Salman is my friend: Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan are no longer enemies if the former's words are anything to go by. The two Khans are said to be bitter enemies and have got into brawl a few times but Shahrukh has surprised many by referring to Salman as his friend.

Speaking at the start of the quiz DARE ’09 at the IIPM campus, he revealed that he equated poverty to failure at one point of his life, as he didn’t want to be poor. So, he ended up doing films that his counterparts rejected. He said that he did Deewana, a film that Armaan Kohli turned down, did Baazigar that his friend Salman had refused, acted in Darr that Aamir Khan turned it down and did Dil Aashna Hai after Saif Ali Khan rejected it.

It maybe recalled that Shahrukh and Salman had a public fight on Katrina Kaif's birthday last year. So much has been written about them since the incident happened but they have chosen to keep their silence.

It looks like the Khans are now ready to forgive and forget the past!

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!”

Saif wanted to kiss SRK

He wouldn’t mind kissing Shah Rukh if the two would have been cast in Dostana.

Saif Ali Khan was offered Dostana by Karan Johar at the time Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan were being considered. Saifu however declined the offer, ‘I didn't really chicken out - I mean I just thought, I think there was Abhishek and Aishwarya in the movie at the time I was being offered it and I was just wondering if I needed to do that and how I would fit in really and I told Karan that’, he told Rajeev Masand on his talk show, To Catch A Star.

Aish and Abhi hogging the limelight could have been the only reason for his Saifu’s refusal. For everyone knows Saif and Shah Rukh were the ones who bought being gay out of the Bollywood closet. Their camaraderie in Kal Ho Na Ho is legendary and Karan owes the success of Dostana to the two of them literally. He went on to say, ‘The gay thing didn't scare me off. In fact I don't think they (Abhishek and John) actually kiss. I would have.’

Incidentally, SRK too didn’t have a problem snogging in the film if he was offered Dostana, to which Saif added, ‘Yeah I would have kissed Shah Rukh.’SRK has even gone to speak about it earlier, saying he was disappointed how the kiss was shot in the film.

Truthfully, we can’t imagine Saif do a John in Dostana and thank heavens Priyanka replaced Aishwarya. But if Karan wants to recreate the magic of Dostana, Saif and Shah Rukh going at it with each other surely is the hit formula for Dostana 2, what say? Just make sure Bebo is cast in Priyanka's role.

I don’t want to be brand ambassador for causes: Shah Rukh

New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan is back in his hometown of yore, and is feeling quite at ease in the crisp, drier environment of Delhi. While contemporary stars are struggling to have their voices heard or to find a balance between stardom and lawfulness, SRK has no difficulty balancing the various facets of his life, and that also with quite a high rate of success – thanks to his diplomacy and political correctness. So, when the topic of causes for stars and people in general was raised, he did not shy away from the issue.

With the number of social cases are at a rise in the glamorous world (Emraan Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja), it gets beguilingly easy to slip into the role of a representative for a cause, especially for a popular star as articulate as Shah Rukh.

However, Shah Rukh side-stepped the issue with admirable diplomacy. Talking to a news daily recently, he said, “No no, I’m just a capitalist, happy-go-lucky, dumb star! I’m happier playing that role because otherwise what I say can be misused, misconstrued, unless the platforms decide to take a side.”

Making his position very clear, he added, “When I talk about things like this, and then I am misconstrued, I am disturbed about it. I say, chhodo yaar, yeh side nahin le rahe hain, and then I realise I am in some way becoming a brand ambassador for these causes and debates. I don’t want to be a brand ambassador for this! Unless I choose to sell a car, I don’t need to be its brand ambassador, do I?”

Not at all King Khan, you are a brand just being yourself!