Picture Perfect Pairing

They've all lit up the screen. But one couple stands out: Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. They are perhaps the most endearing on-screen couple to have emerged from Bollywood.

Khan and Kajol were last seen together in Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Ghum (K3G). Now, nine years later, they are back with My Name Is Khan (MNIK) which may well turn out to be their sixth blockbuster after Baazigar, Karan Arjun, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH) and Kabhi Khushi Kabi Gham (K3G). The secret behind their success is amazing on-screen chemistry backed by well-fleshed characters and the best directorial talent.

Khan and Kajol are no more the young and dashing couple we first saw, and they're both happily married off-screen, but the audience still waits with bated breath to see them together.

Caring relationship

But not many are aware that Khan and Kajol didn't hit it off instantly. "I didn't know Kajol when I did Baazigar, and even after Karan Arjun we didn't exactly become friends, but we always ensured that our characters looked like the dream couple," explains Khan. "When we began to do DDLJ, we thought we disliked each other, but we ultimately became good friends during the shoot, and the film went on to create history. We bonded a lot over the years and this has helped our chemistry in subsequent films like KKHH and K3G."

Kajol also says that she enjoys working with Shah Rukh. "Our off-screen comfort level is reflected in the films we do. It is probably the fun we have together on-screen that the audience enjoys watching the most in our films. This makes them look forward to our future projects. Moreover, we do films with exceptional scripts that do justice to both of us, and a certain amount of freshness is retained due to the gap between the releases of our films," says Kajol of her rapport with Khan, which is still thriving 17 years after they came together. Helping their on-screen magic is their tremendous admiration for each other. "I have always admired Shah Rukh for his energy, intelligence and sense of humour. He is a total professional and likes to be involved in every scene. He provides great input as a co-star to help my performance. I think Shah Rukh is an honest person who works for the overall benefit of the film," says Kajol.

Likewise, Khan too has praise for his co-star. "Kajol is a wonderful person and is one of my few dear friends that I keep in touch with even when we are not doing films together. We share a similar sense of humour and I like that she is very straight-forward and doesn't hesitate to call a spade a spade. Doing a film with her is a delight"

Asked to recall a favourite moment with Kajol, he says, "I've had a lot of memorable moments, but I recall the shooting of DDLJ, we were doing the scene after the Zara Sa Jhoom track in the film and it was supposed to be a tense moment. But we kept giggling and laughing, much to the annoyance of Adi (Aditya Chopra), who got the scene shot after several takes. We still laugh when we think about it. 

Different treatment

"My Name Is Khan is unlike any of our previous films as there are no song-and-dance sequences, but there is romance, which is treated uniquely. As my character is suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, the treatment had to be different," says Khan. He plays Rizvan Khan who has to deal with his condition even as 9/11 sparks a sentiment of prejudice.

It was challenging for Kajol to play opposite an autistic character. "Shah Rukh is playing a character that he hasn't attempted before and I also had to accustom myself to his behavioural changes and body language, but thankfully it didn't take long," says Kajol. She plays Mandira Rathore, who marries Rizvan Khan despite knowing his condition. "It is a unique love story of a couple from different religious backgrounds whose relationship comes under stress post 9/11," she says.

The common factor

All Bollywood directors dream of casting Khan and Kajol together, but only Karan Johar succeeds. MNIK is his third film with the duo after KKHH and K3G. "People say I dip in and out of retirement and only come to play for Karan's films," laughs Kajol.

"I have high regard for Karan, I need to have a very good reason to stay away from my family for long hours. Karan's films always manage to spark that excitement in me. Maybe he knows me too well and understands exactly what will get

me out of the house, so in a sense he is able to leverage his friendship with me and take it to a professional level, but ultimately it is always my prerogative to turn down a project."

Everyone knows about the bond between Khan and Johar, so it's not very surprising to see Khan opposite Kajol in Johar's films. "Karan and I are more than just an actor and director or business partners as we share a mutual bond that extends to our families," says Khan. "Karan knows me very well as an actor and we wanted to do something different with MNIK".