My friend Salman...: SRK

This was Shah Rukh Khan’s hattrick as a quizmaster, courtesy management guru Arindam Chaudhuri.

After hosting a successful season II of KBC and Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain?, SRK was in Delhi to host the 4Ps business and marketing quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus.

And he played an honest quizmaster, as he admitted that the speech he delivered before starting the quiz was the one he’d used at a Young President’s Organisation event some time ago. “I’m sorry, but I’m recycling it,” he said, before telling the management students that they should become “CEOs, COOs, CFOs, UFOs and as many FOs as they could in their lives. My friends tell me my kids will become great corporate people because they finish lunch in two-and-a-half hours. More power to power lunches!”

And, do we read this as a change of heart or simply a Freudian slip? While talking about his films and the other two Khans — Aamir and Salman — in the same breath, the superstar referred to the latter as a friend. It may be recalled that the two Khans have not been on speaking terms ever since they sparred over allegedly a remark made by SRK at Salman's girlfriend Katrina Kaif's birthday party.

King Khan said, while spouting gyan to the students,’’’I’m the most successful failure. My mother didn’t live long enough to see me become a superstar. Ab pata nahin Delhi mein yeh word use karte hain ya nahin, but there were times jab meri kudki ho gayi thi. Kudki is when you lose everything and you’re on the road. I equated poverty to failure at one point in my life. I didn’t want to be poor. So I did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli had refused. I did Baazigar that my friend Salman didn’t want to do. I acted in Darr because Aamir turned it down and I worked in Dil Aashna Hai because Saif refused it. These films paid well and I was working to avoid unemployment. When Dilip saab (Dilip Kumar) and I were watching my Devdas, I asked him, ‘Why did you do Devdas?’ And he said, ‘Pata nahin. Tab ek lakh rupaiya mila tha’. Then success happened... My speech ends. Normally, people clap now.”

With SRK, the quiz was a lesson in speaking into the microphone too. “Go towards the mike like you’d eat a banana and then speak. But remember not to squeeze it. And don’t get any cheap thoughts when I say banana!” he told the participants.

And while SRK’s quizzing had the participants and the audience in stitches, Arindam said, “SRK’s not just the most intelligent star, but one of most intellectual and witty people I know. I guess that comes from his extensive reading and Eco Hons background. And he’s the biggest brand in India. Our association with him sets a forever unbeatable benchmark in B-school events!” SRK added, “I like coming to Delhi – it’s my city, my mom-in-law is here and Arindam, the one man who has better hair than mine, is here too!”