'For him what's important is relationships, his role, and, of course, the script.' Rediff celebrates Shah Rukh Khan's 60th birthday on November 2 with a special series that introduces us to the man behind the superstar.
Madras Café is the only feature film he has acted in. I told him simply, "Sir, will you do this role?" and he agreed immediately.'
'It is his understanding of the human condition, fostered by the loss he experienced so early in his life.' Rediff celebrates Shah Rukh Khan's 60th birthday on November 2 by a special series that introduce us to the man behind the superstar.
'For all you know, in the next five years there could be a path-breaking cancer treatment and I may be absolutely fine. Or maybe I won't be. I have to live with both scenarios.'
'The second Sunday after Sholay's release, Amjad and Shehla had taken Shadaab to Juhu beach. They were strolling leisurely when, to Shehla's shock, he suddenly picked up their son, grabbed her hand and pulled her along, urging her to run. They raced towards their car and had just managed to get in and lock the doors when all hell broke loose. Hundreds started banging on the car, shouting, 'Gabbar Singh bahar niklo!''
'Editor M S Shinde deserves full credit because, I'm told, Ramesh Sippy had shot 300,000 feet of footage, which was brought down to 18,000. 'He died in 2012, in a 126 square foot flat in Dharavi, penniless, a forgotten hero.'
'The way Helen ma'am grooves, she's so seductive.'
'The way the anticipation is built up for Gabbar Singh's introduction scene with sound, image and details of his personality, like the combat boots he wears.' 'The camera comes so close -- not a tele lens shot, but a wide-angle close-up -- that you can almost smell Gabbar's breath.'
'Panchamda created an exclusive theme music for Gabbar Singh, which is used throughout the film every time the dacoit makes an appearance, and in both concept and sound, is so eerie and evil.'
'I wouldn't change a single shot even if I could, the film is just perfect even with a supposedly flawed script!' Celebrating Sholay's 50th anniversary on August 15 with a special series, where contemporary film folk analyse the cult classic.
'I don't know how long cinema will survive.'
'When India opened its doors to the world, moving away from an agrarian to a market economy, everything, whether life or love, was commodified.'
'Even if I had the backing of a big corporate house, which I don't, in today's market, I wouldn't want the responsibility of making a Rs 300 crore-Rs 400 crore film.'
'I had not even realised I had done almost 100 films.'
'While shooting the Don song, Chandra Barot ordered 30-40 paans and insisted Amitabh Bachchan eat them all.'
'I'm a guy who is sure of what he wants and confident of getting it.' 'Jab prem kiya, I knew that one day, I would marry the woman I love and spend my life with her.'
'It's a tremendous accomplishment to have a father like Amitabh Bachchan and still be so sorted, to not taste the kind of success that he should have and yet be so balanced.'
'A director's actor, if I had told her to jump from a building, she would probably have.' 'But I only told her to jump off a running train...'
Guru Dutt took an overdose of pills twice, once even swallowing opium, calling out for Geeta Dutt even when he was not fully conscious. One suicide attempt, according to sister Lalita Lajmi, was definitely deliberate with Guru Dutt leaving a letter for brother Atma Ram asking him to take care of the production company, his wife and the kids. But she always wondered if the third attempt was actually suicide since there were no calls and no letters.