Dear Zindagi was initially titled ‘Ae Zindagi Galey Laga Le’. Shah Rukh Khan revealed this fact at the press meet for Dear Zindagi in Gurgaon. His co-star in the movie, Alia Bhatt, and the director, Gauri Shinde, were also present.
You can watch The Quint’s interview with the Dear Zindagi cast here:
Filmein isilye banaate hain kyunki life mein perfection mushkil hai.Gauri Shinde, Director, Dear Zindagi
I want to do both off-beat and on-beat movies. My dad (Mahesh Bhatt) told me, that before going out of the box, first identify the box.Alia Bhatt
Our content is going fast paced. Ye dhhaai ghante ki filmein kar karke main bore hogaya hun.Shah Rukh Khan
A fan has to brave odd hours, publicist’s diktats, endless waits, and often rowdy security personnel to catch a glimpse of the stars. The intensity of these factors goes up if you’re a journalist, because then you’re also looking for a story.
It was around 6 pm that the stars arrived on stage. The invitation time was 4 pm. Everybody was sitting with a practised calm, and it was perfectly normal. Shah Rukh, Alia and Gauri launched a new song from Dear Zindagi, which SRK clarified, ‘won’t be in the movie.’ You can watch it here:
Were we waiting for a couple of hours to watch a short clip that won’t be in the movie? No, the video is available online anyway. The crowd is usually because of the stars and a possible interaction, which brings out some quotable quotes on life, movies and themselves.
When a reporter asked Shah Rukh Khan, what is ‘Zindagi’? He answered, “Mujhe bhi 50 saal hogaye sochte sochte...”
Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt and Gauri Shinde were at their philosophical best in answering the multiple questions thrown at them. About his role, SRK confirmed that he’s in an extended cameo appearance, and praised the movie, saying ‘it answers a lot of our big questions of life.’
Alia Bhatt said that she relates a lot to her character in the film, as ‘she’s very impulsive’.
From her characters to the story she chooses to tell, Gauri Shinde has stood out with her movies. On being asked where she gets her ideas from, Gauri credited her experience, her knack of observing people, and traveling.
Gauri also told the audience that Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom doesn’t overshadow the content of the movie, he is the content. “I have no problem if people flock to the theatres just to see him. He is the content,” said Gauri.
After the media conference, it was time for one-on-one interviews. We were slotted third in line, and had our equipment setup. The clock read 8 pm. It had been 4 hours already since we arrived.
The trio arrived, SRK smoked a few cigarettes, Alia had a couple of sandwiches and Gauri just walked around before they rushed through the ‘look-happy-and-cheerful’ interviews.
I was mostly there for Shah Rukh Khan, and seeing him move around so casually, almost within touching distance, was the stuff goosebumps are made of.
The interviews started, and our turn came. Everybody was gracious, relaxed, and it all went smoothly. As soon as the camera stopped rolling, I rushed towards SRK to remind him of our last meet and the various interactions we have had (about which I have previously written on The Quint).
Only to be stopped by his bodyguard! He denied me access and pushed my phone down. I insisted I had something to show SRK on my phone, and it was something terribly important – I didn’t tell him it was a loving collage of all the previous times I had met King Khan.
“Come, let’s take a selfie at least, otherwise these people won’t let that happen either,” Shah Rukh Khan told me. He took my phone, tinkered around, set the frame, and click.
5 seconds I got with him, barely. After waiting almost 5 hours, and then too, after being pushed back and having the much-awaited interaction interrupted. If I had waited that long outside an ATM, I would’ve been richer by Rs 2,000 in the new magenta notes. I didn’t even get to show the man my painstaking and wonderful collage.
Dear Shah Rukh Khan, it’s really tough to be your fan, but you definitely made it worth the time of our Zindagi.
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