What's Shah Rukh Khan's take on women? What's the secret behind his staying power? And what's he got to say about favourite director Farah Khan's nixing him for her next movie? Jigar Shah of Bollywood News Service catches the actor in an effervescent mood. Excerpts:
You won the Cosmopolitan award for being Fun and Fearless recently.
When I was going for the event, my daughter said you are going to get an award for being fearless but you are so scared of mom. I found it a bit odd. Also, they think I'm very boring at home, I'm not very fun with them. But it's sweet to get the award.
It seems you are pretty popular with women since its women who have voted for you. Have you figured out the eternal question -- what women want?
I don't know whether what I feel is universal or not ... but you need to be kind to her. By that, I don't mean that you need to be extra sugary. I think you need to let them do what they want to do. As a man, I believe that unless you trust a woman, you will never be able to make them happy. There are those books which say that a man should say ‘I Love You' at least once in a day or say “You're so pretty' at least once in a day. Nothing of this sort. You do your stuff and let her do her stuff. It's very simple I think.
It is said that behind every successful man there is a women. Would you say the same of Gauri?
Kya peeche? Gauri walks before me on the ramp (laughs).
You have been a star for 15 years now. What are the things that make a star?
It is as simple as doing your job well. But people make it very complicated. In Indian cinema, the popularity of a person in personal life also comes to the fore. I just think I'm very lucky, in the last few years the country has spent some really nice moments with me, and some bad moments. They have been part of my cinema; they have seen me fighting with my injuries and coming back. People love me a lot.
But I can't say in generic terms what one needs to be a star -- you need to work hard, be honest to what you are making and trust that the film you are making is the one everyone wants to see.
You are not part of Farah Khan's next Tees Mar Khan … Yet, Farah had said that she will do films only with you.
I keep on saying to my old directors, and to the ones I will be working in the future, that don't need to make films only with me. These are really great directors; they should go ahead and do cinema with actors who suit the job.
But it is said that you didn't have dates for Farah.
I have been injured, and some of my dates have gone out of control but I can't help it. I have still not started working, I will take another couple of months. It is time for Farah to work hard and work well. And I think what she has done is the right thing. It is her husband's production; she cant keep on waiting for me to recover. Whenever she has a film for me, we will do it together.
Have you heard the script of Tees Mar Khan ?
Yes, I have heard it three years back and it is wonderful. Farah is a wonderful director; she will make the biggest film whenever she will make it. It is a kind of film that I wouldn't have been to able to participate in. But it is a film that Farah should direct and Shirish should produce.
Dulha Mil Gaya'spromo are out.
I have just a two-day role in the film.
