last years your writing makes a lot of sense.
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I just did a quick google for “Letterman”, and the only news stories I found about this show were from Indian (or Indian aware like The Economist) press sources. Which seems to support your argument. If that is the case, if it was about focusing on the Indian audience, than I agree it was oddly toothless.
But then, if it is intended to be a reintroduction, that would also make sense. He is the funny aging guy everyone loves and he doesn’t know why they love him. His wife is a sweet quiet middle-aged average woman, his kids are like any kids. Maybe that’s also why Suhana wanting to act was cut? No implication of fame for the second generation.
I’m completely fine with him doing whatever veneer he wants, especially in interviews like this one. I’m hoping he can find a way to mix that toothlessness (love this term for it!) to something like releasing his autobiography, some long form writing that is not soundbite friendly but where he can be truly intelligent.
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Then it also seems like a kind of ‘celebrating’ ShahRukh, no? (which would also been supported by the reactions in the audience during the interview and inviting Dave for Eid and publishing the show on the birthday anniversaire of his marriage…
Whatever was the reason to proceed like this (we still don’t know what was cut out), I enjoyed this special episode immensely 🙂
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I was thinking about it, and if I want to introduce friends to SRK-the-person, this is probably what I would recommend. It really is a nice general intro, kind of a 101 on who he is as of today. And very friendly and pleasant about it. If I want them to really get to know him though, I would suggest that printed Huff Post article instead.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 11:08 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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We know a few things that were cut out. They filmed with Gauri at her store and that was definitely missing. The promos also showed Dave and SRK riding motorcycles in his driveway and that did not make the actual episode either.
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Interesting they cut Gauri at her store. Nothing we saw necessarily presented her as a non-working woman (there was even a joke about how she doesn’t cook), but they also made no effort to fill in that part of her life. Perhaps they realized the dinner party scenes were so strong they should just make that the vision of Gauri we came away with?
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What would be the point of reintroducing SRK to Indians? Everyone already has strong feelings about him and Netflix only reaches the upper class. The subscription is very expensive there in comparison to competing services like Prime.
This seems more like part of SRK’s deal with Netflix. He helps them bring subscribers but they aren’t doing anything for him particularly. Currently “who is David Letterman” is trending on Google. I don’t even understand the point of making a stand-alone special and creating a new page for it. Why not add it as a bonus episode to the other seasons? That way people who’ve watched the other episodes and like this kind of format might watch this one too. Putting it on an altogether different page (with no promotion) means that only people who already know SRK and know this interview is coming will search for it and watch it. It’s almost like they’re going out of their way to keep it invisible from others.
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Maybe reintroducing him to the diaspora audience who has begun to drift away a bit? the folks who would have Netflix as a matter of course but maybe thinks of Shahrukh as some old out of date dude?
I’ll be curious to see how Netflix places the interview once it has been out for more than a day. If there are advertisements for it and stuff. I’ve certainly been getting ads, but then I already had Shahrukh content on my queue and history.
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I’ve never been to India, and I may well never have the chance to go to India. I loved the Mumbai scenes. Modern day travelogues often make India look dirty, dusty, and scary, but Dave’s little scenes managed to capture a joyful otherness that makes people like me interested in the country. And he mentioned this joy, or hopefulness as well in the interview, and it is that joy that hooked me on Hindi films. And the meeting of the man from New Jersey in the flower market perfectly illustrated that people from this country of 1.3+ billion souls now live all over the world.
It did seem to me, that the whole episode was made for Americans. It was not hard to find on Netflix. I can’t remember where I first heard about it, but I know I’ve done plenty of SRK searches on Netflix, and now they have something else to add to those searches. Speaking of Netflix, his Maya Memsaab sex scene is edited on the Netflix version (or at least it was some months ago). I had to go to YouTube to find the whole pillow biting version.
When SRK said he wasn’t on medication I thought he was lying. I don’t know why I thought that, maybe there was some twitch in his face. It is too bad mental health is so stigmatized. In all the fascinating comments the fakeness or falseness of his “regular joe” act was brought up. Dave’s questions about the fight with the reporter after the Maya Memsaab article cut through some of that fake regularness that SRK plays with in interviews. Obviously a man who will threaten a reporter on the phone WHILE IN JAIL, and then smoke a cigarette under his window that night is not a “regular joe”. I don’t know what the intended message was, but the message I got was – don’t #*!% with SRK.
Like everyone else my favorite scene was the dinner scene. I thought they did a good job of explaining why they sent their children away to boarding school. They felt their life was “too comfortable” with all the servants and movie star life in Mumbai. Despite being inviting him into his home, it was obvious that SRK never felt comfortable around Dave. The interview, and the whole interaction suffered from that. I can’t judge someone for not feeling comfortable with a stranger, but it is more fun to watch people who actually get along.
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One thing that threw me about the interaction, and maybe threw Shahrukh as well, is that there was so little given from Dave’s side. He had clearly done the research and read all that personal stuff on SRK, and then he asked all those questions, and after that he was in Shahrukh’s house and we still knew nothing about Dave. Maybe if Shahrukh had watched him on his show every night for years he would have felt like they were more on equal footing, but instead it seems like a strange power imbalance to have with a dinner guest. Someone else commented here that the interview was like a therapy session a bit, Dave working with Shahrukh to get at the truth of his story. And following that line of thinking, it would indeed be awkward to host your psychiatrist for dinner and act like things are normal. There were openings for it too, beyond their shared fame, Dave could talk about how Shahrukh handled the Maya Memsaab story versus how he handled his blackmail threats. How they were both older fathers. I’d like to hear more about all of that.
That Maya Memsaab story was an odd duck to include. There’s really no way to make it sound “normal”, at the best it is the craziest wildest thing he ever did in his distant youth. But even at that level it makes him seem like someone who was far crazier than a regular person would be at that age. If you know about him, even enough to know that this all happened when he was 28 not 18, there is no way that it would ever come across as anything close to “normal”.
I just checked and the episode doesn’t appear anywhere in my Netflix except in my “list of things to watch”. Not in the “recommended for you” or in the “trending now” or any of those places. So, not easy to find. But it’s early days yet, maybe tomorrow it will be everywhere.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 3:16 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I was searching for people’s reactions to this interview, and I didn’t find much. But I ended up watching some Westerners’ reactions to the SRK AIB Podcast interview. Which just reminded me of how much BETTER that interview was. I didn’t even understand the Hindi parts of the interview, but I didn’t want it to end. So basically youthful Indian comedians whose primary goal was to play video games with SRK trump David Letterman.
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Yeah, the AIB interview was 10 times better. Actually, there are many interviews that are better. The interview Anupama Chopra did with him while he was in Europe for JHMS was extremely good too.
The Letterman interview had too many cuts. Some of the stories felt incomplete or came out of nowhere. I also felt like SRK was clamping himself down because he didn’t want to come across as being too cocky. It felt like he was trying very hard to not make waves. He wanted to give a generic interview and he did. Not sure what the reasoning behind that was but if it was going to be watched by people who may not know him, maybe he wanted to curb his usual intensity. SRK can be a LOT and he seemed to be actively diminishing himself here to be more easily palatable.
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I mentioned above that I think Shahrukh’s best interviews are off the cuff. Which would fit the Anupama interview too, since it was a bit of an ambush. The Huff Post one I love too, that was just a random off the side interview at an awards show I think and he just started rambling and it was amazing. Versus the interviews like this one, or the hundreds of identical interviews to promote movies, where it is all more or less scripted.
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I keep thinking about the end of the show when Shahrukh suddenly (in just the last 5 minutes) started being super edgy. I think he has to work a lot hard to dumb himself down than to just be himself. He didn’t take the AIB interview seriously because it was just with some random comedians and their tiny youtube channel, so he did no prep which translates to super smart. It’s the interviews he takes seriously where he comes off dumb.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 6:56 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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SRK was definitely uncomfortable at Mannat but I don’t think it was necessarily about Dave. This was such a new thing to allow a camera crew into their private space and with his wife there too. Normally they are careful to avoid it and keep those spaces to themselves. Even when they allow journalists in, it’s always in the public areas of Mannat like his library. This felt like the inner sanctum – the kitchen, the dining room.. the places where they actually live.
SRK has mentioned before that he hates Gauri coming on set because he can’t act in front of her. She knows him too well and so everything suddenly feels really fake. Having her there, in their private home, and then also having to put on the act of being a high-wattage movie star at the same time is something he’s not used to doing. He looked awkward and introverted because that’s what he probably really is as a person when he isn’t putting on a show for everyone.
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Really interesting point! I am sure you are right.
Inner/Outer had a small section of the private parts of Mannat, but in that case it was just Shahrukh interacting with the kids (and of course the kids didn’t know what the camera meant), and there was no other person on camera they had to talk to, no on camera interaction. Gauri also never spoke, just moved in and out. In some ways that section feels more of the “real” Shahrukh than this, he is much more relaxed and so is the rest of the family. Revealing this private part of their life, and having someone actually there on camera pushing for more access and input, that seems like a larger invasion?
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There are so many programs about India – train journeys, cooking shows, faith, etc that devote a whole series to the country. I was watching the minutes tick by so Letterman could hit a cricket ball with anonymous kids, while I wanted ShahRukh content. They hardly discussed his film career, what is it about him that made him so loved?
And now I am truly puzzled as to who the target audience was. If it is not promoted to Letterman’s regular viewers, the potential cross-over audience, then what was the point? Indians don’t need to see Letterman in a market giving a flower to a woman who sells them.
But would a new audience really need to see ShahRukh and Gauri discussing why they sent their kids away, or what happened when his mother died.
Would love to see the whole interview in the studio, without the other stuff.
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That’s exactly my issue with the interview. Who is the target audience? Why would Indians need to see generic exotic India images with Letterman buying flowers, random girls dancing, and other pointless stuff? This is literally eye-roll worthy stuff for Indians. But it hasn’t been marketed at all to anyone outside India. I only knew about it because I follow SRK on twitter. Forget anyone else, most NRIs probably don’t follow him. People watch movies but most aren’t that involved in following actors’ daily lives. So how would they even find out about this interview? It’s not easily found on Netflix – you actually have to search for it using SRK’s name. Even overseas Indians will have a tough time finding it let alone others.
So if it’s just for Indians – why would they do this kind of boring interview that says nothing about anything? They KNOW how important SRK is, they KNOW there are people outside his house, they know all about his kids.. why do they need this predictable interview telling them what they already know much better than Letterman does?
I think they were in over their head and didn’t really understand what they were doing.
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Or maybe there was a confusion in what they were doing? The episode as it stands, all by itself without context, is an excellent introduction to Shahrukh and his world. If it had been part of Letterman’s regular season, and/or promoted to his regular audience, it would be perfect. Put it this way, if Letterman and his producers had the goal in mind of “let’s put together 1 hour to help our Letterman audience (who we have a good sense for) understand this person as best they can”, than they achieved that goal very well. No issues there. A good solid interview, edited together into a general introduction.
But then Netflix decided to promote it only to the Indian audience and/or Shahrukh’s existing fans, and suddenly all the work Letterman and his team put in has gone to waste.
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If I was understanding correctly, the Cricket players weren’t random, which adds to the mystery. If the point is for the audience to get a sense of India, than why put actual famous Cricketers in with Dave? If the point is to entertain an Indian audience who would recognize the players, than why the whole “this is how you play Cricket” section?
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 7:22 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I feel like I’m spamming but I have a lot to say.. hah
I don’t know why I found the ‘regular joe’ act so disturbing this time. Even that Maya Memsaab story was cleaned up so much. From how it reported at the time and from SRK himself talking about it (those articles used to all be online until just a few years ago), after the story came out, he had suspected who wrote it even though it didn’t have a byline. He went to the mag’s office to find out who for sure but they wouldn’t tell him so he went into a rage and threw chairs and threatened people. He believed it was one specific person so he took his sword from his wedding (Punjabis get a kirpan) and went to that guy’s house and threatened him in front of his parents that he would cut off his… you know what. That guy’s uncle was the police commissioner so he used his contacts and got SRK arrested. While in jail, he used his one phone call to threaten the guy again. I don’t remember for sure now but I think Nana Patekar bailed him out. There used to be pics online until fairly recently of SRK cockily walking out of the police station while eating a banana. He somehow found out later on that the guy he had harassed was not actually the one who wrote that story and he went and apologized to him and his parents.
And the thing is, this isn’t even anything rare. SRK was always like this. He hit a waiter at a party once and then went to apologize to him the next day. Once he punched a photographer because he was eating with a bulimic kid and he had asked them not to take pictures but they did anyway. Everyone knows of his brawl at the cricket stadium and slapping Farah Khan’s husband. They thought it was a midlife crisis but he was always like that – just that the media was not big when he used to do stuff like this earlier.
Then there was the time he got offended by how a producer’s daughter had treated Gauri. They were holding a film screening for a movie they had produced and Gauri had gone to the screening. They apparently did not let her in and were rude to her. SRK SHUT DOWN AN ENTIRE AWARDS SHOW. The same guy and his daughter were producing an upcoming award’s show and SRK was supposed to perform or something. He refused to show up and every single important person in BW also refused. They had to literally shut shop. Imagine Brad Pitt shutting down the Oscars ceremony because he was annoyed at the producer. The channel airing the show was in a huge problem because they suddenly had nothing to air. So in that time slot, a concert was organized with new sponsors and new producers and SRK showed up with his friends this time.
Or the time of the OSO/Saawariya clash when he vowed publicly to destroy Sony Pictures who was releasing Saawariya. I think he was annoyed with how a HW company was suddenly running roughshod in India. It was their first movie there. After that debacle, Sony shut down and left India. The CEO said later in an interview that they made a huge mistake and you just can’t go against SRK.
SRK doesn’t just hold power; he exerts it when he wants to. To have him playing the doofus and pretending he is a regular joe is just extremely weird. I understand being humble but the deliberately emasculated way he’s pretending to act for the last few years is just strange and very fake.
Again if it was for a ‘new’ audience, I get it completely. If it was Indians, it does not make the least bit of sense.
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I hadn’t heard all the other stories, but your additional details for the Maya Memsaab bit matches what I remember. He wanted to find out who the writer was, he went to the writer’s house and physically threatened him, and later he found out it wasn’t him and apologized. All of which was left out in this version.
But yeah, I wouldn’t want those stories and that version of SRK coming out for a new audience. I don’t tell those stories myself when I am first trying to easy people in to SRK. It sounds violent, out of control, abusive. Until you get a sense of both his vulnerability and his power. A producer insulting Gauri hurts him as a husband, but letting it go also hurts his power as a star. He HAS to react.
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Just reading the stories in this comment is so much more fascinating than the interview!
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“pillow-biting scene” made me lol 🙂
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I have SOOOO much to say and can fill in some of the cut stuff but I don’t have time right now..tomorrow night, I promise!
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I was a little disappointed with this interview. I understand it was made for American people so they can know something about him, like you said, it was like the first date, but it was odd. It was neither here nor there. Maybe because I read here on your blog the comments of lucky ladies who saw the entire interview live, and was expecting something else. I wonder what was cut to make space for scenes of Dave in Mumbai (btw I couldn’t when Dave bought the holy picture for a guy he met on the street, and I thought: hey I bet the guy is not hindu 😉 ) .
I couldn’t agree more that the story about living in Bangalore for 5 years was strange. Why talk about it? It’s cleary something painful, so why drag it out? This information changes nothing for western viewer who hardly knows SRK. And then the part about his mother, who maybe didn’t love him, and later about her death and that had died 1 day after she saw his first tv role. Like you said: it’s not something you talk about on your first date. I don’t understand why they left it all and cut the part about his kids. Because I don’t think he hasn’t mentioned AbRam while talking about Aryan and Suhana. It must have been there.
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YES! Why would Dave buy a light up Hindu religious image for a random guy on the street? I’m going to assume they had a conversation that lead to it where Dave learned he was already shopping around at that stall.
Perhaps they were looking for good 5 minute sections? So they included the Bangalore stuff just because it was a solid complete 5 minute on one topic, even if it was kind of an odd topic. The problem being that Shahrukh doesn’t talk or think in 5 minute pieces, so we had to take grab bag of what was left.
On Fri, Oct 25, 2019 at 4:09 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Agree with the comments that it felt kind of awkward and superficial, highly filtered. Toothless is a good description. The tone throughout was very homogeneous, he was wearing his jokey humble face the whole time, there were almost no other registers. Just flashes every once in a while when Dave decided to push a bit, like during the Maya Memsaab story, or during the horse story. I hate when they make him get up and dance. The one thing SRK did that bugged me was he leaned a lot on generalizations about India, part of the playing dumb act. It sounds a bit tone deaf in the present, like the borderline paternalistic way he used to talk about his female co-stars in interviews. Norms change quickly now, have to keep up.
Dave has been canceled in my head for a few years, but I have to give it to him, he’s a seasoned pro interviewer in his own style. I did feel like he found points of connection and was maybe even reaching for a deeper level at certain points based on the topics he was raising, but the whole thing felt like kind of an odd beast. Dave didn’t seem in command like when he was on his set doing his show every night either. It felt like two experts dancing around a bit and trying to find the right rhythm, but maybe not totally in agreement about what they were going for.
The home scenes were more interesting. The bit with Dave and Shah Rukh in the kitchen, neither really knowing what they were doing. I’ve wondered for a while about Shah Rukh saying he’s learning to cook Italian food. (Why cooking? Why Italian?) Now we see he knows three simple dishes, and with those he can at least feed himself and other people without being served. It’s endearing. Also the bit about being the go to parent in the wee hours because he doesn’t go to bed until 5am. And yes, Gauri comes off as very relatable.
Tracking his pop culture references:
Bo Derek
Michael J. Fox
Peter Sellars
Freddie Mercury
He’s dating himself, not in a bad way but when you have kids (and are a media figure whose every word is dissected) you’re aware of these things. Wonder on some level of this whole thing is just a step towards owning his age on camera.
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Thank you for listing out the references! There’s also “Grease”. I noticed that they were all old but I had a different thought. If Shahrukh is trying to be polite to his Western interviewer and audience, he is going to use references that are shared. And I think, since the late 80s/early 90s when he got seriously into acting, he hasn’t had time to learn Western references because all his references have become Indian. Yes his kids will keep him young and aware of the wider world, but when you talk about stuff like a movie he really liked or an actor he admires, it’s going to be Indian movies he watched as part of his work. Unlike, say, books he reads for pleasure where we know he leaps between countries and genres and all kinds of stuff. With movies, it’s got to be far more work related. And therefore not Western and therefore nothing he can honestly mention in this interview as influential.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 12:33 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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That’s right, John Travolta too. Dave said James Dean, Shah Rukh corrected to John Travolta. You see? I think he knows what he’s doing there. I don’t doubt it’s sincere, just that he’s allowing himself to use references that situate him as from a certain era (not Dean era or Brando era, but Travolta era).
Could also be that he knows his diaspora audience skews older so he’s OK not reaching for anecdotes and references for the youngs.
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Oh! I just had another thought! If he used more recent references, it also wouldn’t position him as “humble average fan”. Because he isn’t a fan, he’s actually interacted with a lot of the modern Western actors.
Also, unrelated, do we want Shahrukh and Travolta to co-star? I can’t see them as a romantic couple, but maybe as enemies?
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 7:51 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Eh, I’m not a Travolta fan. He’s far down on my list of prospective co-stars.
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no, not anymore, Margaret.
ShahRukh knows a lot of western cinema (also the old one), but it is not the first time he mentions Travolta, Sellers and Michael J. Fox. It’s like he said: Travolta for Dancing (Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive), Sellers for his special humour, very special comedy acting, his multiple roles in one film, certain characters and Michael J.Fox for everything he said. He did not choose them for the show, they are ‘with him’, belong to his life. He would not name some from the younger lot because they did not inspire him (neither did de Niro, nor Hofman nor…although he likes them as actors). Btw., I think when having another kind of talk, he would mention Robert Downey Junior, Johnny Depp and Robin Williams as actors who inspire/insoired him, too.
In France he could also name directors and actors he has experienced. In England he would name most probbly name Kenneth Brannagh, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine. In Germany he definitely would name Christoph Waltz.
He also knows Italian Directors and stars.
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A lot of people his age from Delhi grew up with English music and films early on. He has talked about this in interviews how in school he was completely focused on English and thought hindi was a bit too uncool for him (again very common) and his mother bribed him to learn Hindi for a test. IMO it is more than him trying to list western references for western audiences.
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I have so much to say! Just watched it tonight (I really wanted to savor it…I’m sad that the first watching over!) but I’m wiped out. I jumped in to say that was Pooja Dadlani, his assistant, in the kitchen, but Claudia beat me to the punch lol. Back tomorrow or Sunday after multiple Diwali, Halloween and Bday parties…
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And I had been ‘beaten’ by procrastinatrix…lol
That sounds more like work than pleasure (all those parties), enjoy nevertheless!
(But don’t read here, if you can avoid it…you won’t be able to watch it ‘innocently’.)
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Whose Bday? Are you having a birthday without telling me????
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 1:14 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Nope…have to go to my colleague’s kid’s bday party but at least it’s at the pumpkin patch so two birds…gotta get a few pumpkins to decorate the house
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And thank you Margaret for your amazing and detailed review…and for loving us all enough to stay up most of the night so we’d have it to discuss.
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It took a long time, but it was super easy to write! Which shows how boring the episode was, most of my notes were just “beach story”, “Maya Memsaab story”. It wasn’t like I had to research and note down a lot of new stuff. Took about half the time of a Koffee review.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 1:15 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I read here that some of you had problems with finding the interview, but in my Italian Netflix it was shown right in the main page.
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In my German, too.
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It was for me too, I think because I’d clicked through to watch the promo ahead of time.
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It popped up when I went to the advanced “recently added” listing and looked at the Netflix Original list. But on the main screen it’s still not in my “recently added” or “Netflix Original” listing.
I am very close to contacting everyone I know just to ask if they see it. These personalized algorithms are so frustrating!
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Last night it was on my Trending Now list. But right now it is no where on my Netflix login page. If I do a search for David Letterman it appears, but not if I do a search for SRK. If I actually click on SRK’s name in the details section of a movie, then it does appear.
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Thanks for covering this interview. It’s elaborative and beautifully written.
One correction, The average life expectancy in India is 68 years and not 36 years.
What Sharukh meant was that, 65% of India is aged lesser than 35 years owing to population explosion which started in 1980s. What it also meant was the amount of workforce India has its disposal which can be exploited by the politicians in a good way. He’s right about English though.
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It came up in the search for Letterman here in Australia, which it didn’t a couple of days ago.
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A work colleague just texted to say ‘My Hero’ is on Netflix. She’s halfway through watching and he’s hilarious. This is a view from someone who knows absolutely nothing about him except that I have been completely obsessed with him ever since she’s known me.
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He is indeed! He does entertain people by saying – just en passant – important things. Letterman and all who are listening are the court and ShahRukh is the jester. Jesters mostly got away with saying thruthful (but uncomfortable) things without getting punished because they did it like joking /in an entertaining or silly way.
Liking Peter Sellers (known for his character acting, improvisation and comedy style) such that he has even imbibed some of his acting style says a lot.
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Funny how perspective changes things. For us, this is an unfunny interview because we know what he is like when he is really “on”. But if I try to imagine this as my first ever interview, than the Asoka story, the Maya Memsaab story, the way he tells the beach story, they are all charming and entertaining. Just without the bite I am used to.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 5:07 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I think all depends on the purpose of the interview we saw…and I LIKE to read about different perspectives…it’s always a learning process.
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I wouldn’t say it was an unfunny interview. I had a chuckle at some parts , like the laminated name badges on the gang, which is pretty good considering how many times I have watched him speak about his life.
Shah Rukh has probably done about 10,000 interviews in his life ( random big number). We can’t expect him to say something new every time, just as we can’t expect him to be entirely consistent throughout. He pulls the tone he feels is appropriate for that particular situation. Sometimes he is lead off-track by the interviewer or himself, but I’m sure that most of the time it’s hitting the mark, though perhaps, as in this case, we don’t know what the mark is meant to be. There is also the input of the editing which can entirely change the effect.
Personally I could have done without the farmed-out to grandmother and his mother’s death stories, he seemed awkward talking about those, and far less Letterman wandering around, but otherwise I enjoyed the interview.
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Hmm. Good point about not expecting it every time. I had high expectations here because it was a very big deal interview after a long time without one. But maybe it was just a kind of off day, maybe the only brought in the slow bits, maybe he was jetlagged. Although we did hear from the people who were there that it was fabulous, which makes me think it was more an editing thing. Although that’s still expectations, if we hadn’t had the report in advance that it was 2 hours, rambling and fascinating, I would have watched it and perhaps enjoyed it more.
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Still hidden from me in America. “My Next Guest” has popped up on my “trending now” list, but it’s the regular season, not the SRK special.
If the Netflix homepage really is based on some kind of legitimate analysis, I assume it would take a few days to take effect? Trending now or popular or whatever wouldn’t click in until the episode had been out long enough for people to watch it? On the other hand, advertising could be immediate, no reason they aren’t do that right now.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 4:34 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I have both…first the SRK one, then the regular My Next Guest one on the “trending” page
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There had always been the talk about ShahRukh having “a temper” and he himself made clear more than once that no one should dare to hurt/insult etc someone of his family or someone he cares for…that would make him ‘go bonkers’. I don’t think that he generally is quick to anger but if in his eyes/ears/mind something is said or done in a rude, disrespectful, hurting and unjustified way, his temper rises in a snap.
Every incident of violent/threatening behaviour I came across, involved someone he cared for and an (unapologetic) behaviour from the other side.
In the contrary, when he himself is threatened, he has very specific ways to counter the attack avoiding violent behaviour as long as possible…and if there are problems on the set, people often go to ShahRukh and he will find a solution (involving the team)…
That’s what I had been told in more than one interview.
I indeed think that his temper has softened with being a father, but fearing for his family – especially after having faced underworld threats and/or still to get threats – would not change that he would do a lot to protect them. The more prominent Gauri and his kids became the more he publicly mellowed down. The dispute with Salman, the slapping of Shirish are in another vein than the Wankhede incident (in the two former his ire was deliberately triggered by the other one, in the latter it was ‘the snap’ again).
As for the interview, it’s VERY interesting for me to read all the opinions, but I really would like to know more about the 80 minutes that had been cut from the original interview. I was highly astonished to read that this ‘special edition’ of the show would also only have one hour, like the other shows. In addition with his way of responding to Modi makes me think of ‘beat your enemies with kindness’ (something he may have learned through his father but makes him appear weak which he isn’t).
So, so many things come together since Barkha Dutt provoked him into the ‘intolerance remark’. Till today, I can’t forgive her for that.
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Never read such shit about this Letterman show with SRK. You are not a fan of Shah Rukh Khan anymore, You are one of this people which WERE fans but transformed to his biggest haters. This blog shows how disappointed you are bcs SRK is not delievering stuff for a new controversy. Did you realy watching it and more important understanding it? Right at the beginning AbRam were introduced and SRK did not only the asap at the beginnng but the namaste. In the audience were 50% people without desi background.The infos about Aryan doen´t want to act are old the same with all the stuff wich you were calling “new content”. Than you are lying, that SRK spoke only about Suhanas boyfriend – he spoke about Aryan and Suhana at that time, nothing that can Suhana harm.The best bad joke, you are spreading the lie that he is under medication. First bcs his words ““Death is extremely beautiful and alluring”, if you believe in god, allah and so one the dead will never be frightening you bcs is doesn´t ends with that. That’s all was he is saying, not to be afraid bcs the death. And you doesn´t know Pooja? She were at the kittchen with SRK and Dave.
Your “non political” blog is full of it, thats can everyone read at sentence about the reaction of SRK about the question of Letterman and your hate against india about the “youngest nation”.
Each time you are writing about SRK it´s full of hate against him.I feel sorry for you!
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Unicorn, you can always disagree with Margaret’s points of view, but you are wrong in assuming; Margaret would “hate” ShahRukh. In no way she is spreading the negativity haters do. If you would take the time and read other posts about ShahRukh you would know it.
I would not be here, if I would not love her loving of ShahRukh, even less I would refer to her in links. I may not always agree with her thoughts but that isn’t necessary. I can write it or leave it.
I wouldn’t take her writing about the interview as serious as you do…she isn’t used to stay awake until the wee hours in the morning and did it only to accommodate her readers.
If you read all the comments you’ll see that others have another point of view than she without getting angry.
No hard feelings, here, okay?
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Just a small point here: I was in that audience and was one of 5 people–I counted–who were not desi. It was an overwhelmingly desi audience.
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Carol, could you fill in some content about what was cut out?
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Yes Carol please, tell us all what has been cut.
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As a fan, I want to treat Shahrukh with respect and honesty. That means discussing his interviews, his films, and everything else he does as the serious work of creativity that it is, not simply accepting it at face value.
I hope I can encourage others to do the same, to question why he says and does what he says and does, and how we feel about it. When I do that, I find myself loving Shahrukh more, not less, as I better understand his motivations and thought process.
Also, I am not sure I am understanding you correctly, but I want to make clear to anyone reading this that suggesting Shahrukh might be on medication for his mental health is, in no way possible, an insult to him. Or to anyone who might be on medication. Or who has mental health issues. No more than saying someone is taking antibiotics for pneumonia could be considered an insult.
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Exactly! You’re a very considerate, open minded and reflective person…and really a loving fan – no doubt about that 🙂
I know Unicorn, that’s why I replied to her. I think it was brave that you published her response. She really misinterpreted your writing. I guess, it was her first encounter with you.
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Yay! I watched it in bits on my phone yesterday, then the whole thing this morning. I have company, so I can’t really comment much now, but I did want to say something about the whole “x% of the country is less than 35 years old”. Not meaning to be pedantic but it really isn’t about a country having a low life expectancy. It’s more about child mortality rates going down, so it’s actually a positive thing. When fewer kids die before the age of 5 (the riskiest time for kids to die) then they have a pretty good chance of living to adulthood.
People call it the “youth dividend” because 35-50 tend to be the age where people are most productive in an economic sense, so if a labor market is prepared, it can harness that energy for economic growth. If a labor market is not prepared, you end up with lots of people with energy and no where to put the energy, so you can end up with political unrest, conflict, etc. So India has reason to be optimistic–but reason to be cautious too.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-enters-37-year-period-of-demographic-dividend/articleshow/70324782.cms
One more thing–one reason that HIV and some kinds of flu, like the Spanish flu after WWI, are so scary and devastating is because the people most at risk and with highest mortality rates are that productive, adult group. So when they die, no one is there to care for the younger and older, and no one is there to keep the economy going.
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I, too, thought that this growth in young Indians is because of “child mortality rates going down” and saw it as a positive thing. ShahRukh also mentioned the betterment in education and at least in the urban regions, English has become like a second language which one can also assume through the phenomenon of Hinglish.
Nevertheless, there is still a perciptible imbalance between young and old.
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I finally got around to watching it last night and agree with so many of your observations. This interview was definitely not directed at people who already know Shahrukh. Regarding all the comments about Netflix not promoting it well, on French Netflix it shows up under “new releases” on the home page after login. In general, I feel like Netflix does not do a very good job of promoting its Indian content to a wider audience. Maybe because they just get so much viewership from targeted promotions to Indians/Indian diaspora?
About the interview:
1. Like a lot of people here, I wish it was longer and had fewer (none?) scenes of Dave at random places in India. I also feel like the editing took away from some of Shahrukh’s natural charm because it made him come across as a bit evasive or abrupt at times.
2. Someone mentioned in the comments about how the kitchen they were in was not the main kitchen and it totally makes sense because I was confused about why the Mannat kitchen looked like the kitchen in a regular middle class Indian household. It also made me laugh because I know of at least three Indian families where the dad is all into cooking and gets relegated to a “second kitchen” because his wife does not want him taking over that space. In Shahrukh’s case, that would literally mean him bossing around the kitchen staff who are probably cooking regularly for a whole bunch of people in addition to the family (household staff, visitors etc).
3. Those 5 minutes with Gauri were definitely the heart of the interview. I watched the interview with my husband. He is European, knew next to nothing about India when we first met 10 years ago, has watched around 10-15 Hindi movies, knows that I love Shahrukh Khan, can recognize Amitabh, Aamir, Kareena, Vidya Balan, Irrfan, Tabu and a couple other people. In the part where Gauri talks about how she loves watching his movies and doesn’t mind the crowds because she knows he likes it, my husband turned to me and asked if I would defend him to the world the way Gauri was defending Shahrukh. In that moment, I shushed him because he should know better by now to not interrupt me when Shahrukh is on screen. Now that I think about it, as an outsider not blinded by the SRK charisma, my husband got a better insight of what Gauri means to Shahrukh from this interview than I did. I also did not think of it as Gauri defending Shahrukh, but in some ways I can see what my husband meant – she clearly came across as the person who has stood by him through everything.
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1. Yes, so much of Shahrukh’s charm is in how he responds to people, how he really seems to care about the other person. Cutting out Dave’s responses to him and the sense of a give and take lost that.
2. Bossing around and getting in the way! How can he take over a stove to make a tiny little three serving dish, when the staff needs that stove to cook for twenty?
3. Their marriage really is remarkable. I was trying to think of another one that has survived so much fame for so long. Rajinikanth and his wife I guess, but they met when he was already famous. Jaya was already famous in her own right when she met Amitabh. Twinkle and Akshay, same. Aamir’s marriage was most similar to theirs and it couldn’t survive after all. Hrithik’s neither. Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand’s marriages both fell apart. The idea of being in love before the fame, and somehow surviving, that seems almost impossible.
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Gauri did something very surprising (for the filmfraternity) in 2000, when ShahRukh had to bear a lot of flack from media and Hrithik was labeled as his successor: She wrote a letter to the media. It is not easy to find the scans, but I got some (at facebook):
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GauriKhanFC/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10151533310632803
During my research now I also tried a SRK fansite who has maaaany maginzine and article scans (a very good site, I think…and a real treasure chest for ‘newbies’):
https://kkkg.tumblr.com/
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for sartrekid: You as a German may like this site, too (treasure chest in German and there is a translation of Gauri’s “I believe”):
https://dunedain-srk.net/savvy-mai-2000/
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kkkg has the BEST compilation of gifs from movies, interviews, ads, and appearances. They have been much less active in recent years, but I greatly appreciate the archive!
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Great analysis, as usual! I’m not sure I understand your annoyance with the 65% under 35 fact though. Maybe I’m misinterpreting your interpretation but it’s this fact is seen as a positive thing. https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-enters-37-year-period-of-demographic-dividend/amp_articleshow/70324782.cms
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I know it is seen as a positive thing, it just bothers me because it is repeated with so little interrogation and I hate that. Even if there are advantages to having a large population under 35, it isn’t something to be “proud” of in that it implies a history of terrible childhood survival rates, and a still low proportion surviving past 35. It bothers me when any fact is repeated like that without people stopping and thinking about what they are saying and why it is important and what it really means. Like Shahrukh did with the English statistic, he didn’t just say that a lot of people speak English and that is great, he said it is great because of the global market, and that natural English skills alone don’t indicate intelligence or education.
And I am so glad you liked the write up! I worked hard on it and I was hoping people would like it.
On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 1:26 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I think there’s some misunderstanding at your end of what the 65% of the population under 35 statistic really means- https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/life-expectancy-in-india-improves-marginally/long-live-india/slideshow/71051028.cms
It doesn’t mean “the average life span in India is 36”
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I remarked that I forgot to mention something I found a personal little highlight in the Mannat part: While Dave is talking to Gauri, ShahRukh serves himself a chicken Tika and presses some lemon juice over the piece…something absolutely ‘ordinary’ …
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…and dry his fingers at the shirt!
Another thing touchingly ‘ordinary’ was counting the years of marriage with the fingers (I studied mathematics, but I still do that, too 😀 ).
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I know you’ve been asking, and some others have, too, about what was in the rest of the interview that we didn’t see in the final version. I think the biggest difference between the live two-hour part I saw as a member of the audience and the version in this Netflix special is that over the two hour period I felt I was watching a conversation between two people. There was more give and take. Whereas the final version feels more like an interview. The one bit they kept is when Shah Rukh asked Dave if he was close to his mother, and Dave responds by joking that that would be another show. They kept it in for the laugh, but there were a lot more of those exchanges in the two hour version.
I’m having a hard time remembering what else was there–it was over 5 months ago!–and maybe more viewings of this one will help me remember. One that stands out is that they had an exchange which I recall as very interesting about being famous fathers and what it’s like for their kids. Molly and I discussed it and her theory is that they cut it because Dave talked a lot in that part–they both did, but maybe since this was supposed to be about Shah Rukh they just edited out the whole interaction.
Also in the part about SRK’s mother’s death, Dave asks about Shah Rukh praying fervently as his mother lay dying in an attempt to stave off her death. Shah Rukh acknowledged that in the interview but it was cut in the version we see, and the answer he gives makes it look like he ducked the question: he talks about how he told his mom all the bad things he would do if she died so that she would be forced to stay alive and deal with him. It doesn’t follow from the question Dave asked.
Margaret, you mentioned as new content that Aryan doesn’t want to act, but this isn’t new. Shah Rukh has said in multiple interviews since Aryan has been at USC (he’s a senior now) that he wants to be a film maker. And even before then he has also talked about Aryan saying he isn’t interested in acting because of the inevitable comparisons that would be made between him and his father.
A few general observations/points I want to add:
One of the weird things that has been mentioned but not really discussed here (unless I missed it) is the odd fact that Pooja Dadlani is not identified nor introduced to the audience. She’s there in the beginning when Dave first meets AbRam and says, “you have a beautiful house” and she asks him about the crowd outside. She’s in the kitchen cooking with them. She serves the little pizza thing that Shah Rukh decorates with the smiley face. One might think SHE is Shah Rukh’s wife at first glance, then realize the woman sitting at the table is Gauri and might then be confused about this other woman who is present. For those of us who see Shah Rukh in photos ALL THE TIME where Pooja is with him know who she is and what her role is. But for the American audience this is aimed at? It just comes off strange.
Second, (and credit here goes to Molly because I completely missed this in my first watch), did you notice there is a FULL INDIAN MEAL on the sideboard next to the dining table? And that the tandoori chicken Shah Rukh eats for at least 2 meals a day (when he eats) comes to the table, and Shah Rukh asks the server for a plate, plates a piece of chicken for Dave, adding a squeeze of lime, and sits down? We know Shah Rukh didn’t cook all that!
Speaking of cooking, I’m assuming everyone has figured out that the kitchen Shah Rukh is cooking in is not THE kitchen at Mannat but is HIS kitchen at Mannat. He had it built for himself—on the ground floor, in the back or side of the house–so he could learn to cook Italian. Worth noting, or at least surmising, that their cooks did not want Shah Rukh in THEIR kitchen!
Molly and I were told by a friend of a friend who works for Letterman that ALL his interviews are two hours long and are edited down. So what we saw wasn’t unusual (although we only learned this later). But it may be that you get more, better, fuller answers when you have a two-hour conversation so that in the edited version you get a lot more than you would have if they’d just done a regular interview over the course of 30-40 minutes.
Finally, those of us who have listened to or read a gazillion Shah Rukh interviews know that he never tells the same story the same way twice. Or at least it seems that way. We all knew every one of the stories he told but we’ve heard different versions of them with somewhat different details included or excluded. I, for one, had never heard the end of the Maya Memsab story he told here, about lighting a cigarette and walking off.
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Thank you Carol! That’s great additional information.
I hadn’t thought about the kitchen part but that makes a lot of sense. I guess in his world if you need an extra, personal kitchen you just make it happen. It’s a different universe!
I do wish we could see the whole two hours.
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Oh it is definitely a different universe! Remember the part where he talks about making his kids and their friends pasta late at night? And he says he’s in his room with the phone waiting and when he sees the kitchen line light up he answers? Well, sure, I can call my staff in my kitchen any time of day or night for a snack!!! 🙂
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Yes! I was watching the kitchen part trying to get a sense of the space because it didn’t seem like that good of a kitchen. Like, the stove wasn’t that large, and nor was the work space. But it makes sense if it is a casual hobby kitchen tucked into the personal living space. I am sure the actual kitchen would fulfill all my kitchen fantasies of large stove tops and double sided fridges and so on.
On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 10:21 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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There were pictures posted of this kitchen at some point with, I think, the designer on social media (Instagram?). So when I saw it I recognized it. As someone who loves to cook, in my fantasy visit to Mannat I’d like to see the real kitchen!
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Yes!!!! It must be amazing, right? I’m assuming a cooking team of at least 3, and they would have to be ready to serve any amount of food to any amount of people with almost no notice.
On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 5:26 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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How interesting about all the interviews being edited down. I am not used to seeing Shahrukh be edited, both because he is such a great interview that everything is good, and because his interviews are so in demand everyone would always print as much as they can of them. I suppose it makes sense, certainly the show feels “edited”, but in a good way, every is crisp and clear and the segments break down nicely allowing for pauses. But I miss that feeling of a conversation!
Now that I think about it, the Inner/Outer documentary was also edited, only it was days and days of candid footage so maybe that’s why it didn’t feel as edited?
On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 9:58 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I had no idea this was a second kitchen. I was scratching my head about it being so average and not fitting in with how glam the rest of Mannat is. It was so stark even in color while the rest of the house seems to be so full of bright reds and golds.
I did realize later on though that even the part of Mannat shown is not the actual space where they live. This is the entertaining area they use for when they have parties – the white bungalow portion of the house. They actually live in the building behind the house on the upper floors so in hindsight, they did keep cameras out of their real home.
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Thank you! Okay, I think I can start to figure out the house then. The front is for entertaining, the bottom floors in the back are for servants and screening room and other sort of work space, and then the top floors with the great views would be reserved for the family.
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Haha! yes.
Thanks for these two parts of your input, Carol. There were so many in the room that I still hope to stumble upon other people writing about what they remember…what about Molly? Can she help you to remember?
I figured that it had been more of a conversation…only from this interview, Dave’s praise and ShahRukh’s delight each of both expressed would be a bit too much for the nevertheless enjoyable part we got to see.
At Mannat, too, they would have had more conversation. ShahRukh is curious and also, he likes to talk and to listen.
I noticed the food, too, at the third view!!! But I thought, the chicken was for himself, not for Dave.
I think the format of a 2-hours-conversation is, indeed, to create an atmosphere that results in configure a good interview through the editing. Still, I would be fare more interested in this conversation although I suppose we won’t see it.
Did you, the audience, had more good laughs?
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There were plenty of laughs but I think we were all just smiling the entire time, as the audience shots illustrate. I remember walking out of there as though my feet weren’t touching the ground, it was in so many ways a surreal experience.
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And I figured the chicken was for Dave, since Shah Rukh kind of left it in the middle of the table. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some!
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There was a lot of food on the side and maybe more off-screen too as I’m assuming they didn’t just feed Dave. They would have provided for the rest of the crew and people involved too.
Also interesting that while the 3 of them are having a conversation at the dining table, the home looks so quiet and empty and imposing as if only SRK and Gauri live there. When in reality, we know SRK’s whole extended family seemed to be there that day along with lots of staff probably.
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Yes! I was thinking about that. Maybe the dinner scenes were shot the day before Eid? Maybe everyone arrived the next day? I can’t imagine Shahrukh and Gauri could have taken hours from hosting to hang out with Dave. Or would want to be dealing with film crews and stuff while they’ve got a bunch of family visiting.
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If anyone was wondering about the house, this was definitely the old bungalow portion of the house. (SRK’s office, library, gym, theater, and the private living space is in the building behind the bungalow)
This is where David entered and greeted AbRam and Pooja
https://www.instagram.com/p/B07r_UpgqZd/
This is the dining room they sat in. It used to have silk-lined walls (which struck me as bizarre even back then) and it seems they’ve been removed
https://media.architecturaldigest.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/347-866×487.jpg
Same dining room – https://i.ibb.co/V9FCSdz/22406417-1647965445247654-5256071966756030576-n.jpg
This is the living room right off the entrance. You can see the same dining room beyond it.
https://i.ibb.co/k3YHt1x/13102777-1131651173545753-3625075256992669307-n-1.jpg
https://media.architecturaldigest.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/250.jpg
There’s another sitting area that comes right after the dining room
https://i.ibb.co/k3YHt1x/13102777-1131651173545753-3625075256992669307-n-1.jpg (I think you can see the driveway from the windows)
Same room but on the left side of the big Buddha statue – https://i.ibb.co/BjZGW3F/shahrukh-khan-mannat-home-mumbai-1w-1.jpg
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Huh. I don’t think Gauri and I have the same taste. Although, the rooms are well designed for hosting, which seems to be there main purpose. Maybe the private quarters have more of the shlumpy simple relaxed look I would like.
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I accidentally uploaded the same pic twice.
This is the room right beyond the dining room. That big buddha statue is apparently a hot piece on the art market – worth over 100K dollars.
Gauri has said their real living area is relaxed so it must be different but it’s never been seen so who knows.
They only showed one closet from their personal space-
This is their movie theater – with 42 seats
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The screening room is actually the part that makes the most sense to me. I mean, it is his job. A screening room is part of his home office, he can have meetings there with his collaborators, or private screenings to get advice from his friends, it’s handy.
But that shoe closet is insane!!!! I just have my shoes in an ugly pile by the door.
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Thanks for sharing these! I have terrible spatial relations so it’s really hard for me to picture an interior layout from outside views of a building. So interesting.
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Carol said alot of what we have talked about. One thing that Dave talked about much more than the final version shows, is about his fame. When Shah came out, the audience stood for a least 10 minutes and shouted and clapped. Dave alludes to it but not to the extent. Shah Rukh had to force the audience to sit down., He made a gesture that seemed to say, “Hey, settle down, I have to chat with this man. When the audience was finally stilled, Dave pointed to us and then looked at Shah Rukh and said, “Do you understand this?” Before he went into his standard “right person right place” thing, he blushed and kind of shrugged. And that was the true moment. Talking about being fathers took a lot more time and Dave did talk a lot in it. When we were sitting there, it didn’t feel toothless at all. The AIB interview (which I have watched over and over) was more him being clever and funny and showing he could still ‘get down’ with young guys,
As to the anger part. The Wanneke incident happened when unbeknownst to all of us, AbRam was born and in critical condition. When he talked about it after he said that his children admonished him and said, “Papa you can’t do that anymore” and they would hear to argument. I don’t think he’s changed because of PR I think he really has decided to curb his temper for his kids..so as not to embarrass them or be a bad model. . In the audience were 50% people without desi
I certainly agree that the at home with Gauri parts are the best and as usual, they kept their truely private selves separate. Her mother is often, if not usually there. His sister is always there. There is a part of the house that is still very private.
I could have done without Dave in the market but I think that stuff was there in order to introduce him to a western audience. That was Dave’s intention. He made that very clear in the interview. He kept going back to try to understand the enormity of the stardom. He had really done his homework and he knew about the other stars, he just wasn’t interview them. We didn’t meet him. We didn’t touch him. We certainly didn’t hug him. But the room bristled with electricity for two hours. It only faded when he walked off the stage. You could feel what that star power, charisma or as Jaya Bachchan has called it, to be in the presence of one of “gods chosen people’.
If you’ve watched any of Dave’s other interviews in this series you can also see the cuts and jumps in the same way.
Does anyone have any specific questions about our experience of being there?
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Oh thanks, Molly. As I knew you was there too, I hoped you also would write something…and you did!
You write about “50% people without desi”…do you mean without desi background? (because Carol wrote about only 5 people).
What do you mean with “And that was the true moment.”?
Do you remember something that was said about the pressure of being famous?
Basically, I’m hungry for every additional input 🙂
What you write about the “electricity” in the room, I’ve also observed at various occasions. I think it comes from people when they know ShahRukh is there…even then when they only anticipate his presence. Sometimes one can feel it even on the sets. I don’t know if it is “a ShahRukh thing” or would equally happen with other stars but it is simply overwhelming to see so many people with a smile on their face, eager to laugh and excited like kids (not only at the Letterman show but also at press conferences, shows and other gatherings).
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No, Carol was right there were actually 5 non South Asians in the room. Desi usually means only Indian and we have to count potential Pakistani, Bangladeshi etc possibilities…They say about people like Bill Clinton and deeply charismatic peiple that is waht happens and it surely did.
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Interesting thing to add to about him taking the focus in a room, I saw him at a stadium concert and that was 11,000 people completely crazed by one man. And it wasn’t just the stadium concert effect, I’ve seen others and no one else had anything close to the way he hypnotized all of us.
On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 6:07 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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So true. After the SLAM tour, we went to another concert that he was not at and it was a pale shadow.
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Speaking to your question about the pressure of being famous, Claudia: that wasn’t really a focus. They included the bit about Shah Rukh loving being a star, and to the extent they discussed the experience (rather than the phenomenon) of fame, they talked about their kids and being famous fathers.
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Oh, and I’m not sure it is the same formal dining room as pictured because that has no kitchen off of it. I think this is another dining room.
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Here is a write up by an Indian journalist which is an interesting take:
https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/shah-rukh-khan-deserves-better-than-an-unprepared-david-letterman/amp-11572410335004.html?__twitter_impression=true
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I love Raja Sen!!!!! As soon as I saw the byline, I got excited. And he did not disappoint. Really good take.
On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 5:37 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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LOL He also mentioned Owen and Laxmi painting 😉
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I also love Raja Sen and his criticisms were apt. I’m going to figure out how to send him your take, Margaret. I think there was confusion between filling the audience with rabid fans and introducing him to Americans. They couldn’t decide the goal and didn’t quite do either one. As a fan who was there, who knew every single story or at least a version of it, and who has watched it multiple times, I still think it was a good show.
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I think the mistake was that they honestly didn’t realize what would happen when they listed him as a guest. Normally sites like 1iota will list all guests and people can request tickets but they had no idea about the kind of craze SRK has. The minute those tickets came up, diehard fans would snatch them. And obviously it would be desis paying so much attention to him that they know within minutes that he was going to be a guest. This doesn’t happen with normal American celebrities. People mostly just go because they are going to be in town that day and would like to see a show.
They actually needed to follow the same protocol that they did with Obama and just keep his name secret. People who request tickets would just be doing it because they would like to see a Letterman episode. Even if they didn’t know him, it would be fine because SRK can work those kind of rooms too. The TED talk was that way and it worked out fine.
But I think neither Letterman or Netflix had a good idea of what their aim was. Was it to show the American audience who this guy is? Then the India portions and Letterman playing cricket and roaming around in a flower market makes sense. So does showing all the fan craze at his house. The audience should have been a normal representation of the NY demographic, not just desis.
If was meant to be shown to the Indian public, the desi audience in the theater makes sense but nothing else does. Why the exotic India shots? Why Letterman stupidly playing cricket? Hell, why even bother with the crowd at Mannat? Indians already know all this.. don’t waste their time.
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I vehemently agree with Molly and you.
Athough I thoroughly enjoyed the interview, it was a big let down for me that the motivation for this interview wasn’t clear at all.
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I felt that the interview was a great reflection of Shah Rukh the charmer, but a really poor reflection of Letterman, the interviewer. Was it just me, or did he seem woefully unprepared, asked superficial questions (that shah rukh obviously knocked out of the park) and didn’t really seem to take his guest seriously? Yes, three billion people love Shah Rukh but he is more than the number of his fans. Ugh. I was frustrated.
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We had a couple of lucky people who were there from the DCIB community. They said the actual interview was almost 3 hours long and felt very in depth. So I think it is less Letterman, and more the editing. A lot of the back and forth after the initial superficial question was cut, so the interview turned bland.
On Thu, Apr 16, 2020 at 11:41 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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