 You have anything to say about Halloween? I do. With Halloween coming up, I was wondering, if two witches watched two watches, which witch would watch which watch? Josh! Welcome back to our Stupid Directs in Subcorban. I'm Rick. You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter for more juicy content. Thank you to everybody who forces on Patreon. Halloween's so awesome. I can't wait, I'm so excited. I thought about doing a video of Bollywood or Indian-inspired Halloween costumes. Yeah. That's a great idea. I mean, you could do, I mean, specifically just. Who would you be? That's a great thing. Who would you be on Halloween if you could dress up as some Indian-inspired character? Well, if it's like something relevant to this year? Any year. Well, any year. Like it was relevant to this year. Mohanlala and Jailer, I love. But like, Magumbo or... Yeah. I can even do Raj or Rahul from DDLJ, SRKs. There's so many iconics. There's so many iconics. Costumes. You know who I would want to be? Pooh. I'd want to be Vijay Raj in Gungubai. Go ahead. Today we got a SRK interview. Oh, great! And this is with... Rajiv Masan? Yeah, that's it. You know him. I can, right now, I'm visualizing him. So we'll see if I'm right. This is just, I think 2017 was when this came out. Oh, great! So, and he talks about family, his career, and a bunch of different stuff. It'd be interesting because it was pre-COVID and it's also the silent years, as it were, where he hasn't made anything. He's just come out with a couple flops. Right, just at that point. Because we, the first few years of our channel, we didn't have a new SRK release. And now we have three this year, hopefully. Yeah, here we go. Sharukh, 25 years. Yep. That's who I thought it was. It was a really successful career. You are, of course, also a very proud family man. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Wow. What a starter! To make a film with the world likes of my family also. We have that combination. Is that hard to strike? It's still not been struck in 25 years. Actually, the day I strike it, maybe I'll just say, okay, enough, I've done this, let's not take a chance with another one. But you want to make a perfect film with your kids. So I, for example, I made a Ravan. And I'm not someone who's saying it because I can. But I made it for the kids. Like a science fiction film where... Rawan. I thought you said Ravan. I did too. You said Rawan. It's like the balance is to be that. Which I want to see. Which everybody likes, including the family. That's the perfect film and perfect happiness. You said your kids are very sparing with their praise. You know, I think the acceptance of the fact that I'm an actor is so... Been there for so long. It's a matter of fact. It's a very matter of fact. Like just before I came here, I was babysitting a Brahmi's network and the two kids came and sat down. So I showed them the new songs of her. And I said, is it looking nice? I said, is it good? They said, it's nice only. You said, no, but this is what you do now. So obviously it's nice only. Yeah, time pass. You can be critical also. They're neither critical, not praising it too much. It's just part of what she's working on. So there is a time in every actor's life, usually at the point when one has just begun to scale great heights of success, where one wrestles with and is often repeatedly asked, how does one balance the work life with family? Do you feel like with time, you've conquered that? Because it feels certainly on the outside. Like that's not something you still struggle with. I think only the, if I could call it struggle, it was the first two years of marriage. Okay. Because, but then the good part was, see, Gauri was new to the film industry, but so was I. Right. It's not that I married an outside girl into the film industry. And so two years for us was in Mumbai, like, how do I say it? A honeymoon full of bumps. Sure. You know, there were issues. Like, you know, you don't know, you're gonna shoot till six in the morning. I remember the first night we were married and came to Mumbai after about five, seven days. She spent that evening nearly with her- Is that a fly on Isoke's hair? Yeah. Yeah. And everything then, and she just changed the full dress, she wore an Indian dress. At Himaji's shooting films, she did till six in the morning. You know, I left, I'll pack up at eight. I think one of the actors got late or some delay as it happens in shoot. There were no mobile phones. So I just sent a cab. I didn't have a car. I said, please come over and, you know, sit here because I'm really sorry. This is gonna take a little bit. So she sat, I think, the second night in Mumbai in a film city, make-up room. And they were really dingy then. Yeah. You know, they were all damp and dingy. It was raining outside. Toilets. Yeah, I mean, we just sat there till six in the morning and came back. I think that kind of made her realize, as angry as it may have made her, that, you know, this is the life. And we were both new here. She was what, I was 25, 26, she was 21. So it was extremely new for her. And I think that's those two years, cooking omelettes for each other and making eggs. We used to live right here, next to the hotel. And it just passed off. Post that, I think I became such a success, though none of us are very material. But I became such a success, it became a part of the family. So there's a wife, now there are three children, there's a sister and there's Tadam. So all of us are now, we all live together. Right. And we take Tadam as much as we take each other's success and failure with a lot of love and care, but it's all acceptable now. So say in a six family group, we have the seventh one, which kind of is bigger than the other six. And we kind of just accept it and move on, don't really pay too much attention to the start of one. So you made an appeal to photographers recently to be a little gentle if they must photograph your children. You said don't hound them, you requested actually. I saw that video of your daughter trying to go for a movie and the photographers literally mobbing her. Good grief. It was really disturbing. That's true. Star kids today, whether they're your children, whether they're Mr. Bachchan's granddaughter, whether it's Shri Devi's kids, whether it's Sehfali Khan's kids, they've all been at the receiving end of this intense media spotlight. There used to be a time where you had to earn your celebrity. Today it feels like if you're the child of a popular movie star, it's your fair game for photographers, for the paparazzi, for the media. Shweta Bachchan actually wrote a column recently requesting the media not to stalk her daughter and her daughter's friends, social media, not to upload pictures, private pictures on to, in the media. Does this disturb you as a parent? Like I said, the part of stardom that we all have accepted, this is part of the stardom. So one part was when they were growing up. It's unfortunate, Bar. And we would do it with all the children. Not the scrutiny only. I think everybody in today's time and age is fair game. It's not just the celebrity kids. I keep saying this. We've sold our soul for selfies. And that's it. It's just a picture. Many times I'm in trouble and my team tells me, you can't do this, you can't do this. You know, that person in the time, they say nothing, it's just a selfie. Go take a selfie and it'll be done. And I'm not showing off. That's what life has become. I think initially, not the scrutiny part of it, but I think the kids started feeling awkward with all the paraphernalia, the cars. Every time I go out in a public place, I don't take them with me. My wife doesn't come. My children don't come. I go to functions alone. Or I go post they have gone. So they don't enter with me. Because with all due respect, I'm a star. I expect everybody to rush on to me. I don't expect that to happen to my family. So they've understood it. They don't go. They tell me, what time are you coming for dinner? What time are you coming to the red carpet? So I'll be there by 11. Okay, so we'll go at 10. Or we'll come at 12. It's understood. There's hardly a place. There might be a special occasion, occasion when some friends say, you all have to come together when that happens. Otherwise, we never travel together to a private dinner also. They go separately. I go separately. Some adjustments have to be made. One of them was that I did send them abroad to study. Not because of the scrutiny, but because they were feeling a little awkward with all the attention they have from their own stuff. It's not regular. To go to a party with teenagers don't like it. They don't like parents calling them. They don't like this. So they left. And I'm happy they've gone. Also, it's where they're studying. To a large extent, less people know me. Though it is in some of the schools. It's the same corner. So I'm not like, Baba, everybody on my flow knows you. So it was like, I'm so sorry. I apologize. There must be somewhere here in the States. His kid did go to UCLA. Okay. Whatever the LA, one LA school. I didn't know to stop the Germans. His son. I don't know if he still lives here though. I'm okay with them being photographed like the other man who went out somewhere. And I took my daughter as a date. I wanted to actually on the G's Diwali, but I missed out on it because there was so much press. I could not manage to get the cast together. But you know, she was going out. She's a young lady. She's 16, 17. So she's all dressed up and I'm her date. They can't be anybody else. So my request is I understand. I understand we are part of media. I understand photographs to be taken. I've explained to my kids also. My son kind of understands it. They listen, if photographers come stand, do the picture and say it. They listen, please, can I go now? And they'll all listen to you. I've known them for 25 years. And I made that request that night only for that. They listen, you know me. Most of them know me. You know, we've grown up all together. So take your picture, but post that just later go because, you know, they're with friends. There's awkwardness, there's weird. Like even a tube light, she didn't come with me. She told me, I'm going on my own. I requested her that, you know, come with me, I'm going there. I'm going to Vishalma and I'll pick you up. And then she had to actually call me. Can you pick me up? I'm stuck. So the, yeah, the second part of it is perhaps I'm old fashioned like that. I really do believe you deserve attention. You have to earn it. You have to do something for it. So this I explained to my kids. I think my kids also understand it that just because your photograph does not make you important at all. They know it. They know it very clearly. Do you believe that it might, this paparazzi culture might mess with their heads? No, my kids. I don't think so. I think the way they've been brought up helps to have a dad like SRK to teach you how to handle that. They've grown up with that. Yeah, no one better than him to teach them how to handle that. Now don't lose your temper. So there'd be too many people. Last time you didn't, every other day I was leaving and somebody was like, I'll do the picture too much. So my son took me to the site. He said, please go into the picture. They're not supposed to be here like this. So I think they're quite mature about it. See, if you're born amidst a picture where you thought all the uncles and aunties who came to the house worked on television. You know, whether it was Karan, whether it was Dugu, whether it's Shweta, whether it's Abhishek, whether it's Amidji, whenever they meet. So everybody's on time. So they kind of understood the game and they keep joking with Abram. Papa, do you think he understands? So the other day Aryan and Swana sat him down and said, Abram goes and waves to her. He loves to. He loves to. He comes out and waves. So papa, bachalogs have come. So he comes and waves. So the other day Aryan asked him that, so Abram, do you know why people come to wave papa? So he kept quiet. He says, you know what papa does? So he says, shooting. So he says, you know what papa is? He says, he's an actor. So he says, you know why people come to see him? So he said, yes. He said, why? He said, because he's handsome. Not true. He knows that you're a movie star. I think we get it. Either look, he knows the right thing. That's right. That's all you need to know about that. I'm sure of several self-made millionaires and billionaires, Ted Turner, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Jackie Chan, have said that their children will not inherit their wealth. They've said that they will provide the best education that they can for their children. But from that point on, their children have to earn an income just like the rest of the population. Some have said that inherited money is a curse. You know, the excellent comedian Louis C.K. has said, there's no way that somebody who's raised rich is not going to be a piece of shit. As a parent, as a self-made millionaire, do you wrestle with these decisions? Very early on, like I said, me and Gauri and my sister, we have very low-mid-class people here. So our wants, desires are not so many. Having said that, we are also of the belief that, look, if you have the money, spend it on having a good life. There's nothing like saving for a rainy day. How can you do that? You can't do that. As a matter of fact, when I was making ramen, when I asked Gauri that, listen, this movie might, I may lose a lot of money. And I gave her a figure that I might lose. And she said, you should, you should please, you deserve to do it. You know, you made so much money, please go and make films. And from that day onwards, I'm being very honest, after a certain degree of safety that one provides for your family, I've never saved any money. It's all goes into filmmaking. It just goes into making an office, the VFX, I finance it myself, and I'm very proud to do it. And those are not really earning businesses as yet. They're just about break-even. The only thing I'll add to everyone else is that because I did not have a house ever, ever, till I came to Mumbai, I will give my children amazing basic education, which I think I have managed with Abram and Aran and Sohana already. They're both doing, Aran is at USC doing well. Sohana and Gela will go into an acting big school. Like I always say, the minimum requirement to stay in a house is graduate. You said that's the entry level. That's the entry level. If you do better, you'll get better food. The only thing I'll add on to it is I'll give them a house. It was a little difficult not having a house. I realized that, especially when I got married, when I started working, there was no place... Generational wealth. How do we be part of it someday? So whatever it is, my ambition is only a great level education and a house. That's it, nothing else. My kids are very clear about that. They don't want anything else. They're like, listen, they don't travel the way a star kids should. Apart from the fact that they look really stunning, there's nothing about them which is stunning. Really, I mean, they don't have a car abroad. They travel in taxis and trains and buses and out of choice. And if my management goes and helps them also, they'll say, just tell Baba, we don't need this. So they live extremely basic. But yeah, a rich basic, to be honest. That's what I've got that we are well to do. But beyond that, I'm very clear. Education and a house, and that's it. We don't have money saved for a rainy day for them to live off. There's nothing like that. Okay. Jacques, let's talk about the new film. You said repeatedly that you find love stories boring, especially to make you find as a genre, it's your least favourite genre. So was it the idea then of working with Imtiaz that led to Harry Metzegel? You just embrace the director's vision and inherit his passion? Absolutely, yeah. I have no say in love stories the least, actually. I've done some really classic love stories, all going to ESG, Adi, Karan, and everybody who's made love stories with me. It's completely their baby. And I find it odd that they find me still in that space. You know, Anand, the other days, I was doing the scene and we were talking and he says, Sir, I've learnt love from you. You can do this scene too. So I said, but you tell me how to do it. He said, what are you going to say? I remember Rohit saying the same thing. There are different schools of people and who, you know, there was a scene... Thank you for the subs. ...with the Pika and Chennai. And so every time he had these guys, Rohit has a very nice way. He's got actors doing all the scenes. The eight characters, he's got the actors, theatre actors. So he said, Sir, he won't even show you. So you do it yourself. And the other day I was shooting a song with Imtiaz, which is a love song. And with just two lines to be done, we had to patch it and we're shooting against the green. And I read the two lines and the song continued. So I kept singing. And he kept shooting. And did I remember the lines I kept shooting? And he kept shooting, singing and he kept shooting. And he said, He said, it's all over, Sir. But I couldn't fall in love. It was very beautiful when you fall in love. So I think it's a thing they feel for me. I don't know how it comes out, I'll be honest. But because the trust in me playing a love story, I just play along. I'm being honest about it. I don't think I'll ever be able to write a love story, direct a love story, participate in somebody having a discussion about a love story. And of course, having said that, I think Imtiaz has this really fine language of romance and love, which is quite, how do you say? It stems from a lot of culture and stuff, but it has its own free-flowingness to it. There is some edginess to it, some strange stuff to it. This one's a very sweet one, Jabhari Madsajal. So it's not too edgy and dark, not at all edgy and dark, but somewhere, the edginess and the modern mix is extremely cool. He used to come and narrate stories to me, love aaj kala ho. And I would tell him, you have this lover vibe of Adi and Karan and YSG, but the language is very different. And I really like that. When he came up with a story, apart from, even if it wasn't love story, I would work with Imtiaz, because I think he's really a dignified man. I mean, you've worked with some great directors. How does Imtiaz compare? He's fantastic, yeah. You know, I see him, you know, the big problem, Rajeev, that happens sometimes is now, because some of them have grown. The other day he told me that, you were driving, he was cycling at night. So I was coming back from recording and was reading and was just chatting. And I said, yeah, I was in a yes boss shoot. Is that what I thought? I know, right? I would imagine that happens more and more now, right? Yeah, so it's some of them whole back talking to me. But of course, most of them discuss the film and I'm friendly enough for them to do it. But sometimes I'll see him sitting and chatting with Anushka about a scene and the things that he says. You just need to participate in the discussion to imbibe from him. So I think he's generally an extremely fine director for actors, yeah, extremely fine. And of course, the technique and all is there. But as an actor, I think it's a treat to work with him. You were, of course, Anushka Sharma's first co-star in her debut film, Rabne Vanadejuri. She said that she was completely in awe of you at the time. Then, of course, you're... She lies. I said this before, I'll say it again. Right at the beginning of the shoot, she came up to me and she said, you can't act. You can't act. A first film. A first film. And I was really appreciated because we... I love that about her. She's fantastic with lines. And she was doing such a great job. And so I was like really in love with her and the way she was talking. I was saying, how do you fantastic. And we want to make this one very fast. And you know, I really like you. You're sitting doing some song, I think, some way. So I really like you. You're very nice. Parents have come and met me and all, brother. So you were... I've never liked you as an actor. So I said, I'm going to act. If you're new, people get nervous. Shanya Slimchai said, last shot I was giving with her. So what do I do now? Last shot on the motorcycle. And she hugged me from the back and she said, you know, you know, I want to say something to you. So I said, you know, this picture is over. Now she must have liked the depth of my acting. The subtlety of my acting. Now she realized this is what acting is. So I turned and said, what, do you think I'm a good actor? She said, no, you're really a good person. I substantiated what she felt right at the beginning of the end of the film. You never know of me. How has that relationship changed? You have did... I love that about Anishka. There was one dynamic in, Japtakhejaan, not romantically paired, exactly. How has that dynamic changed? I mean, does she now think you're a better actor? She doesn't say it. Have you noticed all the interviews lately? I was reading interviews when she was talking about a film, a film, and they've asked, how is it working? And she said, he's most comfortable to work with. He's really nice. He's great talking with him. He has knowledge about everything. Not once has she said, you know, That's hilarious. I put Anushka in the category of actors who would not say a line unless they believe in it, as a character or as a person. Can that be a pain sometimes? It can be, because my thing, it's never been with Anushka, maybe because the fact that she started with me. You know, so like with Deepika and Anushka, I know for a fact that even if they disagree with me, there's a lot of gentleness how they put it across and I'm smart enough to know it. So it never reaches that level. But I see I'm a big believer that either you believe in the character so much that you can say anything you want. Correct. Or you believe in your stardom or yourself so much that listen, I'll say what I believe. It can't be both. It can never be both. So either you're the character, I understand an actor saying, my character won't say. But doesn't he say it because you don't like it or the character doesn't say. That's a big issue to me. All someone like me, it was like, you tell me what to say. I'll make the character say. It's not like, but sir, like, for example, like even a small line and Harry, I would never say this to a girl, I'm cheap, but it's not me. Somebody else, I call Harry, I'll say I believe it. I don't believe it or whatever. Sir, but Anushka is that one who would not say it if she doesn't believe it, either as a character or an actor, depending on the day. But the dynamics haven't changed. I really trust her earnestness. So if she's saying something, even if it's disagreeable to me, it does, yeah, this is coming out of earnestness. This is not coming out of any other reason. It's not trying to be difficult. It's not trying. And I know that. And she knows that now. So she openly says, I don't think I should do the show. So I know why she's saying it. I'll have a discussion with her. And then I'll tell him to ask him, I'll say, give name on reason. I'll say, okay, but she must be right. We both must be wrong. Let's just go with her and go ahead and do that. I really respect her love actually. So in this film, you play a tour guide and you've shot this film across Europe. Do you enjoy traveling? Is that one of your great passions? I was going to ask, is that one of your great passions or are you happiest at home? I'm happiest in the hotel room. My outdoor is about, if you ask me, you went to this, I won't remember the names because I'm bad with names, but my introduction to most of the countries is by the hotel I've lived in. And the movies they show there. He's lived a different life than most though. They're kind to me. They always give me the biggest presidential sweep. Yeah, cause when he gets somewhere, he can't just go out and explore the city. Traveling must suck. Imtiaz had to force me very often because he loves traveling. Can't have a, unless it's a private plane, he's gonna get bugged on a flight. So I never told him. I would eat in my room, my little thing. Yeah, can't go to the restaurants. Then I just go out with them everywhere. I'm not a good traveler. I don't get turned on by sights, nature. What do you get turned on by, Sharuk? Because you can't be a traveler who can enjoy himself because you're constantly noticed or not. No, I like the pleasure of, I like very small things in traveling. So they don't make you a traveler. To me, it is like when I've been to Italy, I just like to sit in a cafe and have the coffee. I just sit there. I don't need to go and see the Sistine Chapel or the trans square or Trevi Fountain. I don't need to, if I don't see it, I haven't missed it. I've been to Italy. That's good. I did a film there. I don't need to go see that. We shot a musical number over at that spot. I don't need to go see it. In a way, the senior most person on a set, age-wise and experience-wise. So everybody in the morning and they're like, Sharuk, we all are going to this park. And I'm like, yeah, I have to go with them. And I'm like, yeah, this is where I wanted to be and all. And I go there and I act that I'm really having a great time also. I'd, like, there's no place I'd rather be than holding you tenderly. Mine is no place I'd rather be than just being in my bedroom tenderly and not leaving my hotel room and sitting there. Now everything is accessible. Maybe go to a gym. Come down. Just down the... If there's a place like a cafe or a restaurant down, I enjoy it. But I'm not much of a traveler. Because I think you're unpopular with the family. I mean, the wife and kids must hate that, right? No, they actually kind of like it. I'm very good with toy stores. Okay. I'm very good with movie watching. Okay. I'm very good with taking my girl, shopping for girly clothes. Okay. And I'm very good with Universal Studio, top arcs. So now, like, if I go now, then I'm in the house. I'll keep a pool table. I'll keep the video games. I have a lot of board games they've been pursued and all. So I'm the guy who gives you the chance to play at home on a holiday. And then if you want to go somewhere like a movie and all, 12, 13 in the night, I can go there. But the rest of the stuff, like when they say, we are going to that place, you know, it's a lovely restaurant and all. And also anyway, most places they're not, they don't want me alone. So ours is an ideal family. You're more of a bother there. I'm a bother. So I mean, we're an ideal family. I stay at home when they're out. And when they come back home, then I have fun because I really enjoy being at home. Tarki, you've been shooting with Anand Rai for film in which, of course, you play a vertically challenged person or to use the now frowned upon word, a dwarf. What's been the biggest challenge in turning you into a vertically challenged person? Is it going to be on the VFX CGI and perspective or does the performance change because you have to play someone who's... You know, this film was written by Himanshu and Anand and different stuff. And it's a wild ride. It's very different to little, very different to little. It's a very interesting film. More often than not, we shoot it normal. And then we work around another five shots to make me shorter. But what happens is that we are actually discovering new things with every shot we take. We've shot about 15, 20 days now. And suddenly we're like doing the scene and there was a little bit I was doing when I moved back. My feet are not shown in the scene but we shoot everything. And then kind of zoom in. That's one of the techniques that you have to use. You can't... A close-up is also wide and then we have to zoom in with these 4K lenses and all so that you have all the information and stuff. So I just moved away, sliding away because I had to move away from a place and I normally do that. And suddenly it became one thing because when I was made shorter, that looked so sweet. It just looked very nice. So this is like... So there's a lot of discovery happening. But there is a way they have thought of the graph. I play it like that. And very often it is happening that you're like... Listen, I think we have to do that because as soon as we've got the technology with the Retchelius VFX that we see it there and then. Previous. We have. No, not previous. But we shoot also. But we shoot in about four, five minutes. Yeah, the dailies are on the day. Of course, it's real. But you can see it. So we see it and you're like... We have to do that. This is enough because of the way it stands out. Sometimes... I think the thing that we thought we don't need might look nice, a person of this stature doing it. So there is a lot of discovery. And as an actor, there are a lot of things that I've not seen the edit now. But some of the scenes I've seen in the last 15 days, there's a lot of change over that I'll have to do. I mean, the physical change is you're stepping down the steps. You don't step down, you jump, you hop down. So all those things, the way you walk, you can't... Okay, for one, I can't put my hands out like this. It'll be too long. So I have to keep them like this. That's gone. But there's a lot of things that I've done. The only problem that you would have... You've seen it. It's very confining for us, okay? I'm very sure we may have to redo bits because that may not suit or look a little different once the character is made short. So there is a lot of things as an actor that's going to... Did you watch other films just to see how it's done, to see what not to do, to see what to do? Were there references? Apuraj has been seen. That's the defining film in India. Before that, strangely, as I've seen a film, I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it right. The famous painter Thulao Lothre, T-O-L-O-U-S-L-A-U-T-R-E-C. He used to paint on amazing films you'd see. I think it's a French film. Thulao Lothre, if I'm pronouncing it right. He was part of the Woody Allen film, one of the characters when he goes in the past meets all the great writers and stuff. Mooled in Paris. So one of the characters is very famous. Everybody used to go and paint girls in Lido kind of places and stuff, on napkins. I saw, for some technology, I saw it, but no, Apuraj was years ago, 15 years ago. I don't want any reference. Also, the character that we play is not someone you need to empathize with or feel. The whole idea is, Anand had one very straight line. Because he believes I'm a great lover. So he believes that can I take away everything of Shah Rukh Ness, which he does in a romantic film, which was in Tiaz's thing also. So I don't want you to do anything that is Shah Rukh, so he's not written again. Even the songs are done very differently. So let's take away everything that people assume are his mannerisms or is Shah Rukh Ness. And then can you be the greatest lover in the world? So I think... Interesting challenges, yeah? Yeah, it's very interesting. And when you are taken away, I don't know whether I use them as crutches or not, or does it just flow. But it's nice that suddenly, when I'm playing a vertically challenged person, a lot of the stuff that I would like, even, I mean, if I was playing not a vertically challenged person, I'd look at a girl in a way. Now I'm looking at her like this. Correct. So in all these changes, even small little things to the big things, how do you hold a hand? Instead of hugging her, you're hugging her waist. Knees, yeah, whatever, right. Chat, there's also been some very serious talk about reuniting with Sanjali Lavansali, with whom you, of course, you made one of your most popular films, Devdas. I don't think it's any secret that he asked you to be in Bhaji Ramasthani at one point and also Padmavati. Why hasn't that happened yet? Is it? No, Bhaji was long time back, yeah. Long time back, before the cast was finalized here. I think it was planning to make it for a long time. Right. From time to memory, that's true, that's true. Yeah, it was Kareena and Salman. In that phase, even I went there. A part of it was, you know, I'm a little wary of getting into historical, personally, because it means I just have to do this. Ashoka, even Devdas, was a space where I just realized I need to, if I do a historical, even Jodha Baludasi, of course, when he was talking to me, a long time back, I would say, you know, Ash, if I have to get into this, I need to give up everything. Not that I need to be in Akbar Zone or Bhaji Ra's home, but I just need to. This is it, you know, the costumes, the horse riding. It's a different world. It is. It's one of the, one genre of filmmaking that I know for a fact I have to give up things, not just another film. Just be. Be in that, right? Just be. The others I can pull off, you know, with a gap of one month. Get on to see. I've finished Jabhari Metsajal. A month later, I'm into this Alan's film. This one I just want to finish off first, you know, and live with it for a little bit. One was that. The second part is, Sanjay has this really bad habit of coming to cast me in a film three days before he's shooting. Ha ha ha ha! Yeah, yeah, let's do this. When we look at this theme, I'm starting in three days. So like you want me in three days? No. Ten. But I'm shooting this. So when I grow the mustache, that, you know, I'll figure out, first you just decide that you can. And I said, look, I'd love to do it. Even the last conversation we had before we went in for Padma Vatishu, I met him in my boob. We'd come home. We were chatting. And I said, you please tell me now. Don't tell me the film also. I mean, my love for working with Bansal has been for so long that you don't tell me the film. You tell me the month. And then 10 days before that date come and say it in 10 days. And I wouldn't have signed the film. So he did tell me. He's got a few subjects which we didn't come down to because I think he's been awfully busy with Padma Vatishu. I think recently I sent him a message also. He said, I'm not going to sign it. So yeah, inshallah, we'll do some here. He's got a couple of ideas which have been there with him for years. And if I could participate in any one of them, it would be fantastic. It's time I did a film with him. I think I've evolved enough now to be in a Bansali film. Finally, Shahrukh, it's exactly 10 years since two very successful films of yours, Chakde India, in which of course, Shahrukh Khan The Star really disappeared into the role of Kabir Khan, the hockey coach. And then there was Omshanti on the same year, a full-blown, no-apologies entertainer, where to some extent you were playing an exaggerated version of Shahrukh Khan The Star. It was a great year in terms of also showcasing the versatility and it seems like that's been what this decade's been about, just the versatility, mixing it all up. What's the next 10 years going to be like? Action. What would you like the next 10 years to be? What does he say? You know, like you said, I don't want to be getting into a set piece for myself. Like all my friends, my office, team, well-wishers, family, why don't you think of a film? The other day, some really well-meaning directors who I've not worked with, who were friends and I met him at a party and he said, do you want to know something? I don't want to think. I think the only way I can be versatile is that you think it and put me in it. Whether you believe I can do it or not or can you push me to do it, come and tell me, do this and I'll do it. And that's how it happened. I could do an overshad of you. I remember Adi telling me, do you have a beard? So I said, how do you think I have a beard? He said, I've never grown up in my life. Till I'm here. He said, I have no issues like that. See, to me, it's not that I sit down. I've never been the one to sit down on a character and I said, look, you know, you tell me what you want me to come from. Yeah. Like Bansali told me to go bald. So tell me, I go, but not three days. I have like a shampoo add. But any director, my whole idea now, I haven't, I'm in talks with a lot of people. We sit down, they're all friends. We've been chatting about films. Some of them I said, you tell me. So I can't tell anyone. Yeah. But I think my whole versatile bit now, I think I'm in the best phase as an actor star. I know how to make a big commercial film. But unless you want to make it, I'm not making it. Sure. I think with fan, somewhere, that was challenging. It's important sometimes to be in a space where you'd rather not be. Shine was like that. You know, it felt good to hear, but why am I doing this? I'm standing here, I'm in love with a girl, I'm leaving, why am I doing this? That's why I go to her. And then I did that, it was very hectic, physically, very, very tiring. I think emotionally also, extremely draining to play these guys so real. But I had a great time doing it. But only if you want to do it. So all my directors now, and all the ones I have not worked with also, I think I've just told them, you tell me what you want me to be. Don't come with any set piece, that you'll do the smaller one, you'll do the bigger one. I don't want to make a commercially successful film or an artistic film because I want to make it. I want to make it because you want to. And I just want to go by your trust. I think that's the only way I'll have no idea of how to do it. So I'll go by your idea, which would be newer. Then me, who's done it for 25 years and 60 films, my ideas are done. I can only now mix and match those ideas and create something. But if you have something completely out of the box or inside the box, I'm ready to do it and play along. And that's what I've been doing whether it was a Chennai, whether it was a fan, whether it's a race, whether it's Harry, whether it's Arun. It's genuinely just to mix and match. You want to do it, I do it. I want to work with a person I'm happy with. Him or her, should be pleasant, should be sweet. That's the only. They should be like my hotel room when I travel. As long as they like my hotel room, I feel like I don't want to go anywhere but be with them. I genuinely believe, I live with my directors. I just want to be with them and tell them I'm Koshona. And as an actor, I think you have to be that giving and that selfish. That listen, I want to work with someone who loves me to death, that selfish. And I want to just do everything that you want to tell me. It's like a love, it's like a love story. If you're not having a love story with your director, there's no point making a film at the age of 50 to 51. I don't believe there's a point making a film. Very lovely thought. Thank you for entertaining us, Arun. He is looking forward to the next 10 years but more importantly to the new film. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Next 10 years is about to be his most successful. Yeah. Especially the year 2023. A lot of interesting stuff he said there. He always has such a unique perspective. Yes, he's so unique. One, because he's also, he's a movie star. He's a movie star through and through. And honestly, I think he's a very underrated actor. Not when you ask Indians, obviously, but I think when, like if you're talking about, you know, like in terms of the people that you think are the best actors, I think he's underrated in his acting. But he is a movie star. And so like he has to think of certain things and he has to do certain things and the way he has to approach certain things. And it's always such a unique perspective because very few people have, or anybody, has his level of stardom, especially outside of India. Yeah. There might be a few that in India that do like the other Khans or other, the Superstar Rashid Khans of the world that all kind of have their own thing. But I always think he has such a unique perspective. I think it's very interesting how he thinks he has to approach a Bansali film differently in terms of a period film. He feels like he has to, I don't think he has to think he has to go method. I think he said that, but it feels like he's kind of like, I kind of have to do a little extra. Well, he can't, as he said, he can't rely on the things that he knows that he can just do second nature. It's far more requiring of him to do. And he is, we've said this before in interviews, he reveals aspects of his approach to moviemaking and his approach to acting. I would love for him to write a book because his approach to acting is unlike anybody else I've ever heard. But I also don't think it will work for anybody else. I don't think so. Not at this stage in the career. It's just, I've never heard anybody talk about acting in film the way he does. And not just his approach, but his thoughts on why he does what he does and what he considers to be successful in terms of his own personal gratification as well as his, just his approach. I've never heard anybody with that, it's very, he's a unicorn in that regard to me as somebody, the way that he talks. That's one of the reasons I would love to talk to him even more in depth about process because so much of what he says is so unlike anything I've ever heard from anybody else. One of my favorite attributes about him when we've talked about how articulate and intelligent he is. If you watch this from beginning to end, he's like this in every stinking interview. He is always present. He is in the moment, trust me, his phone's going off, his team needs to talk to him. There's a thousand things he needs to do. And he is always grounded and sitting and looking you in the eye and giving you everything of his attention in that moment from moment to moment. And I bet he's that way with everything he does. Yeah, I wouldn't shock him. It's a really admirable attribute for someone of his stature and responsibility. I think he should consider doing an OGD series. I think that'd be a fun creative avenue for him. But at the very least, just because it's something he hasn't done, I think that would stimulate his haven't done and you don't have to worry about the box office of it, whether he wants to or not. Obviously, I don't know. But I mean, just get with the director Rajan D.K. or many others. Maybe that's an avenue where you can work with Anyrog. And let it be something that clearly, I think he'd still do it, but don't make it a love story. And allow him to just spread his wings and enjoy doing something he's not done before. I think that for him is the biggest thing is present him something he's never done before and let that be something he is excited about because I get the whole box office thing in India. It's a different beast. And he's somebody who obviously needs to care about box office because he's a filmmaker. We've always said that the people that should care about box office are the filmmakers. Yeah, because he has money put into his films. He's not just acting in it. The people I don't get are the ones that are obsessed about it that are have no- Or measure the artistic value of a film based on its box office. Right, it's ridiculous. Godard too is now one of the most successful things ever. We haven't seen it, but it's like, oh, best film ever. Just because it made whatever. Like I said, I don't know anything about it. I haven't seen it. I'm not saying anything about the film's quality. No, it's like- The people that do that. It's as ridiculous as valuing the culinary expertise of a meal simply by the price tag on the check. They're not related. Yeah, but the fact that if he did an OTT series wouldn't have to worry about any of that. One, it would be extremely successful because it's shall work on in an OTT series. Yeah. But I think it'd be wonderful. And it's also super interesting in the beginning when he was talking about his kids and the proper assay because it's such a unique experience. I don't know if you heard what Justin Bieber said just recently. He was, you know, he's followed everywhere and all that kind of stuff. And people are like, Justin, Justin, hey, how you doing, man? And then he just turned, he's like, hey, look, I get you guys have a job, but can you just like not talk? Just take your picture and leave me alone. Yeah, I didn't see that. We're not gonna have a conversation. Right. Just you have a job, click your picture, and then move on. You don't have to say, hey, Justin, hey, Justin. And I was like, I 100% get that. Yeah. I'm sure that it's also super interesting that he doesn't go with his family anywhere. He knows it's gonna get hounded, it's gonna take forever. Yeah. And he much rather, his family would much rather just. And I bet he's really articulate with his kids and his wife and they're all together and say, look, with the great blessings we have come, a lot of other things that we have to sacrifice. And it's just the nature of what our life is. It is what we've been handed. No one has everything they want. And we need to be grateful for what we have and recognize what, you know, who butters our bread. And there's lines we can draw, but he's clearly made a really easy to live with line because otherwise you stress yourself out of, yes, my life is gonna be under a microscope and this is what it is. And this is how you live in that. And like we said, watching it, what better teacher could they have than that man to show them how to live in a world where you're a celebrity. But more than a celebrity. Yeah. You're basically a God. Yeah, I mean, they get more attention than most celebrities do simply because he's their dad. Yeah, and it's also so sad though, like when she was at the elevator. That was terrible. That's the thing is when it, it's one thing for them to take pictures. It's another thing for them to just hound and stalk and press and hide in the bushes and spy and invade your privacy. That's not okay. Yeah, so it's never okay. That's never an unfortunate part of celebrity. Yeah, that's never okay. That obviously he understands. I'm sure he doesn't like it. No. Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure. I'm sure he's had a conversation at a very young age. He's like, this is our life. Just try to deal with it as best you can. Sure. And I'm sorry. But that's just, you're also gonna have a bunch of privileges as well. And I think he, it's a fine line because I like the fact that he understands his privilege and he probably talked to his kids about the privilege and the privilege that they get of being kids of a celebrity. And I gotta say, another attribute of his is that I don't think you will find someone of this level of international superstardom for decade on, decade on, decade on, decade who's as grounded and down to earth and humble. Yeah, oh no, I don't think so. And isn't full of himself. You also, I love what Nisha, I would love to talk to her about that. The fact that she's like, I've never liked you as an actor. What? I just love her as a person and an actor. When he talked about her process and that she will not say something that she as the character doesn't believe, it seems to me that her truth barometer is in fricking concrete. Well, she's a great actor. So she's not gonna lie to him if she doesn't think he's a good actor. It's no surprise from what we know about a producer as a person, as an actor. I think she's just got a, I cannot tell a lie. And she's always come across incredibly ballsy. Yes. So I'm sure she's the exact same way in person. It's just absolutely hilarious that she tells a story. He's such a nice man. Hilarious. Anyways, great interview as always. Let us know what other Shubber Khan interviews we should react to, which will be the next Shubber Khan besides Joe Won. And if you know of that, we'd love to talk to him. I wonder if Joe Won will do well at the box office. I wonder. Yeah, that's such a mystery. Anyways, let us know down below. Josh!