Katrina Kaif: ‘Yash Chopra and SRK Are Quite Similar’

Katrina Kaif, with Shah Rukh Khan, in “Jab Tak Hai Jaan.”

MUMBAI, India

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• She looks chic and casual at the same time, but is fatigued by the promotional activity – we guess that if you have to face TV channels all day till the evening (when we meet up) it’s going to quite fatiguing. Katrina Kaif, with all her ethereal beauty and sweet nature, is human after all.

Excerpts from a conversation:

Q: You have had the rare honor of being a Yash Chopra-directed heroine, and the female Shah Rukh Khan in the sense that you have five films with the banner already, including the forthcoming “Dhoom:3.”

A: Yes, but did you know that my first film with YRF would have been “Bachna Ae Haseeno,” but the role was later edited out?

As for working with Yash-ji, it was more than a dream come true. I was at the premiere of “Veer-Zaara” in 2004 and when I saw that sequence in which Shah Rukh Khan carries Preity Zinta over the bridge I really wanted to do a Yash Chopra film. But then I thought that it was very unlikely – I was the outsider, and my features were so different from the heroines he directed. And so when Yash-ji actually called me and asked last year, “Beta, would you like to be in my film?” it was like a stamp of approval. I must say that Yash-ji really liked me in “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan” and really loved the film too. We had had long conversations about it whenever we met.

Q: So did you go “Wow!” when he actually called you up?

A: Well, I was always in and out of YRF Studios, for “Mere Brother…,” “Ek Tha Tiger” and there were things in the air, so it was not completely unexpected.

Q: What is that special thing about a Yash Chopra heroine?

A: Well, honestly, I have not seen much of his older films, but I think that the women in his films are not just beautiful outside but were strong multidimensional characters, whether they were pious (like my character in “Jab Tak Hai Jaan”) or flawed. They were deep and you could connect with them. And I don’t think that this came about without any reason: it was because Yash-ji deeply respected women, and you could see that in his relationship with his wife Pamela Aunty, too.

Even with me, he would prefer personal interactions. He had a long talk with me, analyzed me psychologically and told me the explanations of certain traits that I had that influenced my work! He would predict whether I was happy or in a sad mood by our interactions on the sets and even said that I was scared of being praised for my work so I would hold back on my performance sometimes! In short, he really cared whether you were happy or sad and not because of work.

Q: You were to shoot one song in Switzerland when he suddenly passed away. When was your last meeting?

A: Before I went to Chicago for “Dhoom:3” we had a sitting for the sarees I was to wear in that song. Like always, he took a personal interest in choosing which of the 15 sarees would look best and told me, “Okay then, see you in Switzerland.” He was very particular about dates every time, and mentioned even the date.

Q: What is the prime emotion now when he is no more?

A: After the tears have dried up, genuine sadness remains. It was a jolt, but now let us just remember that he went out with guns blazing, probably just the way he would have liked. He was there and then he was gone – to a better place. He was too active a man to have gone after being down for a long while in bed.

Q: What is that one vital difference between him as director and all your younger filmmakers?

A: His maturity and sensitivity and his whole approach. He celebrated the undying quality of love because he had seen it all – real-life love, passion and conviction.

Q: And how was it working with Shah Rukh Khan?

A: You know, Yash-ji and Shah Rukh Khan have many things in common. He too is always caring and have a lot of respect for women. If I enter a room and Shah Rukh cannot stand up, he always acknowledges me. He is so much of a gentleman, he rehearses with you in the interests of the film rather than just being concerned with his own role and shot. I have realized something very unique about him: that in his films women are never ornamental. They have good, strong roles in them and I think this has a lot to do with Shah Rukh. And he is exceptional in the intense romantic characters he does.

I really enjoyed working with him once I got to know him. Then there was this shot in which I suggested that he do it a little differently. And he did it and joked, “Okay, this girl who could not even meet my eye in the beginning has now started correcting me!”

Q: Don’t you sometime wish that Salman and he would be friends again?

A: It is not for me to say anything. They are happy in their own spaces and are adults, not kids who have had a fight. All I can say is that both are wonderful human beings.

Q: What about your equation with Anushka Sharma?

A: I think that it is not true that two actresses cannot be friends – they can if they are honest and clean. But we meet in a place of work and situations can change, so it is wiser to perhaps keep a small reservation and approach with caution.

But you know, I really got along with her. It took no effort and there were no awkwardness or forced silences. In fact we are having a lot of fun on the promotions together – often at Shah Rukh’s expense!

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