The Making of a Star: A Conversation with Shah Rukh Khan
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging interview, the legendary Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, humorously referred to as 'Bond, James Bond,' reflects on his 33-year career marked by perseverance and adaptability. He discusses his ritualistic bath to cleanse himself of past work, his desire to bring hope and happiness through his films, and his surprising hiatus to learn pizza-making during a period of self-introspection. Khan emphasizes the importance of understanding audience preferences and the role of prayer in his life, revealing a personal side to the iconic star.
Takeaways
- 🎬 The interviewee, referred to as 'SRK', is a legendary actor with a career spanning over 33 years, indicating his long-standing success in the film industry.
- 💪 SRK emphasizes the importance of perseverance, which he attributes to his early life experiences as an orphan, teaching him to make the most of what he has.
- 🛁 SRK mentions a ritual of taking a 2-hour bath on Thursday evenings to cleanse himself of the work he has done, symbolizing a mental preparation for the film's release and public reception.
- 🎥 SRK's films are characterized by hope, happiness, and love, which he aims to spread through his work, differing from his initial desire to be an action star.
- 🏠 SRK appreciates Dubai as a place of peace and enjoyment, mentioning his beautiful house and the ease of travel between Dubai and Mumbai.
- 🤔 SRK has not yet 'crossed over' into Western cinema due to a lack of substantial offers, highlighting his commitment to his craft and the audience that appreciates him.
- 🍕 After facing some career setbacks, SRK took a break to learn how to make the perfect pizza, using this time to reflect on his approach to filmmaking and his connection with his audience.
- 🙏 SRK acknowledges the importance of prayer and getting back to work after his period of introspection, which led to the successful comeback with three blockbuster films.
- 👨👧👦 Family and team support played a crucial role in SRK's decision to return to acting, as they encouraged him to focus on storytelling that resonates with his audience.
- 🔄 SRK's introspection led him to realize the need to listen to his audience and deliver stories that provide hope and happiness, rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake.
- 🌐 SRK's dream is to create a film that is loved by the whole world, one that would naturally lead to a 'crossover' rather than seeking it as an end in itself.
Q & A
How does the interviewee feel about being referred to as a legend?
-The interviewee, referred to as 'SRK', humbly dismisses the notion of being a legend, stating that he is just an actor and jokingly compares himself to James Bond.
What is the significance of the number 33 in the context of the interview?
-The number 33 signifies the number of years the interviewee has been actively working as an actor in the television and film industry.
What personal tragedy did the interviewee experience early in life?
-The interviewee lost his parents at a very young age, which he describes as a turning point that forced him to persevere and make the most of his life.
What is the interviewee's perspective on the unpredictability of film success?
-The interviewee acknowledges the unpredictability of film success, noting that films he thought would be hits sometimes flop, and vice versa, indicating that audience reception can be hard to anticipate.
What ritual does the interviewee perform after the release of his films?
-The interviewee describes a ritual of taking a 2-hour bath on Thursday evenings to rinse himself of the work he has done, signifying a mental preparation for the film's reception and the next steps in his career.
Why did the interviewee turn down a role in 'Slumdog Millionaire'?
-The interviewee turned down the role because he was already hosting a television show, 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire', and felt conflicted about portraying a dishonest host in the film while playing a similar role on TV.
What does the interviewee consider the quintessential SRK film to be?
-The quintessential SRK film, according to the interviewee, is one that gives hope, goodness, happiness, and includes good songs, rather than focusing on action or being a seller of dreams.
How does the interviewee perceive his role in the Indian film industry?
-The interviewee sees his role as bringing new technology into the Indian film industry and creating films that are loved worldwide, aiming to make a film that could cross him over to international recognition.
What activity did the interviewee engage in during a period of introspection between 2018 and 2023?
-During this period, the interviewee learned how to make the best pizza in the world, which he describes as a process that taught him perseverance.
What realization did the interviewee come to after a period of less successful films?
-The interviewee realized the importance of making films for the audience, understanding their wants and needs, and the need to balance innovation with what the audience desires to see.
How does the interviewee describe his relationship with Dubai?
-The interviewee expresses his love for Dubai, mentioning that he has a beautiful house there, enjoys the peace it offers, and appreciates its proximity to Mumbai, making it easy for him to visit.
Outlines
😄 Iconic Actor's Journey and Philosophy
In this paragraph, the interviewee, a legendary actor, is introduced with a playful comparison to James Bond. The actor reflects on his 33-year career, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, especially after losing his parents at a young age. He discusses the unpredictability of the film industry, where both critical and commercial success are uncertain, and shares his ritual of taking a 2-hour bath to cleanse himself of the week's work, symbolizing a fresh start each Monday.
🎬 The Essence of the Actor's Filmography
The actor describes his film persona as one that spreads hope and love, often characterized by dramatic and romantic entrances. He mentions a YouTube compilation of his best entrances that his children find amusing. The discussion also touches on his preference for hopeful cinema, his love for Dubai, and the lack of substantial crossover opportunities in Western film industries. He clarifies that he has not been offered significant roles that would prompt a crossover, contrary to popular speculation.
🍕 A Period of Introspection and Personal Growth
The actor candidly shares a period of professional setbacks and personal introspection between 2018 and 2023, during which he learned to make the perfect pizza, symbolizing perseverance. He took a break from seeking stories to tell in films and focused on self-improvement. His family and team encouraged him to return to acting, recognizing his unique ability to bring hope and happiness to audiences through his films. This introspection led to a successful comeback with three blockbuster films in 2023.
🙏 Returning to Work with a Renewed Focus
The final paragraph highlights the actor's realization of the importance of creating content for the audience and the need to balance innovation with audience expectations. He acknowledges the need to listen to the crowds and return to making films that inspire hope and happiness. The actor also emphasizes the importance of prayer and hard work, concluding the interview with a humorous reference to his earlier joke about being Bond, James Bond.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡perseverance
💡star
💡orphan
💡ritual
💡flop
💡hope
💡crossover
💡introspection
💡pizza
💡audience
💡pray
Highlights
Crystalina Gava is intimidated by the person she's about to interview, referring to SRK as a legend.
SRK humorously identifies himself as 'Bond James Bond', playing along with the interview's light-hearted tone.
SRK has been actively working in the film industry for 33 years, reflecting on his long and successful career.
The interview discusses the importance of perseverance in SRK's journey to stardom.
SRK talks about losing his parents at a young age and how it shaped his determination to succeed.
SRK's ritual of taking a 2-hour bath on Thursday evenings to cleanse himself of the week's work is revealed.
SRK humorously invites the interviewer to join him in his bath ritual, maintaining the interview's playful tone.
SRK emphasizes the need to move on from both successes and failures in the film industry to continue creating.
The quintessential SRK film is described as one that gives hope, happiness, and good songs.
SRK discusses his children's playful teasing about his dramatic entrances in films.
SRK expresses his desire to give hope through his films, avoiding hopeless stories.
SRK enjoys living in Dubai, appreciating the peace and privacy it offers him.
SRK clarifies that he has not been offered substantial work in Western cinema, contrary to popular belief.
SRK turned down a role in 'Slumdog Millionaire' due to conflicting character portrayals with his TV show.
SRK's experience hosting a quiz show and his genuine desire for contestants to win is shared.
SRK's dream is to make a film that is loved worldwide and naturally leads to a crossover.
During a period of introspection, SRK learned to make the best pizza in the world, reflecting on perseverance.
SRK's return to acting was influenced by his family's encouragement and a realization of his audience's preferences.
SRK concludes the interview with the importance of prayer and getting back to work after periods of reflection.
Transcripts
it's not
often that I'm downright
intimidated by the person I'm about to
interview crystalina
Gava easy for
lunch but
srk is a
legend aren't you you're being very
sweet uh Richard like I told you I'm not
a legend I'm Bond James
Bond I told you that at the backstage
say that again go on what's what's your
name Bond James
[Music]
Bond would you like to play
Bond I I'd really wanted to but I think
I'm too
short what about Bon baddy baddy yes of
course I'm Brown
enough
if we look at your career how many years
now I think actively including
television uh 33 years now I've been
actively working as an act actor but to
have reached the level of stardom that
you have
reached and for the length of time is
quite an achievement it's more than that
it's a huge achievement but it just it
speaks to more than just obviously the
raw talent but it also speaks to
perseverance the ability to keep going
which is something that's so
crucial um I yeah I think it's uh you
know perseverance is uh I think it
happens to some people uh you don't have
any option but to persevere so maybe
when I was young I lost my parents very
early and then you realize that okay
there's no rewinding this there's no
coming back from death and you have to
continue make the most of what you have
so I was kind of a youngish orphan and I
had to work my way through it or it
could be be just part of nature you know
it's the nature of the Beast that you uh
are just with dogged determination you
keep on working uh where does that come
from I don't know I I've always tried to
analyze it that you know why do I do
what I do why do I wake up in the
morning and just start doing it all over
again even when it's uh um I I think it
taught me you know the work that I do uh
making films um you know the result
happens very suddenly you think you've
made the best of films you think it's
the nicest of stories to tell you think
the world is going to love it and you
wake up on a Friday e morning and
realize it's the biggest flop of your
career and you're like which happened
which happens yeah which happens more
often than not or sometimes you don't
like a film and that becomes the biggest
hit of your career and you say like how
did this happen but what I realized and
I want to say this to everyone actually
and I say this to everyone who's working
with me or people who know me that on
Thursday evening because our films
release on Fridays mostly or Thursday
evenings here in Dubai so Thursday
evening at home in Mumbai i r R myself
with a 2-hour bath and rinse myself of
the work that I've done because what
happens oh hang on yeah let's let's talk
about that bath it's it's a ritual yeah
is it a ritual I mean do you put special
oils and scents do you have bath salts
do you prepare with candles I'm not I'm
not telling you my secret you come and
take a bath with
me easy I I show I'm an actor I'll show
you how to do it should I take him up on
his offer
you carry on Sir okay no but honestly I
I do because you know I realize when you
do a big hit film it's done well and
you're very happy and everybody's
jumping around Friday happens Saturday
happens Sunday happens and you realize
this is a big Blockbuster but Monday I
have to get back to work to make a
better film you made a flop film Friday
you're sad Saturday you're crying Sunday
You're moping and you're not waking up
from bed Monday you have to get back to
work and start making a better film so
Mondays are for trying to make better
films always so you have to persevere
okay but let me be crude you don't need
the money no I need the money oh you do
the bath oils are very
expensive fine what's if you had to
define the
quintessential srk film what would it
be I've said this before I was telling
you uh behind I don't know when it
happened Richard to to be honest I
didn't realize it I never wanted to be
someone who's like I say uh pedling love
or or seller of dreams I wanted to be an
action guy with eight packs and beat up
people being a white uh vest girl on my
side with the Glock in my hand and uh
speak in
bone and things like that but I never
got the opportunity I don't know when I
started off suddenly everybody started
think of me as someone who who's uh uh
you know promising hope giving hope and
spreading love uh like I spread my arms
again and again so I think my regular
film would be a film that gives you hope
gives you goodness gives you happiness
and at the end of it all lots of good
songs yes but you've also if there's a
there's a great YouTube video 4 minutes
of of your best entrances yeah and
there's a lot of action in them yeah
only entries no exits I just keep
entering again and again my kids get
very you know when I I have three kids
and uh whenever that video plays and I
have to tell you a secret we've compiled
it from the office I think it looks just
very cool it's not made by others we've
made it so whenever a show like this
happens and if you allow me to show a
video here we'll show you me just
entering some places and very
dramatically and romantically but my
kids make a lot of fun of it you know
whenever I get a little serious with
them they'll just look at me and say oh
my God he's is doing those entries from
his video
Sr K so it it does become a you want to
give us a oh yeah I can do that I can do
that yeah with your permission sir we'll
if it's okay yeah yeah go go
on is there something you would not
do on screen on on screen I I don't know
I wouldn't be uh I'd like to give hope
in my films the stories that I tell I
hope they end with hope I know I've done
some really sad films also I've done
films where which are tragedies but
somewhere down the line I just hope that
I can give hope in films so I don't like
to give hopeless Cinema or hopeless
stories because I think uh in life and
in businesses and in jobs and world
there's enough uh sadness So you you're
extremely well known here obviously
because of the Indian population that is
here and elsewhere but you like it here
you have you have a home you you are you
are not a hair today gone tomorrow
person for Dubai no no no no I spent a
lot of time here I have a beautiful
house which has been given to me by nil
and uh it's one of the nicest places in
the world because nobody troubles me and
his Excellency the Prime Minister also
just told me that he stays next to it um
so the next New Year party is with him
uh he's a good neighbor but it's it's
really nice I really really enjoy being
in Dubai I really love being here and
you find the jux the position with going
back to to to Mumbai no this is very
easy it's just 2 and a half hours away
so I keep dropping in um we we come with
the kids and there's so much to do here
I'm sounding like the uh uh tourist
ambassador of Dubai suddenly
right everybody asks about
crossover and I'm no
different um because the more I
researched you the more I wondered I
mean all right supposedly 2011 DiCaprio
never happened supposedly allegedly Slum
Dog Millionaire you turned down
allegedly why hasn't the crossover taken
place I don't see why it should you're a
big enough name in your own uh genre but
why has crossover not taken
place I've said this honestly but nobody
believes it so I'm going to say it to
you very very honestly nobody's ever
offered me any work uh crossover of uh
substance I may have had conversations
with people I know lots of lovely people
from the west from the English film
industry from the American film industry
but nobody's offered me uh any good work
you know I hear actors talk about oh yes
I want to crossover I want to take
Indian Cinema I think I'm U I still have
to learn how to be able to deliver to
the audience that likes me and you know
instead of spreading myself too thin and
then yeah of course if you've not been
offered a job how do you take it so
really I've never been offered a film in
uh Hollywood or in uh England yes Slum
Dog was there um now that you mention it
and uh I spent a lot of time with Mr Bo
he's very sweet uh but I was doing uh
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on
television successfully successfully at
that time and I just felt uh in the
story that was being told the guy who
was hosting was very mean uh in the
story that was being told and I'm like
you know I'm here uh doing uh Slum Dog
milliona and the guys who were producing
the show wanted me to do the film I just
found it you know this guy's I was
cheating and being dishonest as the host
so I just found that it's very strange
that I'm being a host and I'm cheating
in the film so I explained to Mr Bo that
I wouldn't like to do it please and they
are way better actors than me and I
think Mr Anil Kapoor did it and he was
fantastic as the
host when the person's getting close to
a million well the the the top in in uh
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire that
moment what do you
feel genuinely when I was hosting it I
would uh hope they win it I really
really hope they but I've done a quiz
show
myself and there comes a
point when you think how close can I get
to getting them to win it without yeah
did you know what I mean I I always did
that you know when I was uh because this
so many people from different parts of
the country and I really want them to
win and you yes you do try to be a
little helpful but you can't you can't
you can't because the producer keeps
shouting in your ears don't youve said
enough you can't talk about it and
unfortunately the last four questions or
the last two questions are extremely
difficult you know suddenly they're
thrown upon you and you're like oh my
God this person is not going to get the
answer and I feel really bad and I try
to think I wish I had some hint and I
can't mislead the person by trying to
give that hint because I also mostly
didn't know the answer
so in what is left that you have not
done that you would like to do and and
by that I I I I that's not a Hollywood
question that is a general you know even
within your own with within Indian films
within production within what what what
Still Remains on your
list so Richard when I started off I
just wanted to survive uh you know be
able to get a week's work or a month's
work or a Year's work and say okay my
films should do well but as years have
gone past I think um this whole U my
whole job has become more and more
motivated towards bringing a new one
technology into Indian film industry uh
I want to end my career Which is far
from ending right now I have another
good 35 years to go I really really want
to make that film which is uh loved by
the whole world and then nobody on a big
stage like this asks me why haven't you
crossed over that film should cross me
over that's my
dream I I I'd want you to learn Hindi
and Udu and Arabic to be able to
understand that
film did you f did you go on a massive
Retreat of personal introspection
between 20 18 and 2023 you just had two
or three films that were not as
successful suddenly he disappears and
everybody thinks oh he's licking his
wounds he's feeling sorry for himself
he's what and then he comes back in 23
with three Blockbusters what was going
on in that inrim period so you kind yes
I had uh massive flops and they did very
very badly and I was doing all of that I
was licking my wounds I was uh not in
you know what I did yeah for 4
years I've never said this to anyone
though I've mentioned it but but today
here I'll tell everyone I learned how to
make the best pizza in the world that's
what I did honest to God I stopped
listening to stories I stopped wanting
to tell stories I found myself and made
myself a small kitchen and I started
learning how to make pizzas and I
learned what you asked me right to begin
with perseverance because to get the
perfect Pizza it takes millions of
square pizzas before you're able to make
it completely round so I learned
perseverance and I will make the best
best pizza in the world can
you
no I'm working on it next four years
when you don't see me but was it a
difficult
moment when your wife and your family
and everybody said will you stop making
pizza go back to work was it difficult
to know now is the time to go back yeah
actually you know there was was always a
toss-up um I was very glad my family
didn't tell me listen your pizzas are
better than your films stop making films
so so I was glad they turned around and
said no as good as your pizza is I think
your films are better they were very
encouraging especially my children my
team uh some of them are sitting here
and they said okay what you're going to
do is uh tell stories and you know I had
become indulgent I started becoming too
Innovative I was looking for Perfection
and I started failing I needed to look
for excellent I needed to be unique but
I needed to look at the audience what
they want and i' stopped hearing the
crowds I used to go where there are
thousands and lacks of people waving at
me but I wouldn't hear or feel what they
wanted to see of me you know I was going
there and waving and I'm saying whatever
I make I'll be Innovative so I did a
film about a vertically challenged guy I
did a film about a manic Psychopathic
fan and I'm like no people just like to
see me giving hope and happiness and
love so let's get back to that and as a
result
the movies that you came back to make
and there were three of them last year
were huge
successes therefore that introspection
clearly worked that clearly did the
trick yes mashallah I think uh um I
think it just helped me uh realize that
whatever you do you have to do for the
people or your consumers or your
audiences and yeah it also made me
realize uh one very main thing that
don't forget to pray you have to pray
and you have to get back to work sir
I'm going to leave you with one I'm
sorry I've forgotten what was your name
again your name is B Bond James Bond
he's available for the authors thank you
sir thank you so much everyone
good
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