There is nothing to apologise for: SRK to NDTV

Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan, in an exclusive interview, tells NDTV's Barkha Dutt that he does not plan to meet Thackerays, but if he is invited he will go and meet them.

Here's the transcript of the interview:

Barkha Dutt: There are people who think that because you said that "if I am invited, I will go meet and have a drink at the Thackerays house", you are ready to compromise.

SRK: No. My ideology is that because of what I said...I said that because a few people think differently from us, they are terrorists, they are bad guys, they have hurt us and we hate them does not mean that you cannot have a dialogue with the rest of the nation or the rest of the people.

Barkha Dutt: But these are people who have questioned your Indianness, why do you want to meet them?

SRK: Let me be honest Barkha...I know that they are just taking a stand for agendas and ideals. Honestly Uddhav ji is very sweet person. I have chatted with him, about his photography...somebody said "don't say anything to Bala Saheb, I have had a drink with him or a cup of coffee with him ...(laughs)

They were asking me about Valentine's Day and with my film releasing, I told them that I won't make any comments or I will get into another controversy. Saara saal pyar ka din hai...

Barkha Dutt: Why do you want to meet Balasaheb Thackeray who has questioned your Indianness, who has made references to your religion?

SRK: But that is my ideology. I don't agree with all this, I don't like all this. I have faith in my belief that whatever you say does not make me less Indian. It does not make me a traitor, or a terrorist or a bad guy. I have had some great times with him and I am clear that if I go there, when I am called as I have always gone when I have been called by them...I have sat down and had great chats with them...he has given me a book, shown me his caricatures and promised to make a caricature of me.

Barkha Dutt: He is caricaturing you right now...in a way...

SRK: (Laughs).

Barkha Dutt: Has any of them tried to call you?

SRK: No, and you know that is what is making me sad. I have had good relations with them and if you had a problem, you should have just called me...why did we have to go in such a fussy manner, scaring the crap out of everyone, including me...just give me a call...I can say that rightfully. Had they called me, I would have sorted it out. I would not have said it in the next one...

Barkha Dutt: Have you asked them for time?

SRK: No.

Barkha Dutt: There are rumours that SRK has asked Bala Saheb for time, there were rumours all day on Monday that SRK will go to Matoshree any time...were you aware of them?

SRK: Yes, I was told...but I wasn't called. I hadn't asked for time either.

Barkha Dutt: When you say that you'd be happy to meet him, is that something that you are saying rhetorically or is that something you actively seek?

SRK: About this matter...no I would not like to seek anything, there is no discussion on this matter. What is the fuss about...and I don't think from their point of view. Barkha, this is what I wanted to ask you...what would you tell me to retract? What would anyone tell me to retract? There are good thinking people, as far as we're concerned, ideologies can be separate...there has never been any discussion on any ideology. We've ever had and I don't think we can ever have because we're not from the same platform...yes politicians can have all this talk about ideology Hindutva vs Secularism, youth versus old, vote bank versus educated voter...yeh sab bahut hai, politicians kar sakte hai, hamara point of view hai...we can try and talk about that point of view and impress upon politicians: hey look we are with this today...but I don't think I have any right to talk about anybody's ideology like I've mentioned. I've spent a lot of great moments with Vajpayee saab...I'm very fond of him...his daughter calls him Baapji, so I also call him Baapji...Advani saab used to do films...they have completely different ideologies from mine. Yes I would like a party that is different...but we have never had any ideological discussions with anyone...I've never had it with Mr Rahul Gandhi, I've never had it with Mr Advani, I've never had it with Mr Amar Singh and I've never had it with Balasaheb. I know all of them...and you know some other politicians who don't behave like them you know, they're cooler, we just sit down and chat...I've never talked ideologies.

Barkha Dutt: So you're saying that while you're happy to meet the Thackerays...on this particular issue, the subject is closed.

SRK: As far as I'm concerned it should never have been opened and I'm not being pompous about it...I'm not being confrontational about it, I don't know what to retract...when I said I was not going to apologise, when I was told that I was never told to apologise...I mean I'm not understanding what I am going to apologise for, and genuinely I'm not trying to be stupid...I'm not stupid.

Barkha Dutt: Do you feel you have been targeted because you are Muslim and I know that you have said no to this but I asked Uddhav Thackeray the same question and my analogy to him was that if you have targeted Shah Rukh because of what he has said about Pakistan then there is an entire peace movement called Aman Ki Aasha run by a major media group, there some very well known celebrity ambassadors for that including Mr Bachchan so why have you not targeted them why only Shah Rukh? He insisted that religion has nothing to do with it but I'm asking you, do you believe being Muslim has something to do with this?

SRK: I think the agenda there is a little smaller I think it's got to do with the player part...cricketing players...I wanted to ask are we going to have Pakistan playing in the Commonwealth?

Barkha Dutt: Good question.

SRK: Have you decided not to? Because I've been told Mr Gill is saying that we should not have sporting relationships with Pakistan...I'm not saying that I will root for Pakistan...I'm not saying that I want Pakistan there...what I want is for Indians to win 177 gold medals. I am all for India I'll cry if my boxer loses in the Commonwealth Games...but is the decision already taken because I'm not aware of it I don't know if any Indians are aware if it is or not.

Barkha Dutt: No, I don't think there is such a decision.

SRK: So if it is not, then why should it not be for one sport and not the other...are we never going to play hockey against Pakistan in the Olympics and beat them? Or lose to them.

Barkha Dutt: So you think you're being targeted because of you're association with cricket and not because of you're religion?

SRK: I think one of the agendas of this group has always been that these cricketers. But two years ago they played in the IPL...but then I was told post 26/11 there was a anti-feeling toward them. I came and played in Mumbai and lost badly...Shoaib Akhtar bowled from our team, we made only 76 and so we didn't get much of a chance to bowl. But there was no issue that time...so I have to assume if it wasn't two years ago, then maybe post 26/11 we need to take that stand again.

Barkha Dutt: But the comments play on Khan going to Lahore, there is a religious subtext or you don't think there is?

SRK: I would not like to believe...I made a whole film on this. I totally believe and talk about this post 26/11 when we had the interview. I speak very strongly as a person who is a Muslim and who's been accepted by this country as the son of this country in a certain way. Let me be self-centered and say Yeah, I think I make some Indians proud all around the world too. And having said all that, nobody has ever asked me 'What religion are you from?' My wife has never asked me, I have never asked her, my children have never asked me...nobody has ever questioned it and I also think it's so old fashioned to talk about it in modern India. Because if we're going to be like this all our lives, all this talk about India going forward, economically, is completely nonsense. If we are going to talk about regionalism every second, if you're going to talk religion every two minutes, if you're going to talk about Khans and Kumars and Khannas every 30 seconds, all this is nonsense. I think nobody should talk about India shining and India becoming bright.

Barkha Dutt: But we are still debating in this city whether taxi-wallas should know Marathi that's not the Shiv Sena that's the Congress-NCP government.

SRK: Just a logical simple thing when it helps in communication. I understand it would be nice if they know the language but I think Mumbai is hugely cosmopolitan, I think most of the people understand most of the languages. I've been here for 20 years now, I am a Mumbaikar in that sense...20 years I have been living here and unfortunately, I have not been able to pick up Marathi. My kids speak fluent Marathi, whatever little they can...I can barely speak it.

Barkha Dutt: You may not be able to be a taxi driver in this city then.

SRK: I know this (Marathi): Gati rodhak puria hai.

Barkha Dutt: What does that mean?

SRK: It means 'Roadblocks ahead' It's written on road signs everywhere.

Barkha Dutt: No but this is the bizarre level of political debate in this state, and it's every party, it's not even one.

SRK: No, but why does one group or another say this and we take what they say. Can I just genuinely say...how can you?...You know there has not been a new business opened in Mumbai in the last 20 years. Somebody was sitting with me one day, Mittal saab I think...and he said 'Bis saal se koi naya industry nai ayah Mumbai meh' and I think it's just sad...it is supposed to be the commercial capital, the heart of this country. It is a fantastic city and we are proud of it...but if things are not going to happen like this, we should be looking at the infrastructure problem...my father used to say ' Agar loon namak ki baaton mein reh jayo gay to chaand par pahunchoge hi nahi' You know namak or cheeni ki baat karte hi reh jayeenge hum.

Barkha Dutt: Small things.

SRK: I'm sorry I don't mean it in terms of price rise or sugar etc etc...please it's just a saying.

Barkha Dutt: You've really become careful about what you say, paranoid.

SRK: Small things yes I know, these are important things. Religion is a very important thing. I've been telling everyone there are three kind of identities we have...we have a familial identity by the religion we are born in...So you're a Muslim, a Hindu, or a Sikh and you've got to believe that because that's what you've been taught...then there is the place that you live in and work or are born in and work...that's your regional identity. But all this is a subset of your country identity, of your national identity....When did subsets become more important than the set itself? And that is something that is unacceptable.

Barkha Dutt: It is a bizarre debate even.

SRK: Yes it's very important to talk about Marathi manoos, it's very important to talk about Mumbai but in the larger context of things...we cannot be like hamare yahan pe aao mat...next time we go to Delhi we'll have to take a visa and get frisked at the airport because I'm a Khan. It would be a bizzare thing. I mean when are we going to end this. On Dr Prannoy Roy's show, I was just telling the youngsters 'See, understand the issue, know there is an issue...just don't jump the gun' because what happened that day was that there was a picture by mistake of some Pakistani general and somebody was going WHY WHY WHY and then seven days ago they say 'Why wasn't there any Pakistani player chosen'?

Barkha Dutt: The contradiction of the Indian public is apparent.

SRK: I was telling the youngsters that 'one day you want it and another day, you don't. There is a kind of love/hate relationship tand they are like 'yeah there is an issue and it needs to be resolved'.

Barkha Dutt: How have you explained this to your children?

SRK: I don't know what they're understanding now.

Barkha Dutt: What did they ask you?

SRK: My daughter did ask me 'Where are we going? Do we have to leave? Papa, do we have to leave India?' There were some suggestions that I should go too...that I should go and live in some part of Pakistan or something. My daughter is very sweet though. She said, 'We can go somewhere else'. Now she's not unpatriotic just because she wanted to go out of Mumbai and live in London or New York. But I thought for a moment should I say 'NO! Nobody can tell your dad to leave this country, it belongs to him!' But then I said, 'No, I can't have this kind of posturing with my kids. I can't be taken on this high ground...but then it can't be that this questioning is unimportant...that your dad doesn't mind not retaliating...and I don't mean...kisi aur ne bhi mujhe kuch ajeeb sa bola ki mei traitor hu.

Barkha Dutt: Saamna editorial.

SRK: I was just telling somebody that I've been called the worst and I can't take it seriously. I'm called 'Badshah' also and I don't take that seriously either. I need to tell my kids a lot more things, not just that I'm Muslim. I used to blame everything on stardom...I say 'You know Papa's famous na? So these things happen. Papa is Muslim na? So these things happen. Papa's a stupid loudmouth, so these things happen. Papa speaks his mind, so these things happen? Papa's just going to shut up and do his job. My wife says, 'I'm sure you're intelligent and you're smart, but you're just an actor. Do your job.'

Barkha Dutt: But I'm sure she didn't think that you had anything to retract either.

SRK: No, but she felt very bad for Karan, Kajol and the whole team of My Name is Khan. She said she could sense it and that it was very sad at times but she said, 'Listen the movie will be okay because what we live by is that we are such small people'. I am such a small and miniscule person and nothing else matters...and of course I'm not saying this to get anymore publicity...but I just want that film to come out I worked like a dog to make it work and I don't know if you're going to like it...if you don't like it, I have another year and half to make the next film...and I'm not talking about the stresses and insecurities of being a star...I'm just talking about being a genuine-wanting-to-please-people kind of a person.

Barkha Dutt: So if they come out and stone your film will you then change your mind on the position you've taken?

SRK: Ab to ho gaya.

Barkha Dutt: Ab pathraav hua phir?

SRK: Ab to kya karoonga meh? Ab to jo hona tha woh ho gaya. But I'm resigned, I'm tired now.

Barkha Dutt: No turning back from this.

SRK: I'll tell you honestly I'm tired now of trying to explain this. As a matter of fact, I was speaking to a friend Praful saab.. he's also a politician and I said that I'm doing an interview with Barkha but this is it, this is the last one...because kya bolu main? I'm genuinely not confrontational about this, see if you say something to me that I completely disagree with, I would not even have a discussion with you because it's not important...you think differently, I think differently and that's okay.

Also read:
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As a movie star, I'm vulnerable: SRK to NDTV
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