My abs shape up better than my biceps when I work out: SRK

Shah Rukh Khan set out to make one of the biggest films of India with Happy New Year. Undoubtedly, Happy New Year is going to be that one film that everybody has their eyes set on and film buffs will not miss it when it releases next week on Diwali. With friend Farah Khan wielding the directorial baton, HNY should be one masala entertainer, going by the past films -- Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om that SRK and Farah have teamed on. A week before its release SRK takes time out to tell you why he does not feel too attached to a film when it is about to release, how his kids are not interested in his films and of course why his abs come out better than his biceps when he works out. Excerpts from a freewheeling chat.

Your film is about to release. You are all over the place with your film Happy New Year. Looks like you are madly in love with your film. Should we call that your passion for the film?

Actually, the way we produce films at Red Chillies, there are so many people working on it we get attached to it. It becomes easier for all of us to communicate about what we have made. When Rohit (Shetty) started working with me (on Chennai Express), more than me the company, the feeling that used to come was that why has this film come to an end? So when we are promoting the film - a Diwali release or a winter release or a summer release -- we like to make it for a larger audience. It is meant for all kinds of audiences. It is not meant for a niche audience. Jab koi artistic film dekhne jaata hai toh voh decide kar ke jaata hai ki usko aisi film pasand hai. The scale of big commercial films is such that you have to reach out to everyone. I think it is important to inform everyone what kind of film it is. For example, to promote a film like Chak De! India I cannot go on Comedy Nights With Kapil or appear on a dance show. But, I can make an appearance on a sports channel. The whole thought of promotions for me is to let people know what kind of film we have made. I have told people in the company since last four years that whatever kind of film we may make, correct information about our content has to reach out to people. It is a big film coming on Diwali. People will come in hordes. I just feel that people should not feel that I did not inform them about what kind of film they are about to watch. Now, if you come to see the film and even if you did not like it, you knew about it. If it is a niche film I will not talk about it in this manner. Swades and Chak De? was not spoken about like that. In my company we are very clear about it. It is actually not passion but a business man's feeling about being honest about his product.

Shah Rukh Khan

Happy New Year (HNY) is very special to you. Is that why you chose Diwali for its release?

No, I decide the release date of my film when it is ready. My next three films --- Fan or Raees or even the film with Rohit that I will be doing - we have not announced the release date of any of these films. Mujhe toh yeh bada ajeeb lagta hai, picture abhi paper pe nahin likhi hai par newspaper mein aa gaya hai ki baaees ko release ho rahi hai. Farah wanted the film to release HNY on Eid. We decided that after we are done with the first schedule in Dubai and another one in India then we can take a call about its release date. I even told her that we can wait till New Year if it is going to take more time. Yesterday, I was reading in some newspaper that I have had 11 of my films released on Diwali and there is not one that has not worked. Itna easy hota toh main har film Diwali pe release karta. But yeah it's a good time to choose a holiday.

Does the pressure of making Rs 200 crore with your movies restrict the choice of films you will do?

No. What puts restrictions on my choice of films is the choice the directors make to cast me. It's not the other way round. I have never produced a film for myself. I like to produce a film which is difficult to produce. Paheli is difficult to produce. Asoka is difficult to produce. Ra.One is difficult to produce. I always made those films. Of course, now we are conscious that we have to make a commercial product. We have to keep this company running. We have 280 people working in this company. Abhi badi film kar ke mujhe laga I want to do a cozy film. Suddenly Maneesh Sharma reminded me about Fan which he had narrated to me eight years ago. I told him, 'Main abhi kar loonga.' I was in that state of mind. I don't know if it will earn Rs 200 crores. But, I have to be sure that some director is in a state of mind to make that film with me.

What is your takeaway from Farah Khan as an actor and as a friend?

I will be honest. I hardly get time to spend with anybody. You get to know people when you are working with them. Somehow that is the relationship with everyone. I have not done a film with Karan (Johar) for more than two years. So I don't get to meet him that often. Farah and I have been working with for a year-and-half. Before that I have not spend time with her for two years. What I have observed about Farah is that she has this amazing self-confidence. It can border on over-confidence also. It can be right or it can be wrong. For example, on the set there are 10,000 people. There are helicopters involved in the shoot and if I ask her Farah, 'Are you ready, she will say, 'Yeah I am ready.' I am amazed at the clarity she has. I don't have that clarity. In a man's world to say it like it is commendable. You can call that intelligence, guts or that quality of just not giving a damn. The kind of respect she garners on the set is amazing. Along with that she gives out a very motherly vibe. A lot of people call her Farah maa. I don't have that motherly vibe in me.

Deepika did her first film Om Shanti Om (OSO) in your production house. As a mentor, would you take credit for her success?

No. Not at all. Deepika was always a star. I remember showing the rushes of OSO to somebody and that person on seeing Deepika's work said, "What a tremendous presence she has on screen. She is a star.' She was a supermodel before she became an actor. She always had it in her. I have only told her one thing, "Always give preference do doing a film with people you are comfortable with." She has done fantastic work in films such as Cocktail and Finding Fanny or even some of the commercial films she has done. All the credit goes to her talent. She is a very hardworking girl like most of the new girls today.

You have made everybody sit up and take notice of your eight pack abs in the promos of Happy New Year? Tell us what kind of workout regime went behind it?

I haven't had any time to work out in the last 20 days. We have been so busy travelling. When I do work out, it is mostly in the night. Working out and dubbing is always done in the night. It is in any case very dark in the dubbing studio. I feel it is a waste of time to dub during the day. I disturb my trainer really late in the night and work out for not more than 30 to 40 minutes. I did that regularly for a period of one year to get the results that you are seeing in the promo. I have a shoulder injury which does not allow me to lift more than 25 pounds of weight.

But it seems you are more open to doing new things under Farah Khan's direction.

Yeh Farah ki zidd thi, "Main kuch alag karoongi. She pushed me to do it. I can't say no to her. That's how she came up with the concept of Dard-e-disco. After that I have not had films where I could go and remove my shirt. How could I have done that in Yashji's film? Where was the scope? I lost one girl years ago in that film so I spent the rest of my life diffusing bombs in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. How could I have told Yashji let me show off by abs? Even in Chennai Express, where I was quite fit, my character was such that there was no scope for him to take off his shirt. My physiology is such that my abs come out better than my biceps when I work out. So Farah has seized the opportunity in Happy New Year.

With you being so super busy, are you able to make time for your youngest kid Abram?

If I have a 9.30 am shift, it is understood that I will come by 11. So I make sure I spend that little time with him. If we have a dinner at my home, it is understood by all that I will not join them before 11, which is after the kids have gone sleep.

Your son is now a grown up boy. Does your act of romancing beautiful women get embarrassing for him?

No I don't think so. They might get a little conscious but I don't think my kids are embarrassed by what I do for a living. I was already a star when they were born. They are very aware of everything. My children are not that interested in my films. They don't come for my shootings. They do not know the collections of my films. Suhana had not watched Chennai Express for more than one-and-a-half week. When she finally watched it, it was because her friends wanted to watch it. My son has still not seen Chennai Express. If there is a public event that they have to attend with me, they are like, 'Papa, let it be. There will be a crowd and you will have to take care of us.'

You have been working for more than 25 years now. What is your state of mind on a Thursday when the film is about to release the next day on Friday? Do you get butterflies in your stomach or are you calm?

I am a zombie. I'll be honest I have no feelings left for the film. I don't get hyper. I can't do anything about it. I remember after I saw Chak De! India, we came out depressed. We felt sabse depressed film banayi hai. The entire team felt like that. We gave up on the film. Aur phir subah sunah it is the nicest film in modern times. I have made a film early on in my career which I thought it would be the greatest film. I thought Phir Bhi Hindustani was a fantastic film. I became a producer with that film. It just tanked on the second day. There is no understanding of a film. Life is created when you make a film. A film has its own life. It is uncontrollable by the creator also. I feel very bad if the film does not do well. But that is post the release. I feel very good if it does well but that is post the release. I have never seen my film completely. While it is being made I see it in bits and parts. I will see a bit of it tomorrow when I go to see its VFX. I can't say I disown a film but it doesn't belong to me after it is ready. Agar yeh hamara hai hi nahin toh fikar kya karna. I am very Zen like.

Are you doing Farah Khan's next?

No, she said that she would like to cast me in every film that she directs. Abhi kya bolegi? All directors when they work with you say the same thing.