| SUBHASH K JHA IANS [ FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2002 4:22:38 PM ] |
| Devdas is my tribute to Dilip Kumar: Shah Rukh |
| MUMBAI: Praise has begun to come from all quarters for his performance in Devdas, but Shah Rukh Khan who plays the ultimate tragic hero seems impervious to compliments. "That's me, I guess. I never took it seriously when, after seeing the trials of Devdas, distributors said I was still king. And I wouldn't react if people said I'm no longer the king," Shah Rukh said in an interview. Devdas, by director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, releases June 12 and is said to be the most expensive Bollywood film ever made. Says Shah Rukh: "In all fairness, I think Devdas is Aishwarya Rai's best performance to date. She's absolutely outstanding". "As for Madhuri I share a very close relationship with her. She's the soul of the film. If Devdas turns out to be a big success it would be because of the two girls, and of course director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I'm in no way responsible, that's for sure." Khan says his performance in Devdas is a homage to Dilip Kumar. "There's a sense of pride in treading the same track. It's like sitting in the same chair as Subhas Chandra Bose or Nehruji (Jawaharlal Nehru). I feel a great sense of achievement in having played a role that Dilip saab did. "I'm nowhere in the same league. He's way ahead of my capabilities. My Devdas is just a tribute to Dilip saab's performance. I hope that a lot of youngsters would watch me and then go back to watch Dilip saab as Devdas." With Devdas, Khan feels he has entered a new phase in his career. "Now after a decade of acting I want to start afresh, thinking like a newcomer who has no hits or memorable films behind him. That isn't to belittle my films so far. "Now after Devdas I want make a new start, work really hard on my acting and make super-hit films. I'm not going to sign a new film until I'm convinced I want to do it. My last release this year would be Boney Kapoor's Shakti. "I may sign another film after two months. I'm like Aamir Khan now. I'll only do a film when I want to. Until then I'll sit at home learning about life from my children. I sincerely believe if you want to start afresh you've to go back to your roots. My children are my best teachers." Shah Rukh says he wants to do a Hindi version of Spider-Man because his son wants him to. "If you can sustain a four-year-old child's interest for three hours, then according to me you're a true actor." A festival of Shah Rukh's films is being organised at the Edinburgh Film Festival later this year. "I get embarrassed by compliments and I get equally embarrassed by criticism. I've chosen 10 of my films including Kabhi Han Kabhi Na, Baazigar, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Asoka, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Dil Se and Devdas. "I never realised I had done such wonderful films." |
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