In his twenty-six year long journey in cinema, Shah Rukh Khan has played a wide variety of roles and has been a part of different worlds. His fans have loved him the most in his romantic avatars besides appreciating his performance in slightly offbeat films like ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa’, ‘Swades’ and ‘Chak De! India’ among others. However one has not seen the actor playing a man from a small town or a smaller city. In his new film ‘Zero’, he plays Bauua Singh, a vertically challenged man from Meerut.
When asked what is that one thing he would like to borrow from Bauua Singh’s world, he says, “It is not a world I have been a part of. It was very new for me. Being a Delhi boy, I know some of the language and thoughts. You are not used to a man calling his father by his first name but Aanand (L. Rai, director) and Himanshu (Sharma, writer) held my hand and introduced me to his wonderful world. One day, I was wearing a pair of sports shoes and had a jersey on top. Aanand sir told me that I am looking too cool to be Bauua and I must take those off. He has even told Anahita (Shroff Adajania, costume designer) to make designer kachcha and baniyan. He thinks it can become a fashion statement (laughs). I tell him that is not going to happen but he is very positive about it. The simplicity of the world is what appealed to me the most. The friendship between Zeeshan and me has been very nicely portrayed in the film. The relationships in life in small towns are very different. It is perhaps because they have more time and patience.”
‘Zero’, directed by Aanand l. Rai and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Color Yellow Productions, releases this Friday.