Indian cinema’s highest-paid superstar Yash has made several disclosures about Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, and his co-stars Sanjay Dutt and Ranbir Kapoor. He clarified that he never sought an appointment with SRK in the past and the clash of dates of KGF with Shah Rukh’s movie Zero was not deliberate.
Replying to pointed questions from Rajat Sharma in Aap Ki Adalat, Yash said, “I have been a huge fan of Shah Rukh Sir. The way pan-India films work, we get dates for Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and other languages. You cannot avoid a clash of dates. A clash will happen with a pan-India film because we are releasing in five Indian languages. KGF-1 was a small film compared to Shah Rukh Sir’s Zero.”
Yash said, “You said I had sought an appointment with him. I never met him before that. We met later. I had no acquaintance with him earlier. I never asked to meet (him).”
Rajat Sharma: Your film KGF grossed Rs 250 crore; his film Zero earned Rs 100 crore.
Yash: No, Sir. Isme koi badappan ki baat nahin. We work. Sometimes we get appreciation; sometimes not. What Shah Rukh Sir has done for this industry for so many decades will never change. He is a superstar. The day I think I am bigger than the seniors, us din se meri dukaan bandh! Bigger stars may come after me; there were bigger stars before me. This is nature. I don’t see it as a matter of pride. People received my movies well; that is enough, Sir.”
Rajat Sharma: I too had a small role in Zero; that’s why I felt bad.
Yash (laughs): Koi baat nahin, sir. Agli baar mere picture me kar dijiye. (Audience claps).
When Rajat Sharma said Aamir Khan had postponed the release of his film when KGF-2 hit the screens, he had then said, you will have to fear KGF, Yash replied, “I never say so. Nobody fears the other. Cinema is not me or about another actor. It’s about how much you work and whether your work is better. People make comments about the clash of dates. I think any two films can survive sometimes.”
Rajat Sharma: Ranveer Singh said, Do not make friendship with him; he will get your dates clashed with his movie?
Yash: “Did he say so? I never heard of it.”
Rajat Sharma: When your movie Toxic’s date was going to clash with Dhurandhar-2, some people were worried what will happen?
Yash: “My film’s date was announced 8 months earlier. The clash of dates that you said – I never clash dates directly. My dates are announced. If somebody’s movie came, then there would be a clash of dates. This time, there was confusion. My film Toxic was to release in March. People said, main dar gaya. Zindagi me mujhe kuch khone ka nahin, toh dar nahin (I have nothing to lose in life, so I have no fear). People may say, if my movie earns Rs 100 to 200 crore less, I will become afraid. There was a time when we had nothing in our pockets. Whatever we have now is God’s blessing. I have so many pluses in life, in love and success, that I do not have fear.”
About the delay in the release of Toxic, Yash said, “The only fear that I had was whether the product I am offering to the public is good or not. There was war going on at that time; there was confusion. I saw my product. I felt I needed more time. Then I decided to push. Life goes on.”
Rajat Sharma: Shahrukh Khan says, “Now I may have to wear a banian, build a body, put some blood on it, girl in one hand, gun in another.”
Yash: “Abhi har log karte hain; main karta hoon, toh bahut bada news hota hai, pata nahin kyun? Ab romance bhi sab karte hain, action bhi sab karte hain, mujh par hi sab aata hai, pata nahin kyun?”
On Sanjay Dutt working with him, Yash said, “He had to shoot the climax scenes. He was not in good health. There was some problem. But his commitment was good. I was more worried. I wanted to tell him. There was dust on KGF sets. I wanted him to do it with a body double. He said, “No, mujhe disrespect mat karo; mujhe karna hai.” He came. We were all so scared. He was very hardworking, very committed. Dil se bahut acche hain woh.”
On Rashmika Mandanna’s remark that Yash is a show-off, after which she was trolled by Yash’s fans on social media, the superstar replied, “I don’t know in what sense she spoke. She is new. There are ‘bakwaas’ TV shows, where the interviewer gives 3-4 options, and probably ‘yeh ladki sochi ki yeh option suit hoga.’ Bahut saare directors offended ho gaye. I personally feel that’s okay; that’s somebody’s opinion. That’s what I wrote. Anybody can give an opinion about you. But somebody’s opinion will not be my personality. Jo main hoon, woh kisi ke nazariye se nahin badalta hai. Main jo hoon, main hoon.”
Asked why he took risks like doing Toxic when he could have easily done the third sequel to KGF, Yash replied, “I like taking risks. I love to live life dangerously. Life has to be a roller coaster. Jahaan mushkil kaam hota hai, wahin pe izzat bhi milti hai.”
Rajat Sharma: You made Rs 1,500 crore from the KGF series, but you opted for Ramayana being made for Rs 4,000 crore?
Yash: Let me clear the confusion. This two-part picture costing Rs 4,000 crore has a Hollywood release. The costs include a promotional budget. This is how it is planned there in Hollywood. The promotional budget there is bigger than the movie’s budget, because it has a global release. Ramayana and Toxic have both been positioned as global films.
When Rajat Sharma pointed out that many movies made on the Ramayana had flopped in the past because the storyline is known to all, Yash replied, “Story se nahin hota hai. Ramayana ke baare mein har ek ka apna imagination hai. In childhood, I used to hear the Ramayana from my granddad, and then I watched the serial and movies. In films, you add entertainment and religious values. There has to be a fine balance. It’s a story that has survived for so many years. My partner Namit Malhotra is working very hard to put it together. Picture achha hoga toh people will bless.”
Asked why he opted for the role of Ravana and not Rama, Yash replied: “Ram ki bhalai dikhane ke liye Ravan ki burai bhi dikhana chahiye.”
Rajat Sharma: Have you taken the theka (contract) to show all buraai (evil)?
Yash: “Mujhse achha koi nahin dikha sakta. This film needs a situation where people say, “Usko kaise maare yaar. He cannot die; uske paas boon hai, uske paas sab hai. Prabhu Shri Ram usko haraate hain. We have put all our egos aside.”
Rajat Sharma: You are the Raja of the film; how can Ranbir Kapoor do the work of Raja Ram?
Yash: Woh kahani hai. (That’s a story). We do the characters.
Asked why he gave the Hanuman role to Sunny Deol, Yash replied: “He will play Bajrangbali. You know, Hanumanji Karnataka se hain, sir. Har ek actor apna values leke aa raha hai is film mein.”
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