DISCUSSION
Q. You have been rated as the 41st most powerful man in the world. What do you feel about that?
A. I am a Muslim; I am also a modern Muslim. I take this iconic status very seriously. And I hope somehow through my work, the way I speak about Islam, youngsters will take a cue from what I do.They need to understand that being a Muslim is not a bad thing. I want to teach my children the right thing.
Q. Do you feel like doing something about it through your art form?
A. I would like to, though I still hold the belief that the entertainment I provide is basically for entertainment.Within it, if they can somehow hide a little message of the things that I believe in, then it’s good. But they should not overtake the entertainment.
Q. Do you think by denying the immense power of art, in your case films, you are doing a disservice to the society?
A. Since I started acting, I have never thought of this. Maybe younger people have started to think this way. I watch films to escape from the problems that I had when I was young and even now. Maybe that is why I make escapist kind of cinema. I never thought cinema would change my life.Maybe I should start thinking like that.
Q. Can cinema and art show the way from religion to spirituality?
A. I think spirituality is a private thing. It has to come from within. For me, acting is spiritual. It will be fantastic if we can do it through cinema. But if I do it through cinema,my spirituality may not work for you. It will stop being universal. But it is a good thought. The only thing is that the film won’t be a hit.
Q. Do you think the reaction to you would be different if you were Shekhar Krishna?
A. Shekhar Radha Krishna. I don’t think there would be any difference. I have never been made aware through my profession, or otherwise, about religion in this country. I think artists have this tendency to transcend divisions.
Q. How do you perceive corporates entering into films?
A. The corporate culture is a little too cold, strangely for films. When I meet them, they ask, what are the returns on our film? Cinema is a strange art form that is measured on the anvil of finance. Normally art is for art’s sake. But it is not good cinema for you or for me unless it is a hit.
Q. Today, young people dream of being film stars and cricket stars. How do you foresee their future?
A. I think every youngster should be encouraged. All art forms have reached a level where they are commercially viable. I would like my children to become actors. Not because they are my children.Just as a profession. And even more than that I want my daughter to be a sportswoman.A lot of hatred would be reduced if we were sportsmen. I think it teaches us to lose but not be losers.
Q. Have you been criticised by Muslim hardliners for being a moderate Muslim?
A. Not yet. I am careful about that. And I have never spoken about Islam in a derogatory or wrong manner. I do speak the word of the Quran, which is actually quite like the word of the Bible, of the Tora and of the Gita. Same novel, same topic, just different languages.They are just translations.
Q. What can you and others like you do to promote peace?
A. Ask what not the film industry can do for you. Ask what Pakistan and India can do for each other. Don’t put it on us.
Transcript of Q&A session with Shah Rukh Khan
KJ: Thank you Shah Rukh 'Can Art overcome hate SR'?
SRK: I want to clarify. This is the wrong speech, this is the Dalai Lama speech on peace and religion. I don’t know if art is so powerful atool that it can overcome hatred. I don’t think hatred can be overcome so easily. It would be too utopian, to paint some pictures, sing some songs do some music and say o aaj se hum khoon karna bandh kar denge, hum bure kaam karna bandh kar denge. I don’t think it will happen But I truly believe is U are somehow U start to appreciate the finer things. When I say art I do really mean nature itself. I think none of us can duplicate that in our wildest dreams. I think that is an art form itself We need to just respect nature We need to respect life. If U respect everyone else’s life as U do your own, then art maybe able to overcome hatred. Your kind of artistic films, no.
KJ: Mine just break marriages, I don’t know about hatred. My problem is with that institution. I have no problem with hate.
KJ: We do come from cinema that is an art form, both of us Cinema definitely is an art form that is accepted globally. But definitely within the film fraternity that we paint as a big happy family, do we really mean it? Within the parameters of our industry, ou fraternity, there is a certain sense of hatred.
SRK: Are you being personal with me?
KJ: I am talking about the lack of love rather than hate?
SRK: Because our art form gets talked about so much gets splashed around so much, it sort of affects U also The good things make U feel pompous, proud like a superstar. It becomes so amazingly public that competition does tend for us to get personal at times but I don’t think it becomes hatred. We all have onething common. As frivolous, as funny, as strange and as weird and sometimes over the top, cinema might be. Actos and actresses might be we know that the bottomline is a lot of hard work, lot of passion and it is also temporary like life. We recognize that and within that littlw frame of time that we get some of us are lucky to get 20 years, some of us are not. But we want to do as much creativity of our kind as possible And that leads to edgier competitive spirit. I don’t think it leads to hatred. Hatred is too strong a word. It is what happens when lives are taken out around us.
KJ: I think because of the position U have reached there is a ripple effect of that, not hatred but envy maybe. Coming back to your superstar statusreally, Shah Rukh is the 41st most popular man in the world largely it was written because of your iconic Islamic status. What happens when U here that. What is your perception of that statement?
SRK: All of us because of our upbringing and because of what we have been taught. By parents and the books we all respect our faiths and the religions. I am a muslim, I am also a modern Muslim. This iconic status that was given to me si quite important, I take it very seriously. And I hope somehow through my work,somehow the way I speak about Islam,though the kind of things that I do, yes I am frivolous, I joke, but I am a deep thinking person. I hope the youngsters in this country do take a cue from what I do. I am pompous enough and self obsessed enough to think that I have done sort of good things to be recognized as an icon, an Islamic icon and I think people need to understand is lam from a modern point of view.
They need to understand being a muslim is not a bad thing, I am doing a film with Karan called, my name is khan, sort of deals with the subject. My name is khan and I am not a terrorist. OI think these issues, I can comment on. My knowledge of Islam may not be the best But I can comment ondeep rooted sense of good thinking and good feeling and not because of the status given by the Newsweek but I am proud that yes, I also think I am An Islamic icon and youngsters should take some sort of teaching from my work and through the things that I say. Hopefully it will give them a better understanding of their own religion, their life.
I love young people to come forward and work hard and do it with a lot of edge do it with a lot of gusto and power and because now I have children, I have started taking this role even more seriously. Because I want to teach my children the right thing. I want this country to be proud of my kids also. I have more or less done the right thing. This is ageart platform, to spread the word of righteousness, islam and being an icon, being a movie star, the right spisit, I would like to do it.
KJ: Do U feel like doing something about it through your art form? Despite your superstar status, U might have been vulnerable. Being a part of the minority religion?
SRK: I would like to though I still hold the belief that the entertainment that I provide is basically for entertainment. Within it if they can somehow hide alittle message of the things that I believe in is nice , but they should not overtake the entertainment. Lot of people disagree with me. Lot of people say, no your films should always say good messages. Messages are fpr the post office, films are for entertainment. The work that I do should make me feel happy. Genuinely my job here todsay is to talk about a serious topic. I take and understand the seriousness of it. But my job is also mainly to entertain all of U. I am an artsist. So I would like to do it through my work. But I would not like it at this stage. I am 43, I don’t think at this stage of my career, I would like my thoughts, my beliefs overtake the entertainment value of my films. I am being very honest. I have done a few films like Chak De,I believe in sports so I have done it . Maybe the choices that U make in the films that U do, I think do reflect the kind of beliefs U have. I don’t know what belief Om Shanti Om reflects.
KJ: Reincarnation!
SRK: Dard e disco. Maybe the sense of fun and enjoying life. The choices that I make in film do reflect my beliefs. The film I am making, My Name is Khan is the most important film that I have done in 20 years of my career. I don’t know the fate of that film.
KJ: Trust me, nor do I .
SRK: But we are still making it. Some of us will. And I think yes through my work, maybe later on I’ll try to do that even more. At this stage I try as much as I can, but I don’t have sleepless nights over it.
KJ: I do.
KJ: Is is frustrating then, U have achieved so much, you platforms addressed to your thoughts, you are revered globally, nationally and yet when it comes to the release of one of your films, U have to drop your title because of certain pressures. U Have to drop the word barber and just call a film Billu because certain organizations object, certain communities. Certain people who might for no rhyme or reason will suddenly come in the week of the realease and cause mayhem in your creative existence.
SRK: If I was younger yes,it would be disturbing, but now I have started to understand and I would like everyone tpo think about it when thjey go home, are we becoming so impatient? I can’t understand at all. Is the world moving so fast. That’s why we have to keep up with it. We have impatience in every thing. I think we have too much information which is wonderful through the internet, through all the channels, I think we are just getting so many things so fast, I think everybody has started believing, there is access to so much visibility via the media now that U can have your 15 minutes of fame.
And I wish 15 minutes of fame to everybody in this world , to the 6 billion odd people that live in this world. I think it si beautiful to be famous. I have been that for some years and I really enjoy. But I think U need to do it in a more deserving way. I think this level of impatience, I think it is lack of education, I don’t know enough about things. I over react and sit on a mobike and throw a kerosene bomb at my house. Because U misunderstood the song.
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