by Tanya Chaitanya | January 9, 2017, 7:02 PM IST
Lets get this straight: SRK refuses to be called a feminist. If feminism means aiming to be equal to men, Shah Rukh Khan believes were aiming too low. In a tell-all to Tanya Chaitanya, Bollywoods wittiest superstar reveals why he believes he is the change, what his expectations from his maybe-an-actor-someday daughter Suhana are, and the reason hes ordered elder son Aryan to keep his shirt on at all times!
The deal with Shah Rukh Khan is that he knows his audience too well. You could be sitting with a tub of popcorn in a dark theatre or clamouring for a selfie outside Mannat or sitting across him in the library inside with your recorder on, hanging on to every word he sayshe will give you exactly what you want. Im prepared for the man with the worlds most famous S-shaped eyebrows, impeccable timing and near-perfect way with words. Its the unsuspecting bibliophile in me whos completely blown away by his eclectic collection of Bill Brysons, Murakamis, ancient texts and a new version of the Gita that Jaya aunty gifted himI almost dont hear him asking for the interview to start. With mock-annoyance he asks me to interview his books instead and I sheepishly punch on the recorder for the Raees star.
Where does your love for the printed word come from?
When I was a child, my father used to get me Russian books; in those days, they were inexpensive, priced at `2 or lower. From Rumi to Ghalib, all the reading (I do) is because of my father. Im a voracious reader and have no particular hang-ups about only enjoying physical booksI like reading on the Kindle just as much.
Do your kids share your interest in reading?
My daughter Suhana (16) and son Aryan (19) have to finish reading all the books in this room (extends arms to cover the length and breadth of his library) before they can do anything else professionally.
Ive heard that Suhana is interested in pursuing actingwhats your take as a father?
I have a strong take. Id like her to be on the cover of magazines like all my heroines are, wear any kind of clothes she wants to wear, and look sexy and beautiful. I want her to feel attractive, beautiful and respected, and more importantly, I want her to work hard. There are days when I feel downthe only reason I get up and go to work is when I think of her. I have only one mandate where shes concerned: she can act, but she has to study first.
She has the home advantage in an actor dad, right?
Suhana is more theatre-oriented and has been doing plays in college. The best part is that she doesnt want to learn (acting) from me. She wants to be an actor in her own right. She can be an actor if she has the passion and guts to work five times harder than me and get paid 10 times less than I do, if times dont change for women actors. I want her to experience what my female co-stars have gone through. My daughter will be an actor like them and I want to feel the pain.
RULES FOR DATING SUHANA (SRK'S DAUGHTER)
1. Get a job.
2. Understand I don't like you.
3. I'm everywhere.
4. Get a lawyer.
5. She's my princess, not your conquest.
6. I don't mind going back to jail.
7. Whatever you do to her, I will do to you.
Is it tough being hands-off when your child is considering your profession?
You know, in order to make me feel involved, she told me to write what I feel like when Im acting, and shell read it when shes back from college. She rehearses for her plays, but never with me. Once in a while she talks about it, like she was playing a guy in a play and told me she moved too much. Instinctively, I got up to show her how Id do it, but she didnt want me to. Shes very clear that she feels awkward learning from me because I have 25-30 years experience and Ill be explaining things to her from the top down. She says, Let me learn it so that I feel I can discuss it at the same level with you. I think thats fair. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her as an actress.
What life lessons do you give your boys?
Aryan will be studying filmmaking for the next four years, and my younger one, AbRam, is only three years old. But Im bringing up my sons to treat all as equals; as boys, they will have no extra privileges over girls. Sometimes Im a bit conservative. I believe that a man in his house doesnt have the right to go shirtless in front of his mother, sister or women friends. I tell Aryan to put on a T-shirt all the time.
Thats a bit much.
Okay, but how would Aryan feel if his sister Suhana came out without a T-shirt? If youd feel uncomfortable seeing your mother, daughter, sister, women friends without their clothes on, why would you expect them to accept you shirtless? Its got nothing to do with having breasts or notdont do something a girl cant do.
So equality at all levels?
Yes, but equality should not be an excuse to lose your chivalry. I tell Aryan that tu-tadak is unacceptable when hes addressing a girl. Tu pizza le aa, tu idhar aa is not how you address women. Show some respect. Now its reached a point where the other day my little one, AbRam, was horsing around with the nanny and he pulled her hair. Aryan was so incensed, he said, Let him turn five and I will discipline him!
"I TELL ARYAN AND EVEN ABRAM NEVER HURT A WOMAN. IF YOU DO, I'LL BEHEAD YOU. AND NO, TIMES HAVE NOT CHANGED. A GIRL IS NOT YOUR CHHADI-BUDDY; SHOW SOME RESPECT."
You sound old-fashioned.
Im very comfortable around women I work with. But I come from a place where opening the door for a girl or pulling a chair out for her are basics. It does not mean she cant take care of herself, it just means that you, as a man, care for her. I have lost out on a lot of edgy cinema because I refuse to work in films where women are not respected. Adi (director Aditya Chopra) and I always have fights over dialogue where Im supposed to say to my mother in Punjabi, Tu kya kar rahi hai. How can I address my screen mother with tubut they forced me to in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
http://www.femina.in/celebs/indian/srk-tries-to-reduce-gender-disparity-34582.html
Lets get this straight: SRK refuses to be called a feminist. If feminism means aiming to be equal to men, Shah Rukh Khan believes were aiming too low. In a tell-all to Tanya Chaitanya, Bollywoods wittiest superstar reveals why he believes he is the change, what his expectations from his maybe-an-actor-someday daughter Suhana are, and the reason hes ordered elder son Aryan to keep his shirt on at all times!
The deal with Shah Rukh Khan is that he knows his audience too well. You could be sitting with a tub of popcorn in a dark theatre or clamouring for a selfie outside Mannat or sitting across him in the library inside with your recorder on, hanging on to every word he sayshe will give you exactly what you want. Im prepared for the man with the worlds most famous S-shaped eyebrows, impeccable timing and near-perfect way with words. Its the unsuspecting bibliophile in me whos completely blown away by his eclectic collection of Bill Brysons, Murakamis, ancient texts and a new version of the Gita that Jaya aunty gifted himI almost dont hear him asking for the interview to start. With mock-annoyance he asks me to interview his books instead and I sheepishly punch on the recorder for the Raees star.
Where does your love for the printed word come from?
When I was a child, my father used to get me Russian books; in those days, they were inexpensive, priced at `2 or lower. From Rumi to Ghalib, all the reading (I do) is because of my father. Im a voracious reader and have no particular hang-ups about only enjoying physical booksI like reading on the Kindle just as much.
Do your kids share your interest in reading?
My daughter Suhana (16) and son Aryan (19) have to finish reading all the books in this room (extends arms to cover the length and breadth of his library) before they can do anything else professionally.
Ive heard that Suhana is interested in pursuing actingwhats your take as a father?
I have a strong take. Id like her to be on the cover of magazines like all my heroines are, wear any kind of clothes she wants to wear, and look sexy and beautiful. I want her to feel attractive, beautiful and respected, and more importantly, I want her to work hard. There are days when I feel downthe only reason I get up and go to work is when I think of her. I have only one mandate where shes concerned: she can act, but she has to study first.
She has the home advantage in an actor dad, right?
Suhana is more theatre-oriented and has been doing plays in college. The best part is that she doesnt want to learn (acting) from me. She wants to be an actor in her own right. She can be an actor if she has the passion and guts to work five times harder than me and get paid 10 times less than I do, if times dont change for women actors. I want her to experience what my female co-stars have gone through. My daughter will be an actor like them and I want to feel the pain.
RULES FOR DATING SUHANA (SRK'S DAUGHTER)
1. Get a job.
2. Understand I don't like you.
3. I'm everywhere.
4. Get a lawyer.
5. She's my princess, not your conquest.
6. I don't mind going back to jail.
7. Whatever you do to her, I will do to you.
Is it tough being hands-off when your child is considering your profession?
You know, in order to make me feel involved, she told me to write what I feel like when Im acting, and shell read it when shes back from college. She rehearses for her plays, but never with me. Once in a while she talks about it, like she was playing a guy in a play and told me she moved too much. Instinctively, I got up to show her how Id do it, but she didnt want me to. Shes very clear that she feels awkward learning from me because I have 25-30 years experience and Ill be explaining things to her from the top down. She says, Let me learn it so that I feel I can discuss it at the same level with you. I think thats fair. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her as an actress.
What life lessons do you give your boys?
Aryan will be studying filmmaking for the next four years, and my younger one, AbRam, is only three years old. But Im bringing up my sons to treat all as equals; as boys, they will have no extra privileges over girls. Sometimes Im a bit conservative. I believe that a man in his house doesnt have the right to go shirtless in front of his mother, sister or women friends. I tell Aryan to put on a T-shirt all the time.
Thats a bit much.
Okay, but how would Aryan feel if his sister Suhana came out without a T-shirt? If youd feel uncomfortable seeing your mother, daughter, sister, women friends without their clothes on, why would you expect them to accept you shirtless? Its got nothing to do with having breasts or notdont do something a girl cant do.
So equality at all levels?
Yes, but equality should not be an excuse to lose your chivalry. I tell Aryan that tu-tadak is unacceptable when hes addressing a girl. Tu pizza le aa, tu idhar aa is not how you address women. Show some respect. Now its reached a point where the other day my little one, AbRam, was horsing around with the nanny and he pulled her hair. Aryan was so incensed, he said, Let him turn five and I will discipline him!
"I TELL ARYAN AND EVEN ABRAM NEVER HURT A WOMAN. IF YOU DO, I'LL BEHEAD YOU. AND NO, TIMES HAVE NOT CHANGED. A GIRL IS NOT YOUR CHHADI-BUDDY; SHOW SOME RESPECT."
You sound old-fashioned.
Im very comfortable around women I work with. But I come from a place where opening the door for a girl or pulling a chair out for her are basics. It does not mean she cant take care of herself, it just means that you, as a man, care for her. I have lost out on a lot of edgy cinema because I refuse to work in films where women are not respected. Adi (director Aditya Chopra) and I always have fights over dialogue where Im supposed to say to my mother in Punjabi, Tu kya kar rahi hai. How can I address my screen mother with tubut they forced me to in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
http://www.femina.in/celebs/indian/srk-tries-to-reduce-gender-disparity-34582.html
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