SHAH RUKH TALKS TO RADIO SARGAM
Robeel Haq Interviews The Legend

Meeting Shah Rukh Khan is always a pleasure. In fact, he is easily one of the most charming Bollywood stars you could hope to meet. Although I previously met him less than a month ago, I was keep for a reunion since I had just watched one of the preview screenings of Devdas currently being held in London.

As I arrive to meet him, Shah Rukh is doing a photo shoot with Aishwarya Rai for the mainstream British media. Abhishek Bachchan and Boney Kapoor are also hovering around. Shah Rukh jokes around with Ash and they look great. The photographers get exactly what they want and once it's all over, I get my interview.

The last time we met, Shah Rukh was about to fly off to the Cannes Film Festival, where Devdas also received a screening. "The response was really heartening," he says with a smile. "I was just like a kid in a toy store. I only knew for certain that I would be attending Cannes days before the actual screening. I guess I had big expectations but the experience was much more than I could imagine. To be honest it was the first time that I truly felt like a star. The people there were incredibly gracious and they really seemed to really enjoy the film. It even got a ten or fifteen minute standing ovation, which really made me proud."

There has recently been talk about a mainstream distribution company wanting to buy the rights to the film. "Trying to get such a company interested is hard work," he explains. "They normally want to watch the movie six or seven months in advance. Therefore we have to think whether he would release it in India like normal or wait six months for a wider international release. By that time people might think the project is stale back home. Then you have to really think whether it has the potential to cross over."

Shah Rukh Khan has been staying in London for quite some time now, whilst he takes a break from Bollywood and recovers from recent health problems. "The problem is not as big as I have read! Actually I've been reading the problems are completely focused on my back but it's actually something to do with my neck. Anyway its something that I needed to look into and its fine."

So what exactly has he been up to during his stay in this country? "I've been having so much fun. Its just great to wake up in the morning and not worry about taking the kids to school or reporting for a film shoot. It’s the first time in the eleven years that I have been in the industry that I have taken a holiday. We have been all over London. I took the family to Trocadero in Leicester Square, we went to McDonalds, too many places to mention."

Since he has become the favourite actor amongst British Asians, surely he must have been spotted during his outings? "I have found that there are certain areas where I am fine and others where I get spotted and people start following me. I went to Starbucks the other day and a group of people started following me. Department stores are another place I have to avoid so my wife does all my underwear shopping in the UK!"

Shah Rukh also went to watch the musical Bombay Dreams during his stay. "I liked the show, but then I might be slightly biased because I love to encourage such things. The audience was very mixed when I went, which is a great sign. It wasn't just Asians or another other race. Such things must make British Asians proud. I have also been watching some British sitcoms and they also have Asian characters."

I mention to Shah Rukh that he is looking full of life, which he puts down to the break, "I feel great. The break has done a lot of good. I'm staying in London for a few more days and then its back home to India. When I get back I will take a further thirty days off and then get back to filming."

At this stage we realise that we are missing Brazil's latest world cup game, which we both desperately want to watch. I wrap things off by asking which films he will work on after his return to Mumbai. "Well, I'm out of work at the moment but I have had people visit me and talk about possible projects. There are five or six potential films at the moment, so I have will to decide when I get back to India. Two of the films are home productions being directed by Farah Khan and Aziz Mirza. There is also Nikhil Advani's movie although I don’t know the rest of the cast for that movie yet. "