Were you apprehensive about thePKtransistor poster? We haven’t seen you do something like that ever.
First of all, the poster is a very important moment in the film. In that one moment, you get to know what the film is about. Was I apprehensive about posing for it? No, I wasn’t. If you had asked me two years ago if I would do a nude shot in a film, I would have said no. We are not used to being without clothes ( smiles ). But when I read the script, it was most natural to me.
How did your wife Kiran Rao react to it?
Well, I think we have to be honest to our work. We hope that when people see the film they will understand this better. I don’t think Raju Hirani, Abhijat Joshi, Vidhu Vinod Chopra or I would do something like this (shedding our clothes) to be sensational. Nor would we resort to something like this just to market a film.
What we need to do is be honest to our material. And that is what we have done here. If that has an adverse response, so be it.
Could any other actor have donePK?
Yes, of course. The force behind PK is Raju Hirani, not me. If you replace me in this film, it will do just fine. But if you replace Raju, then you don’t have a film. PK is essentially his film. According to me, he is the number one director in the industry. His track record shows that.
What do you think of the 100-crore film trend?
It’s a very unfortunate trend, especially for creative people. The moment you link your film to a 100-crore club, you pick and choose only such films; the shadow of numbers looms large over the creative aspects. And the moment you seek only such films, an actor’s choice becomes very limited. You can only do an Avengers or a Spiderman, which will potentially go on to make that kind of money. And that really kills creativity. So I have always selected films based on what I feel for them. I selected Taare Zameen Par because I loved the idea. I selected Rang De Basanti because I loved the story, despite the fact that it was the fifth remake of Bhagat Singh and Azad. I did Lagaan when the entire industry thought it was a disaster. So all these films, including Sarfarosh , were chosen not because they would become hits but because I loved them. That they went on to do huge business is great. It only shows us that the audience is changing, that they want different kinds of films. What was earlier considered mainstream, today is actually not mainstream ( smiles ). The fact of the matter is that we are in the business of telling stories. Films have to be new each time. I like to break the formula.
Box office figure inflation…
It’s childish ( smiles ). I think people in the industry feel that by inflating figures, they can convince people about how much business they have done. Plus, you can buy editorial space in various newspapers and print that you have done this much business. But it’s meaningless. At the end of the day, you know how much money you have made. And the industry knows how much business you have really done. I would really welcome something like Rentrak in India. In the U.S., this website tracks every ticket that’s sold.
Why so secretive about PK?
If I have to choose one word to describe the film, I’d say ‘Raju Hirani’. Essentially it’s a drama, but it uses humour as a vehicle, common to all Raju Hirani films. The reason for keeping so quiet about the plot is because I don’t want to spoil the viewers’ experience.
Your son Junaid has assisted Hirani on the film. How was it working with him? Any plans to launch him in Bollywood?
It was great learning for him. He didn’t get any special treatment. He was one of the junior assistants, he stayed with the unit and not with me. He is still young and learning. If he feels he is ready to take the next step, and I can back him on that, perhaps then. There’s a lot of time for that.
2015 is so far quite free. You haven’t signed a film andSatyamev Jayatetakes a break. Any plans to direct a film?
No, I have no plans yet. I am reading scripts to decide what I should act in next. When I find a script appealing, I will take it up. After completing Season 3 of Satyamev Jayate , the entire team felt we needed a break, just to recover and heal emotionally. We will be back but I don’t know when. So next year, you won’t have any release from me.
Do you, Salman and SRK ever plan to work together in a film or at least do a cameo?
A film with the three of us does sound exciting, and if ever a suitable script comes up, I am sure we will be happy to do it. Salman came on SMJ because the episode focussed on TB, and he was invited to speak about his contribution. He has done a lot of work on that. He wasn’t there to dance ( smiles ). As for cameos in each other’s films, I don’t see that happening right now.