Agibbous moon shone brightly at Kamal Amrohi Studio. A plaintive song purred out of the speakers… Woh toh hai albela... And there he was. Shooting a song sequence for the now much vaunted, Kundan Shah’s Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa in the early ’90s. Stalwart Naseeruddin Shah and others were present but he strode and owned it. Wrapping up shot after shot as the night wore on. I had heard he was unfriendly, arrogant and cocky. He tried to live up to the reputation. All of it was untrue. And a bond was forged. And then I saw him boogey to Kaali kaali aankhen. And then alternate it with anger in the pre-interval scene in Baazigar where he loses his one lens. There was the lava of anger simmering within. He threw his heroine off the terrace. The audience loved him. The anti-hero act was repeated in Darr, Anjaam, Ram Jaane. The existing notions of what works and doesn’t were upturned. Showbiz sat up and noticed. He loved the press. He hated them. He loved his directors, he fought with them. He loved his co-stars, he called them names.
A man of utter contradictions. Like all who tried to ingest his charm and make sense of the apocryphal stories, so did I. I’ve watched him make love to his heroines, beat up the bad men and turn his most obdurate directors into fan boys. The heroines who couldn’t have him, spread stories about him. Directors who couldn’t work with him, accused him of playing games and cultivating cliques. But his rise continued unabated.
The best way for a journo to get clues into the trade is to watch an actor perform. Spend time with him off the sets. On the sets. Allow yourself to be a sponge. And most importantly not judge. I’d watch him cue Rani Mukerji in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The same avuncular but never patronising tone made her shine brightly right through Chalte Chalte, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna and Paheli. The Shah Rukh Khan story is perhaps the closest to my heart. For a final year student who was just struggling to make sense of everything around him, here was a ripe story to chronicle. So I watched him during Anjaam, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai... till the early 2000. There have been upheavals too. Yes Boss, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Swades. But I remember only the good times on the set. He could talk 19 to the 1900 and then when the camera was switched on, he’d make magic out of thin air. On the set of Devdas, I watched him chew up scenes, scenery and watched many masks fade. Actually, there was no simulation. Just an actor intensely in love with his craft.
He was special. Our bond was special. He could be obdurate, jealous and possessive but at all times fun and caring. As a journo I grew in stature and gravitas. Thanks to him. Professionally, he made me look good, whipping out quotable quotes, reserving his best for me. At least I believe so. I still do. Stars seldom acknowledge the good things. He rubbed it in your face till you were a bit embarrassed. He gets easily embarrassed of praise too. But he will make sure you get your moment in the sun. He tends to go into a shell if he’s hurt. He can take the biggest jokes on himself and yet the smallest thing can hurt him. I can argue with him and show him the mirror and he takes it on the chin. And then there are days when I know it’s best to shut up. Even legends have their off days. I can’t think of any other star who can speak expansively at Yale as he can thrill at a Filmfare Awards night. He can be a quiz master, a raconteur, a storyteller. You could write a book on his abilities as a showman. He invests in people and that shows. Coupled with his innate understanding and intuitive nature, Shah Rukh Khan is your go-to-guy. Countries have conferred doctorates on him and he’s been knighted too. For him there are no more horizons to conquer, for him the sky’s the limit.
He loves children and the genuine camaraderie he shares with them probably is the reason why kids who grew up to be young adults still love him. You want to believe in the myth of Santa. The care he takes over his teenage daughter’s assignment, or the way he makes sure son Aryan has the most appropriate statements of purpose for his university abroad, or whether it’s just jousting around with AbRam… daddy is the real homie and he slays it big. If he’s been an exemplary father, he also been a wonderful brother. Along with wife Gauri, his has been an unconditional support and love to sister Lala Rukh. Somewhere the success of a man lies in his ability to foster bonds at home. And in that SRK has been the perfect patriarch.
He’s a beautiful man. Women go completely mushy and therein lies the enduring secret of his appeal. There’s none of that caveman I’ll-drag-you-by-the-hair approach. Women like that. That’s why his co-stars take a shine to him. He can be funny, he can be severe. He can be razor sharp. God help you if you’re on his wrong side. He can see through brown nosing. He can see through manipulations. He can be let down by the betrayal of close friends. The kindness of strangers warms him to this day. After all he’s a man of contradictions and life’s contradictions only serve as a reminder to him. He can blow a fuse in a matter of seconds. The inefficiency of managers, production staff can get to him. But he’s probably the only actor who will take a film along. I’ve seen actors do their job and leave, not worrying about the fate of a film. But he’s carried the milestone as much as he’s lauded for those milestones. It’s a triumph to see his people management skills. Be it Kajol on a particularly trying day, Irrfan Khan or Nawazuddin Siddiqui, he makes people’s day brighter. As a producer he makes the journey smooth as cheddar cheese too. I remember things going wrong with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani or Ra.One. But he made sure everyone was pumped up. The hours of shooting took a toll on the spirit but our Boy Scout rallied everyone together.
Broken bones, ill health and an indifferent reaction to his films get him low. The not-so-great reactions to say a Dilwale or some other venture may have temporarily got his goat. But he hits back equally well. I suspect Fan and Raees are his rejoinders. And who can forget the ‘sirf 70 minute’ scene in Chak De! India, his meltdown in Devdas, the menace of Don? There is text and subtext. And there’s all that’s there in between. That’s where SRK nails it. Better actors have come and done their stuff. But the Shah Rukh Khan juggernaut rolls on. Sure, steadier and if not anything just more stronger. He’s not just an actor anymore; he’s a full-throated franchise.
Rumours and rejoinders float like hot-air balloons. There is talk of him doing Anand L Rai’s next. Imtiaz Ali wants to make a film with him. There is also talk of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. But right now the buzz is about Fan, Raees and Gauri Shinde’s film. He’s poised for an interesting phase in his life. Somewhere between the plateau of performance and the highs of a heady career, this is a new phase, a new SRK. Like that cold dark night at Kamal Amrohi Studio. When a gibbous moon shone brightly. When a promise was made…