The awards season is on and Shah Rukh Khan has already hosted two! He has also bagged the Best Actor award for his turn in the blockbuster Happy New Year. And, unlike his contemporaries, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, who have stopped attending awards or being associated with them, SRK continues to make his presence felt in a big way. We asked the Badshah if awards still matter to him and does he support them.
Salman and Aamir Khan have stopped going to award shows. But you clearly seem to support these functions…
The way I look at it is different. If you see it critically, I would say no support is needed. But in the larger context you have to see what is the parameter, the criteria. If you are judging by popularity, then only four or five actors will get because they are popular. If you are judging offbeat films which we may not have seen and don’t fit in the popular culture, it’s different. Award functions, not only here, but across the world, are television events. Even TV actors are awarded at some. Now we don’t question if the awards given (to TV actors) are seasonal or yearly. We like the characters they play and of course, they are fantastic actors. Then, sometimes, I am told that I am the most popular actor on the internet. That may be because I have a large number of followers. It’s not honest or wrong or unsupported — it’s a completely different category. At times, I may have acted better than others but then someone is more popular on the internet. You have to accept in that spirit. The criteria is too wide. It’s not specific.
Go on..
Earlier there were some awards specifically about intense acting. When we went to these awards we would think this one was good in this film, it was a big hit also, so why didn’t he get it. Then at a popular awards function, we felt isne itni acchi acting ki, but he didn’t get. Now, what they have started doing is mixing everything. There is a Critics’ award, and there is a Popular award, plus there is Jodi, Tigdi, Ensemble Cast, etc. At yet another function, there are categories for Best Actor in a Thrilling Role, Comedy, Romantic, — in short, everybody is getting it! It also depends on the selection committee, jury, the media house associated with it, the TV channel that is connected to it — if you see it in that spirit, it’s all right. Many a time, media houses have issues. If they have a good relationship with an actor and he is not getting the award, they try to remove the category as the relationship may get affected. If not, a new category is introduced! I have got several awards like that. One such award I remember getting is Global International Icon Superstar of the Universe! Then there are the sponsors who have their own awards like Fair and Beautiful, Tall award, Beauty award etc. There is a commercial aspect to it, not in terms of money, but in terms of popularity.
So, item number hoga, bada star bhi hoga, six performances, and a climax. Uske baad marketing bhi hogi and the success will depend on the ratings it garners. One can’t be too critical but enjoy it in that context. It’s a commercial TV media house event at the end of the day. I do commercial films, so can’t question it.
So you are saying awards are important?
As far as I am concerned, I am very clear. I have got awards early in my career and at a time when the various criteria did not exist. Right or wrong is not the question, but I have got them. I feel it would be unsporting of me to say that I will not go now because everybody gets it or because I don’t get it. So what I do is work around it. I go their professionally and personally my presence is there. Yes, but if professionally I have no time for it and personally I am not getting an award then like everybody else, I will think of doing something else and not go. But one can’t become rigid, otherwise another award function will start! There are already so many. I have seen new award functions starting with a specific idea, but it is changed the following year, because it hasn’t got TV ratings! In fact, now there is a race to be the first award function because that will get more ratings. In my opinion all them should get together —apart from the National Award, of course, which is very big and has a different importance — and without any fights have a singular award function. They should find a format and stick to it.