This much we know: Shah Rukh Khan will make money. But, as it turns out, there are plenty of things he won’t do.
During a discussion at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Friday with his “Jab Tak Hai Jaan (JTHJ) co-star Katrina Kaif by his side, SRK got candid about his no-nos — and the one rule he just broke.
SRK says no to... kissing (sometimes)
The superstar says he was “forced” to kiss for JTHJ, and says it was only a demand of the script.
“I had a couple of rules actually; that I won’t ride a horse and I won’t kiss. Both are cumbersome. I don’t know how to do both on screen.”
Social networking platforms haven’t stopped buzzing with chatter about the kiss scene between Khan and Kaif in the film, released last Tuesday.
“I will be very honest. Adi [Aditya Chopra], Yash ji and Katrina, and I say this with all humility and thankfulness to them, that they knew I was awkward, I had issues and I am a very easy actor to work with. They are like my family and they said, ‘You don’t have to do this’ and then they got together and they forced me and then even paid me for it.”
“So... when heroines say that ‘I wore a bikini because the story demanded me to’, I did it [the kiss] because the story demanded it. Believe me or don’t believe it. It is very mechanical with 100 people telling you what to do. It’s very odd. I don’t even do photoshoots with heroines if it is not for my film and that is also rude, but I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. I find it very awkward taking my shirt off and posing. I can do it in character for film,” he said.
But JTHJ was “extremely special because of Yash ji [Yash Chopra]”. “He spoke to everyone and he said ‘Shah Rukh, this is a requirement’.”
SRK says no to... Hollywood
“First of all, I have not been offered any Hollywood movie. I know a lot of people working in the production of Hollywood films. There are a lot of studios here, so we keep meeting the studio heads also. But I don’t feel I have the USP of being in Hollywood.”
“I don’t know kung fu. I’m not the greatest dancer. I’m not like a cool guy. I think they [Hollywood] have enough actors of my age. I desire to work in Indian films and be a part of Indian films in any which way I can. I dedicate my coming years to Indian cinema only,” he said.
SRK says no to... politics
“I have been asked this question for the past many years. I know many politicians and have huge amount of respect for them. I talk a lot to them too, but politics is not my job profile.”
“My job is to make films and entertain people through this medium. I just want that people, who are fed up of continuous ups and downs of the political world, breathe a sigh of relief and get entertained through my films,” he added.
However, if he gets the chance to play a politician on-screen, Khan would love to play Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad.
SRK says no to... Salman Khan
The two Bollywood icons, who did films like Karan Arjun and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai together, had a major fight in 2008 at a birthday party for Salman’s then-girlfriend Katrina Kaif, who now hopes to produce a movie featuring both actors. SRK says it’s not going to happen.
“My thing is that we had a little bit of personal issue. This is not the first time. It was four years ago and it had been before. We have been very close for 20 years and even more. From the time I came, I respect his family and the fact that they gave me so much of love. I can never be disrespectful about that. Having said that, we have grown together.”
“We have certain things similar and certain things which we completely disagree on. So, at this point of time we are at that plain of disagreement and there might come a time when these things will get resolved, not resolved... but it will never be on a public platform. It will be a personal thing.”
“It will not be if a producer, director casts me in a film, even if it is Katrina Kaif.”
“It will never get resolved if two or three people came in between and say ‘resolve it’... I don’t think a film is going to bring us together and resolve anything. It can be that we board the same plane and start chatting, but not for a film. But I don’t think it will happen now. We don’t really sit and think of it.”
