Shah Rukh says he hasn’t been offered ‘work of substance’ by western filmmakers

PTI, Feb 15, 2024, 9:16 AM IST

Dubai: The role he really wanted and was never offered was that of Agent 007, probably because he was too short, Shah Rukh Khan said on Wednesday, tongue firmly in cheek, and added that he is ‘brown enough’ to play the baddie in a James Bond film.

In a freewheeling conversation during the World Government Summit (WGS) here, Shah Rukh said he had never been offered any substantive role in either Hollywood or the British film industry.

“I’ve said this honestly, but nobody believes it. Nobody’s ever offered me any work, a crossover of substance. I’ve had conversations with lots of lovely people from the West, from the English film industry, from the American film industry, but nobody’s offered me any good work,” he said in the session titled Timeless Success: A Conversation with Shah Rukh Khan.

Funny, reflective and serious in turn, the star spoke about his successes and failures, importance of perseverance in his life, taking long baths just before the release of his films and his efforts at making ‘the world’s best pizza’ when he took a four-year break from the movies.

The session began with Shah Rukh telling journalist Richard Quest to not call him ‘a legend’ as he was ‘Bond, James Bond’.

Quest then asked whether the actor would like to play Agent 007.

‘I really wanted to, but I think I’m too short,’ came the quick reply.

Asked if he would like to play a Bond baddy, Shah Rukh said, ‘Yes, of course. I’m brown enough.’

Shah Rukh said he is still learning how to deliver to his fans instead of spreading himself too thin. Other than 2008’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, he hasn’t been offered anything of note, the 58-year-old actor said.

He spent a lot of time with ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ director Danny Boyle and was offered the role of the quizmaster, finally played by Anil Kapor. However, Shah Rukh couldn’t do it because he was already hosting the third season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), a popular quiz game show that makes for a plot point in the multiple Oscar-winning movie.

‘… I just felt in the story that was being told, the guy who was hosting was very mean… I just found this guy was cheating and being dishonest as the host. So, I found it strange that I’m being a host and cheating in the film. I explained to Mr. Boyle that I wouldn’t like to do it. And then, there are better actors than me… Mr Anil Kapoor did it and he was fantastic,’ he said.

When he was hosting ‘KBC’, Shah Rukh said he wanted people to win and tried to be as helpful as possible but ‘you can’t… because the producers keep shouting in your ears ‘Don’t! You’ve said enough’.’ Reflecting on his 33 years in the Indian film industry, the actor said he lost his parents early and didn’t have any other option but to persevere.

‘You realise that okay, there’s no rewinding this. There’s no coming back from death and you have to continue to make the most of what you have. So I was kind of a youngish orphan, and I had to work my way through it. I always like to analyse that. You know, why do I do what I do? Why do I wake up in the morning and just start doing it all over again? Discussing the unpredictable business of the movies, he said sometimes the best of films and the nicest of stories become the biggest flops.

‘… which happens more often than not… or sometimes you don’t like a film and that becomes the biggest hit of your career.’ According to Shah Rukh, you have to get back to work on a Monday even if your film has failed or done wonders at the box office on the Friday before.

The actor said he, in fact, has a ritual. On Thursday evening, just before the release of his films, he takes a long, two-hour bath to ‘rinse’ himself off the work he has done.

Told that that he didn’t really need money, Shah Rukh quipped, ‘No, I need the money. The bath oils are very expensive.’ He defined a ‘quintessential SRK film’ as something that gives ‘you hope, goodness, happiness, and lots of good songs’.

The actor said he became a peddler of love accidently as he always wanted to be an action hero, who has a cool baritone, eight pack abs and a gun.

“But I never got the opportunity. When I started off, suddenly everybody started to think of me as someone who’s promising and giving hope and spreading love. Like I spread my arms again and again.”

Referring to his four-year break after a series of flops, the star admitted he was licking his wounds but also learnt to make ‘the best pizza in the world’.

“I stopped listening to stories, wanting to tell stories. I made myself a small kitchen and started learning how to make pizzas. And I learnt… perseverance. It takes millions of square pizzas to be able to make it perfectly round,” he added.

Next on his to-do list is working towards bringing new technology to Indian films.

“I want to end my career — which is far from ending right now. I have another good 35 years to go — I really want to make that film which is loved by the whole world and then nobody on a big stage like this asks me why haven’t you crossed over. That film should cross me over,” he said.