Shahrukh On Star Power

Do you think stars deserve the salaries they're commanding today? Why is everyone, including you, running after quick bucks?

(Patiently) See, earlier it wasn't revealed how much money is being made by the movies. Then Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! came along and it was said openly that it had grossed Rs 200 crores. Compared to what's earned by the super-hits, stars are paid a pittance. Ha, ha, that's why we're making up for lost time. By the look of things, no one's losing money. Even average earners and flops get their bucks back. Even Trimurti made Rs 1.5 crores per territory.

Are you ever wracked by the fear that when you're no longer hot in the market, it's bye bye?

An actor must get used to this fear. I think I have a slightly different attitudes than most others. I know if I don't deliver the goods, it'll be bye bye, Shah Rukh, see you some time. We'll call you, don't call us. Mine has been a very solo run. When I'm not doing well, I know I will be very, very alone. But I will never allow myself to become alone. I'll never let go off stardom. I can't see myself doing anything else like becoming a businessman and spending my days, playing golf, polo, whatever. It's been a solo fight so far and it'll remain that way. I will never give up.

Tell me now, would you agree that you've been playing safe with your choices?

I don't play safe. I get irritated when I'm told that I'm doing safer films. Please tell me, what was so safe about Ram Jaane? Or Duplicate, which is pretty wacky? or Yes Boss! in which I'm playing the kind of chamcha never before seen on the screen. If you discount Kamal Haasan, who's in a separate league altogether, I've played the maximum number of different roles. In Mansoor Khan's Josh I'm playing a brother and not the lover; in Karan Johar's film I'm playing a father for the first time; and I'm in Mani Ratnam's first Hindi film. Apart from Sooraj Barjatya and Shekhar Kapur, I'm working with all the top directors - Yash Chopra, Rajkumar Santoshi, Subhash Ghai - and all of them have expected something extra from me, something which goes beyond just competence.