I'm the cheapest movie star in the country: SRK

'ORDINARY MAN': Shah Rukh in conversation with CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand.

        

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In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand, superstar Shah Rukh Khan talks about global meltdown affecting films, stars and their big price tags and a meeting with one of his idols Robert De Niro. The actor also gets candid about turning 43, the Salman Khan controversy, his views on gay characters in films and his forthcoming film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

Rajeev Masand: Shah Rukh, the words that we hear being used most frequently these days are cost cutting and recession. How badly has the Indian film industry been hit by the global meltdown?

Shah Rukh Khan: Normally what happens is in any strata of economics when there is a boom, the first ones to benefit from it is the upper class. And strangely when a recession takes place, the upper class doesn’t get affected as they have their savings. But I’ve always believed the lower class doesn’t get affected either. Because the poor guy remains poor, so even if the economy is booming and they say it will trickle down, it never happens.

I think the people who are affected the most are the middle class people. So, I think the middle filmmaker will be the ones affected by recession in the industry — the filmmakers who are used to making small-budgeted films as they are already used to making them in small budgets. Whereas, the upper filmmakers will only lose out on some profits, though it won’t get them into loss. So the films made with huge budgets will get cut down and become realistic.

The person who I think will be affected will be the one making that middle-budget kind of film, which used to be based on the fact that he used to borrow money. On the edge, where if it’s a hit only then the money comes back which is taken on high interest from the banks or corporate. So it’s the middle filmmaker and producer who is going to get affected.

Unfortunately, I think I fall into the higher bracket, at this point of time. So, I’m not going to be affected as a producer or actor. Also, I’ve been an economics student, so all my life I’ve been very clear on the way I price myself as a movie star. I’m the cheapest movie star in the country.

Rajeev Masand: Is that the truth?

Shah Rukh Khan: It’s the honest truth. The fact is the stars cannot burden a film. Films makes stars, star don’t make films. There is this opening game every Friday, Saturday and Sunday – which is all right. But actually what did I become a star because of? There is a vehicle called movies which I was part of. One of them did well for me, then the second one did well for me and then people started giving me credit.

So this basic truth should be remembered, that one becomes a star because of the movies, movies don’t become great because of the stars.

Rajeev Masand: So you don’t think that stars become too big for their own films sometime?

Shah Rukh Khan: They do and that is the reason that it’s the one thing I can control is the economics of the film. So, I would never put the burden on a producer including myself.

Rajeev Masand: So you try to keep it viable?

Shah Rukh Khan: Yes, I’d say make a fantastically expensive film. But let that be the part of the film expense, not the movie star expense. And I always work like this whether it’s Om Shanti Om or Chak De. I’m affordable in both the films as an actor to both the producers, Red Chillies or YRF. Then you can spend it on the film and still keep a margin of profit, and sell it and still not seem too expensive.

We were very fortunate of having Om Shanti Om at the highest peak of economy. It was the highest-priced film and it did rake in the money back. After that there’s been a slump and one has to reconsider that.