In an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS show, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he has moved over the ugly experience he had faced in the USA and in fact, has been looking for some universities for his kids. He also talks about Bollywood expanding its outreach in global spheres and slowly catching up with Hollywood
Zakaria: Tell me about what Bollywood today looks like. How do you deal with the competition, I suppose it is, of Hollywood movies that are now essentially made for a global audience so that many of the movies that Hollywood make now, make a majority of their revenues outside the United States? And, they are designed in a way to appeal to people so they have more action, or they have cartoon figures, not a lot of dialogue, not — less complex character development. Are they the kind of the competition — the new global competition you face?
SRK: Thankfully, unless they have six songs in the films, they’re not competing with us, which I’m sure is not going to happen. But, I think you’re completely right. I’ve always had this worry, if I may say so, that if we are not able to change our cinema quickly enough, you know, we would be kind of overtaken like Hollywood has, you know?
Principal movies all around the world are Hollywood films. India is the only country where local cinema does better than international cinema, and Mr. Quentin Tarantino, I heard him say it somewhere, I think at Cannes, or somewhere, where he said, you know, the reason for movie — local movies to survive is stardom.
So there is still a huge balance of stardom in this country, whether it’s a director or an actor or an actress, and I think that stardom keeps it — you know, it’s like watching a football match. You want to see stars. You want NBA because you have some great basketball players.
So I think as long as the star system is retained in this country, it will be sometime before international cinema takes it. But, yes, international stars are also, kind of, becoming local stars.
But, like I said, the Indian cinema’s changing so fast right now with all the young filmmakers and actors and actresses. I think that it would be quite a while before international cinema becomes actual competition, but I won’t deny the fact that there are films which do take over from Indian cinema at this point, once in a year.
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Zakaria: How much of your fan base is now global because of the fact that the Internet exists, and these movies are all over? There’s always been a huge Indian expatriate audience, but it has grown now to the Gulf, to Southeast Asia. How do you think of that?
SRK: It’s quite — you know, it never ceases to amaze me because — like the last film I did, we released it in Peru; we’re releasing it in markets like Sweden and Finland, where we never thought a Hindi film would go out, even with subtitles or dubbed. And, you know, Germany, France, Italy, those were shocks themselves — that, you know, in Europe they’re watching the films. Yes, In England, and America, Southeast Asia, maybe.
But the business has increased ten-fold or seven-fold since I last spoke with you. People are watching, and I’m hearing now it’s happening into China too, so — which is quite amazing. And I think also the two different kinds of cinema that is coming to fore in India, they’re also helping that. We have some really artistic wonderful films also being taken in. And I think these are small steps to what’s creating an international market for Indian films. And we are fortunate to have been in these times when such acceptance is happening, you know.
You go to Morocco, like you said, UAE, South America — I’m really amazed. I have a cricket team there. I want to go there and, you know, at least spend time and say, how do these guys know, and what do they understand of what I am doing?
But it’s increased, and like you said, on social media, you know, when I’m Tweeting or something, I can make out, I think more than half the people are from places not in India, and, you know, when I talk about something, and suddenly I’ll get a shout out-from Japan, and I’m really amazed, you know?
They sing Hindi songs, and they say Hindi dialogues, they do the dub-smash. And — it’s new, and it’s very encouraging actually.
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Zakaria: And, it really is new for Indian cinema, which has been very parochial in a sense…
KHAN: Absolutely.
Zakaria: It’s now becoming kind of global cinema.
SRK: Yes, like you said, say UAE, or Southeast Asia, we still have similar cultures. So you assumed, you know, they would like an Indian film — they’re conservative, and they’re about families, and some of the commercial films are just regular nice good things to say — not too edgy. But, now suddenly, it’s — I find it — I go to Scotland, Ireland, and America. And now — the other day I was doing a show, I think, in New York, and you know, out of say 8,000 people, we had about 500 to 800 Americans watching an Indian show.
And I spoke to some of the ladies, and they’re like, “Yes, we love Indian films. We love you, and we’ve traveled so many miles to come and see you.”
Which is really, really nice, it’s — and it is a new phenomenon, and I think it also, actually, is telling that Indian films are progressively making footprints outside India. And, I think that’s an important aspect.
Zakaria: Do you think you’re going to be doing this 10 years from now?
SRK: I thought more 30 years, so when you say 10, I’m a little scared and paranoid it’s going to end so early. Yes, I may need — I may need a new knee and a new shoulder and stuff. But they tell me they are finding new body parts, so I’m — yes, I would — I would — I always tell everyone my last shot — and I love acting for whatever amount I know, my last shot should be on a — you know, when they say “cut.”
If my life has to go, it should be with the “cut,” and an “OK”, if possible.
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Zakaria: Until then, you’ll be the bionic man.
SRK: Yes. Until then. I’m the Iron Man. Oh, actually, I have titanium, so I’m the titanium man. That’s a — that’s a good idea.
Zakaria: So, the last time we talked, you were still having this extraordinary problem with getting into the United States because your namesake was on a terror watchlist, which seemed like a bizarre situation given that Khan is a very common name. What happened?
SRK: Now it’s OK. Now I’ve been told — I don’t know how true it is, but that gentleman has been caught, or has been found out. So he’s off that list, and that’s why I’m off that list. So, I’m OK. I’m coming in and going very freely in America. I’ve been there two or three times, I’ve been trying to look at some universities for my kids, and I came for a tour, and it was all fine. And I’m back in America.
Zakaria: Does it make you feel — what did that whole experience make you feel?
SRK: It was very — I mean, it just was very uncomfortable, you know? Just to land somewhere, and then get stuck in an airport for two or three hours for no reason at all, you know? And, I started — I started traveling light because of that because they were going to pull the bags and all. I started keeping less innerwear, and none of the stuff that would look — that would embarrass me.
Zakaria: What I was struck by was you never seem to hold a grudge against the country. You were always very calm.
SRK: One has to see it in the light of context as the sign of times, if things are going wrong. I mean, if I were to speak about my country, India, if there was an issue, God forbid, and I think I would be the first one to say, yeah, you got to strengthen your security, you got to take no chances. I would do the same.
We would do the same, and I think the world is in a place right now that if you need to, you have to be careful. You have to be careful, and you can’t hold grudges against each other for that. As a matter of fact, because a small slip could lead to a lot worse for humanity, for people. So, it’s all right. I guess it’s a sign of times, and you have to live with it, and be prepared for some of it.
Watch: SRK on Bollywood versus Hollywood
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