Hi Readers.
The blog is heading into it's fourth month. I feel happy that it has lasted so long! So today the blog is taking a new turn. I have updated the look of the blog to make it stand out and be more appealing to you all. Please tell me what you think about it! I think this may be the longest post that I will write since I first started!
I was thinking the other day that I have wrote about Big B, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan. However, I have not wrote about one person who has inspired me in writing my novel. I have not mentioned or had a blog dedicated to him. We all know who it is, if you do not know then you obviously don't know me. Infact, most of you must be wondering why I have not mentioned him yet but now he makes his formal entry to this blog. It is none other than Mr Shah Rukh Khan.
A 'word of warning' is that this is about the influence that SRK has upon my work and how I can relate to some of his interviews. I would like to clarify this...this post is not about how I am just like SRK or that I have modeled myself to be like him. Let me make this clear... I am Rahul N. Singh and that is who I am.
His career speaks for itself. A normal guy born and brought up in Delhi then went onto Mumbai and became the King of Bollywood. The third Superstar of Bollywood after Dilip Kumar ji and Bachchan Saab. He won millions of people's hearts. He saved Bollywood from facing Death with his movies. He brought life into the Industry when things were tough for a newcomer who had no family background in the film industry. However, SRK is the Superstar that appeals to all globally. Today, he has millions...possibly billions of fans around the world.
However, why is SRK an inspiration? Not just for me, but for a lot of the youth. What is so unique about him when he claims that he is just a normal guy? The fact is he dreams big and achieves big. He thinks of the best and is heading towards becoming the best. He dreamt of being the biggest star in the world and he has achieved it and it seemed impossible but now he shows that it is possible.
Now this post takes a different turn. Now it becomes about me. To make it less confusing for you...I have wrote 'Rahul' so you know that I am talking about the character Rahul in Love is Complicated and that it is not me.
My work ethics have changed in the past year. SRK is one of those people that have made me change my ways, my thoughts and my actions. He is one of those guys that respect women unconditionally, all his films have high respect for the female characters. I respect women greatly and my novel shows this... Naina is given a lot of respect especially in 'Rahul's' life. Infact, 'Rahul' loves his mother just the way you expect him to. Respect for women will always be evident in every novel I choose to do.
One thing strikes me about SRKs personality and I quote from Still Reading Khan page 390.
' The need to be loved is so strong that you are scared of it yourself. And if someone comes close to me, they will know that I am not really the person they love. I don't want anybody to know... I run away from what I love the most.'
SRK said this early on in his career. This strikes me in the sense as I am very similar. I don't want anyone to know me. Infact, I would not feel secure with myself if someone did. The most anyone knows about me is probably 50%. What happens in my mind is very different to what I voice out. I am more honest to myself on this blog than what I am to people when I meet them. Maybe my wife will know the true me!!! But I am just the same in terms of, if I am getting too close to someone or someone is able to see how I feel then I tend to back off from that person. However, I just want to be loved, I want to be loved by everyone. I fear that one day the people that I love the most will stop loving me because I am not the person they expected me to be. This makes me feel insecure. I am really insecure about myself but I feel that I am also very secure with myself. People will never know me because I do contradict myself. I will continue to contradict with myself until I know who I am truly. My love and faith for God is the only thing that can never be contradicted. I love God and always will.
Another thing that SRK talks about and what I can relate to is what he said in the Filmfare magazine in October.
“But when I try to play a character, instead of putting in too many crutches I become the character. I become that person. There are things that I have to explain. For example, if I have to be a flamboyant guy even without putting on much, without changing; my body language changes. That’s a plus of me as an actor. I don’t have to explain, the audience understands …”
I really like this. This shows me alot about SRK the actor. This is where I believe he knows what acting is all about. This is why he is probably still the best even though he has so much competition.
Someone asked me a question regarding my novel. Why are my characters so real? Why can we as a reader feel the characters so clearly? I personally believe it is the technique I use. I do become the character when I write in their eyes. I switch from 'Rahul' to Nikhil in seconds...I switch from Nikhil to Naina in seconds. It is natural to me now. I found it hard in the beginning as it required alot of energy. I smile when the character is smiling, I cry when the character cries. I feel everything the characters feel. This is another reason why people will never know who I am. The thing is right now I don't see much difference between me as a person to the character 'Rahul'. I would say now that I have become 'Rahul'.
So this leads to another question. Have I lost myself to the character? Probably I have. I am not sure. I won't say that my personality is now like the character 'Rahul'. I have a more stable love life than 'Rahul' does. The thing I really like about my character is his love for his mother. It is totally filmy but it is realistic. He does what every son should do or atleast feel. However, there is a lot of pain in 'Rahul's' life. He has lost his father, he has been searching for love from Naina, he hides himself from his family. Looking at it I think parts of my personality is in 'Rahul'. But 'Rahul' is his own character, I know I am totally not like 'Rahul'. I hope I didn't contradict myself here.
I would like to thank SRK for giving me insights of his acting techniques through interviews. His never dying spirit to succeed is something that I am learning to adapt to for myself. I have learnt from his work that you don't try 100%, you try 110%! This is the spirit you should have. Whatever you dream about, if you try with positive attitude then any dream is possible to achieve. This is what SRK believes in and it is something for us as the youth to look upto and admire.
Most of all, I would like to thank him for keeping my interest in Bollywood. He has been my favourite actor since Darr. Maybe in the future, one day I might write a book on SRK the actor.
I hope you all have had a great read and I really have enjoyed writing this. My advise to you is that work hard, if people put you down then work harder. Love everyone no matter what. Just think you are the best and you will become better in life. People will put you down, you can be the best in your field but people will judge you no matter what! I am sure people judge me but they will never know me. Only a few people will ever have the privilege to know me.
Take care and lots of love,
Rahul N. Singh
