Monday, September 17, 2007

When Shah Rukh Khan came to Dubai 18 months ago as global brand ambassador of an Indian bank, he had looked tired. Good, but still tired — a superstar moving invariably towards middle age.

Now he seems to have turned the clock back.

Fresh-faced, long-haired, his white shirt open a few more buttons than usual, he looked relaxed and happy. And fit.

This new look — complete with a six-pack — he attributes to his next film, Om Shanti Om. A film where he says he plays "a young, brash, cool, dude-y superstar, the kind of man who has long hair and rides a Harley or a Ferrari".

In Dubai on Saturday night for the launch of the film's music album, the re-invented Khan spoke about his new film, new look and new, very young, heroine.

Excerpts from an interview:

What different things can we expect from Om Shanti Om, considering it's a Farah Khan and Red Chillies production?

I remember every time I did a movie — Don, Swades, Chak De — people said is this going to be different? I've heard a lot of young people say 'my film is off the beaten path, zara hathke'. But I'm not going to say that.

You will have the same six songs. You will have the same hero whom you've been watching, hopefully, for the last 16 years. But I have a six pack and never had that before [laughs]!

We will be telling a story that you may have heard before. My mother told me the same story for the last 15 years of her life. But I wanted to hear it every night because she'd say it differently.

That's what we do in films. I've done romances, revenge dramas, mean films, action films. But every time we've tried to tell it differently, do it differently. Shoot it differently.

It's not rocket science. The story [of Om Shanti Om] will not blow your mind. It's about reincarnation, one continuous story that moves from the Seventies to 2007.

Do you believe in reincarnation?

No I don't. But that's what we do — deal in the unreal. Films ARE larger than life. Even when I do a film based on real life like Asoka or Chak De, it's still exaggerated. I've heard people say, 'oh, that film's not real'. But which film is?

Where do you see people sing songs? When in life do you have background music that's perfectly in sync with your emotions?

Deepika, your heroine in the film, is half your age. How did it feel romancing her?

It did feel odd in the beginning. Even with Priyanka [Chopra, his co-star in Don], I'd felt a bit odd. I'd tried explaining to her a scene I had done earlier and then realised she was a child when she saw that movie!

In Dilwale [Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge], where I worked with Kajol, there's this scene where I'm concentrating hard as she walks away, saying she'll turn back if she loves me. There was this similar scene with Deepika. I talked about that scene in Dilwale with her. That's when I realised Deepika was only eight or nine when she saw that movie!

Of course, it feels a little odd to say I love you to someone so much younger. But then, she's taller than me [laughs], very educated, very confident. You get used to the role.

You've been experimenting with your looks in recent films. Do you enjoy doing so?

I do it only if the role demands it. But I'm an emotional chameleon. I don't need to LOOK different to BE different. I can talk differently, walk differently for the role.

A lot of people said I looked old in Kank (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna). That's how I wanted to look. I have these wrinkles around my eyes [points at them], I wanted them to look more prominent. I was this cynical, tired man with a 9-year-old son. Why should I look young? I grew a beard too but Karan [Johar, the director] wanted it off, so no beard.

For Chak De, I had another look altogether. I was quiet, I was strong. I walked differently. When I walked into a room, everyone knew that it was Kabir Khan, the man in control.

I'm a nuance-based actor. Sometimes I tend to do too much. This time I wanted to do a quiet role. Kabir Khan is an emotional yet strangely macho man. Some people asked me, 'Are you trying to be a Naseeruddin Shah or an Om Puri?'. Absolutely not!

I'm not insecure about anyone else. I enjoy life. I'm insecure about myself. I compete with my last film.

I've said this again and again, I'm like a race horse with blinkers on. With every film I try and cross a barrier — an emotional or physical barrier — that I have set myself.

Okay, so what about your new look in Om Shanti Om?

In Om Shanti Om I play this young, brash, cool, dude-y superstar. He's rich, spoilt. He expects everything to go his way. So I grew my hair, like John Abraham or Zayed Khan. I worked on a six-pack. I took off my shirt!

I play both this man in the Seventies and his reincarnation in 2007. And Farah kept laughing at me, saying the Seventies suited me just fine.

You have a birthday coming up [November 2]. Any fears about growing old?

No, none. I enjoy life. For my next film I want to do something totally demented. I want to jump down from 10 storeys.

Music to our ears

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, the two stars of Om Shanti Om, released the music album of the Farah Khan film at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel on Saturday, nearly two months ahead of the film's scheduled release.

It was a T-Series and Viva Entertainment event. For the first time, a Hindi film's music will be available for full download on mobile handsets, courtesy Hungama Mobile. In the UAE, ring back tones are available.

"Music is intrinsic to any film, whether as a soundtrack or songs," Khan said. "Our films are all musicals. The music album gives you the first taste of the film."

Vishal-Shekhar's music for Om Shanti Om has "a great modern sound," he said. "Their music is very right here, right now."

On another note, Khan dismissed all rumours of rivalry between him and the Bachchans. "I can't call Mr Bachchan a friend because he is so senior, but Abhishek is a friend," he said.

He also disclosed the secret of his energy. "I have no other big pleasures or distractions in life, except films. Everything else is peripheral to my core job of working 10-12 hours a day, hoping to get just one expression right. I'm still very excited about this," he said.

'Madhuri's always there'

Madhuri Dixit, once Hindi filmdom's number one heroine, returns to the screen later this year. This is what Shah Rukh Khan, her co-star in several films including the memorable Dil To Pagal Hai, said about the actress: "A superstar like Madhuri is always in our hearts, in our minds. Yes, she felt she needed time to get married, have children, lose weight. Now she's back.

"I met her about seven months ago when I was shooting Chak De, and we spent a long time together. I didn't even feel she'd gone anywhere."

The first-floor corridor of Jumeirah Beach Hotel's conference centre is knee-deep in reporters, TV and radio crew.

Downstairs in the ballroom, the invited guests are beginning to gather for the music launch of Om Shanti Om. Upstairs, we are waiting for Shah Rukh Khan, who has to face us before he faces his crowd of fans.

Would we like to interview Deepika Padukone while we wait for King Khan, we're asked politely. Of course, we chorus.

I'm ushered into a smaller room. There sits Deepika, glorious in a scarlet Anarkali-style Tarun Tahiliani churidar-kurta. Her skin glows, dusky cheek bones blushing pink. Her hair is faultless, her smile dazzling. I can understand exactly why Farah Khan is reportedly gushing about her new find.

Deepika is not new to fame, although Om Shanti Om is her first Hindi film. The daughter of badminton ace Prakash Padukone has been a successful model for several years. Now she makes her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan, under the direction of Farah Khan.

Enviable, by any standards. But that doesn't seem to have turned her head. She speaks little — but is still refreshingly candid.

Excerpts from a quick chat:

You're being hailed as the freshest new face in Bollywood in years. How does that feel?

It's nice to get compliments. It means there's a lot of hard work to be done and plenty of living up to expectations.

How did Om Shanti Om happen?

Farah [Khan, the director] had seen a couple of my television commercials. She called me up and said she wants to meet me. When we met, she said she'd like to cast me in her film.

Your reaction?

I didn't react. I just smiled and said 'thank you'. But inside, my heart was dancing. Even now, when I sit down with my family, it's very difficult for me to explain exactly what I felt. It was so very special.

Were you in awe of Shah Rukh Khan?

Shah Rukh has been very, very supportive. We met before we started shooting and he was very humble. We spoke about our personal lives and we got to a great comfort level. He used to discuss the scenes before we shot them and give me ideas.

Farah called me home as well. They all looked after me very well. I didn't feel like a newcomer, they all made me so welcome.

What was your favourite moment during the shooting?

Actually, it wasn't even a scene. One day, I had fever but I went in for the shoot anyway. Shah Rukh was a couple of steps away during the scene and suddenly he put everyone on hold. 'One second, I think she has fever,' he said. He took me to my van and scolded me. 'How can you come to shoot with fever? This is your film, you decide when you want to shoot'.

He got me medicines, made me have them, and left only when the fever came down.

So, very good memories of SRK then…

I truly grew up watching Shah Rukh's films. Yes there's Mr Bachchan, Devsaab, Dilipsaab [Amitabh Bachchan, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar, all legendary actors]. But for our generation it's Shah Rukh. There's only one Shah Rukh.

Then acting with him is like a dream come true?

Absolutely. And I'm still living that dream. Haven't woken up yet.

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