A superstar is a superstar — roaring success or dismal failures don’t really affect stardom. Shah Rukh Khan is one such superstar who continues to shine bright even after 25 years of romancing leading Bollywood ladies on screen. The king of romance, who has immortalised Raj in numerous films, has an aura that you can’t miss and his magic only seems to grow.
The actor is now all geared up for his release Zero which will hit theatres on December 21. In the movie, he is seen playing a vertically-challenged man Bauua Singh who is full of life — short in stature but big on love. Directed by Anand L Rai and produced by Gauri Khan, Zero also stars Anushka Sharma playing Aafia Bhinder, a NASA scientist with cerebral palsy, and Katrina Kaif, playing a superstar Babita, who is emotionally challenged. The film portrays Shah Rukh as a dwarf using VFX.
Prior to the release, we met the actor at a hotel in Mumbai on Thursday, where he, in a no-holds barred interview, talked about things he feels deeply about. Excerpts:
- What attracted you to the character of Bauua Singh?
Because of the physicality (in this case, a dwarf), people think we are less but it is actually a thought and an emotion. All of us in our alone time feel incomplete about ourselves. But if you believe and have confidence and feel that you are not less or different but unique, you can overcome all challenges. Like a lot of other actors, I have done films which are about larger-than-life things like jumping off a building, beating up 20 people, wooing the girl. But now, I want to create a new term — ‘a hero is larger than life but the real hero is the zero’. The one who overcomes even the smallest of obstacles and doesn’t give up in life. For example, if my handwriting is bad, I need to work on it, practise and make it better. Being a hero is conquering some kind of incompleteness, and that’s what Bauua Singh stands for.
- How are you treating the subject of disability in the film?
In our society, there are a few things that people notice instantly or get vocal about, though not in a very positive way. If someone is vertically challenged or has cerebral palsy, people start talking about how unfortunate or bechara the person is. Katrina’s character in the film is also emotionally challenged.
When we see a physically challenged person, the first thing we utter is, ‘tch tch tch...’ The objective behind doing this film is to convey to the world that those with physical or mental challenges don’t need sympathy, they need to be treated as equals. I didn’t want to make a sad film on disability, but show that nobody is less. ‘Unko dekh kar yeh mat bolo woh kitne bechare hain, bechara koi nahin hain. Us tarike se toh hum sabhi bechare hain, kyunki hum sabme koi na koi kami hai.’ Through the film, I want to tell the world that those with disabilities are no different from us. We too have shortcomings and we are leading our lives with dignity, so should they. We all have to celebrate life. In one of my earlier films, My Name is Khan, I played an autistic man who is heroic and doesn’t seek any sort of sympathy. He dreams the impossible — meeting the President of America — and he fulfills it. The idea of making such films is to showcase that a hero is not always a 6 feet tall man who has six-pack abs, who rides a fancy bike, dances well, saves the girl from the villain and wins her heart.
- Even after completing 25 years in Bollywood, you are still considered the ‘king of romance’.
It is not because of the song and dance sequences or the romantic scenes, it is because I ensure that I work only with those directors who respect women and through their storytelling, show them respect. The female character should come out strong and dauntless. And my character has to behave well with the girls — even when he is teasing them, there has to be some kind of respect and tehzeeb. This is the reason why my audience associates me with romance, and women understand this thought well.
- What is your perspective towards life?
I was brought up in a lower-middle class background. I was neither rich nor good looking, not blessed with great height, and didn’t know dancing or horse riding. When I was growing up, my mother asked someone, ‘Mera beta actor banega?’ and the answer she got was, ‘Nahin, yeh toh nahin ban sakta’. But my mother kept telling me not to listen to the world and keep working hard. She told me that people thought since my father was no more, she wouldn’t be able to raise me, however, she was determined to give me the best upbringing. She kept encouraging me to become an actor. So my perspective towards life is not to pay attention to others or take their criticism to heart. Don’t be aggressive, be a good listener and just follow your heart and instinct. Coming to my film Zero, many people were apprehensive about the title and thought it was not appropriate for the film, but I know when they see it, they will understand. Zero is not a negative word, zero is sometimes good too.
- How do you deal with negative criticism and trolls on social media?
I would like to explain it through a doha, ‘Jo toko kanta buve, tahi tu buve fool, To ko fool ko fool hai, kanta ko tirsul’, which means that if someone is trying to pierce you thorns, you gift him/ her flowers. Your goodness and kindness will pierce him/ her like a trident. I make a small living through my hard work, love children and respect my wife and sister. However, there are thousands of people who may not like me — they may hate my hairstyle, my clothes, the way I walk or talk. But I can’t change their thinking. My children love me and my family adores me, so I don’t think there is a reason for me to give importance to others. Why should you try to please others? That’s how you have to take social media. You can filter what you want to pay attention to. I don’t react to them because you shouldn’t react to negativity.
- We often talk about women empowerment. But what exactly is the truth?
I am surrounded by such strong women all the time. Early on in my life, I realised that the extremely strong people I met were mostly women. It is very sad that people assume that we need to ‘help’ girls and ‘protect’ women, but more than that, they deserve equality. I hope the new generation of parents teach their children gender equality and help create a gender neutral world. That said, it is sad when we have to tell our boys, ‘Ladkiyon ko mat chhedo’. The thought of teasing girls shouldn’t cross their mind in the first place.
There have been movements and they are not to be taken lightly. You have to be very clear why you started the movement in the first place — don’t just join in because it is fashionable to do so. The current movement has become very media-centric and I don’t want to be a part of it where the purpose seems to have been somewhat lost.
If I can show men and women as equals through my work, I am happy to do so. In my films, the names of the female cast appear first, but it’s just a small thing. It doesn’t really make much of a difference if Anushka or Katrina’s name appears before mine or the other way round, what matters more is that we treat our women as equals, and start respecting them from the bottom of our heart.
"It is very sad that people assume that we need to ‘help’ girls and ‘protect’ women, but more than that, they deserve equality. I hope the new generation of parents teach their children gender equality and help create a gender neutral world."
